Contract Lawyer

Legal Services, Procurement and Contract Monitoring Team, County Hall, Newport

We are looking for a qualified lawyer to join our property and contracts legal team.

Joining our friendly and supportive in-house legal team, you will support a wide variety of clients from across the council on contract related matters and work closely with the council’s procurement team. The work will include drafting contracts, drafting grant agreements, drafting variations, advising on contract terms and advising on early-stage litigation.

The successful candidate will possess excellent personal management skills and be able to keep clear and accurate records to demonstrate high process compliance.

Flexible working and remote working means that we can consider candidates from out of area in a way which was not always possible in the past. We are looking for candidates who have transferrable skills and are able to work across different work types for a range of clients to provide greater agility in adapting to changing demands.

Knowledge of contracts is an advantage for this role, however, more importantly we are looking for the right person to join our team. Therefore, we welcome applications from those who believe they can transfer existing knowledge or experience from a different area into this role. We also welcome applications from newly qualified lawyers who may be looking to develop into this role.

In return we can offer you a comprehensive benefits package including flexible working, a local government pension scheme, 32 days annual leave (plus bank holidays!), employee discount benefits, and access to a range of technologies to support modern ways of working.

For further information or an informal discussion please contact Joe Rennie on 01983 821000 ext. 6339 or email joseph.rennie@iow.gov.uk 

Join #TeamIWC and you’ll receive our staff benefits package, including:

• Annual leave entitlement of 32 days p/a PLUS public holidays!
• Local Government pension scheme
• Discounted Solent ferry travel
• Island bus network discount
• Cycle to work scheme
• Staff parking permit scheme
• Discounted island sports & leisure gym membership
• National and local discounts & benefits schemes
• Relocation scheme of up to £8,000 may be available for some roles (subject to criteria)
• Travel allowance may be available if commuting from the mainland (subject to criteria)

The Isle of Wight Council currently does not have a license to sponsor overseas workers.

We actively promote the diversity of our workforce, and provide flexible working options (where appropriate) to support the different needs of our employees. We are an equal opportunities employer, proud to encourage applications from all cultures, backgrounds and abilities to better reflect the diversity within our local community.

We are a Disability Confident employer. Along with a number of commitments, this means, providing you meet the basic essential requirements of the advertised role and have declared yourself as disabled, you will be offered an opportunity for an interview within the council.

Closing date: 15 November 2026

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