We have 2 vacancies for a lawyer / Solicitor to join our growing contracts & procurement team. We are seeking motivated and enthusiastic lawyers to join an established team providing expert advice in contracts and procurement law to our partner Council’s.

The current salary is up to £58,865 plus benefits which include:

• Flexi Time / flexible (hybrid) working and family friendly policies
• 28-34 (length of service dependent) days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Generous Local Government Pension scheme
• Wide range of employee benefits online discount scheme offering generous discounts including retailer, leisure and tax efficient salary sacrifice major purchases, lease car and bike options and GAYE.

The Council has a fully flexible working system that includes home/hybrid working, with adaptable working hours subject to meeting our clients’ needs. As this is a lawyer / Solicitor role the successful candidate will be working in a hybrid manner mixing remote / home working with some regular office attendance required for team and client meetings as well as taking part in a regular in-office Duty Solicitor rota.

You will need to be a practising Solicitor or Barrister with experience and knowledge of contracts / public procurement law. You will need strong inter-personal, drafting, negotiating and advisory skills and competence with IT and case management systems. We value an enabling, positive approach to finding solutions to complex problems and the ability to anticipate and adapt to business and client needs with a good understanding of risk management.

The Team operates in a fast paced, proactive and client focused way with our three Council clients, and you would be part of a highly performing team reporting to the Senior Solicitor (Business Partner) for the contracts and procurement team. We are an outcome-focused service recognised for its dedication to improving the communities in which we live and work and delivering professional excellence.

If you feel you have the necessary background, experience and skills to undertake this role we would like to hear from you. For further information about this role please view the relevant job description on our website.

What we can offer you:

Salary: The salary band for this role is £52,413 - £58,865. The starting salary is £52,413 with annual progression through the salary bands.  

Here at SCC we have a range of different perks and benefits, a few examples can be found below.

• Excellent local government pension with 16.8% employer contribution, death in service benefit of 3 x’s salary and optional salary sacrifice shared cost AVC.
• Generous holiday 25–31 days, based on role and service
• Flexible working options (role-dependent)
• Family-friendly policies - Maternity, Paternity, Adoption, Shared/Unpaid Parental Leave, Time off for Dependents
• Training and development, including coaching and mentoring
• Health and wellbeing support - Employee Assistance Programme, Menopause Pledge, Mental Health First Aiders and access to a variety of staff networks.
• Veteran-friendly employer with the Armed Forces Covenant
• Retail discounts and savings through the Southampton City Council benefits platform
• Discounted memberships at local sports and fitness centres
• Sustainable travel benefits - low emission car scheme, cycle to work, season ticket loans
• Employee volunteering scheme with 2 paid days leave to volunteer

For further information on our benefits package please visit:  Employee benefits (southampton.gov.uk)

Contact details for informal discussion:

For further information and details regarding the position please contact either Sofiya Nikolova, Senior Solicitor, Sofiya.nikolova@southampton.gov.uk on 023 8083 2660 or Sarita Riley, Head of Legal Partnerships on 023 8083 3218 (sarita.riley@southampton.gov.uk)

Interview Information:

Interviews are expected to be held in August 2025. Please note that the Council may offer exceptional candidates interviews while the recruitment remains open and reserves the option to appoint before the close of the recruitment period for the right candidate.

Recruitment contact details:

Email: recruitment@southampton.gov.uk  
Tel: 023 8083 4033

Closing date: 7 August 2025

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.