Principal Lawyer - Planning, Property & Contracts

Job Title: Principal Lawyer - Planning, Property & Contract
Pay Details: £51,356 - £54,495 (Pro Rata)
Hours of Work / Working Pattern:37 Hours per week
Main Place of Work: Civic Offices, Barry and Hybrid Working, (to agree days on site)

The Vale of Glamorgan is a place with a strong sense of identity, ambition and purpose. Our Vale 2030 plan is more than a strategy - it's a commitment to creating thriving communities, protecting our environment, strengthening our local economy and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to flourish.

As a coastal county with vibrant towns, growing regeneration zones and significant strategic development underway, the Vale offers some of the most interesting and influential legal work in Wales. From transforming town centres to enabling housing and infrastructure, the decisions we make today will shape the Vale for generations.

Legal Services is deeply embedded in this journey. We are trusted partners to services across the Council, helping to unlock complex development opportunities, safeguard robust governance, and support democratic decision‑making. Our work spans regeneration, sustainable transport, planning, climate resilience, commercial activity and strategic land use - offering a breadth of experience rarely matched in private practice.

About the role

We are recruiting a Principal Lawyer to lead and support the Planning, Property and Contract legal function, influencing the future of the Vale through regeneration, capital projects and strategic infrastructure development.

This Principal Lawyer role sits at the heart of our transformation programme and plays a key part in delivering our Vale 2030 Strategy. You'll work on high-impact, visible projects that shape how services evolve and how our communities are supported, with a clear line of sight between your advice and real outcomes for residents, businesses and places.

As Principal Lawyer you will:

• Lead, mentor and support a team of Lawyers and Legal Officers.
• Manage a complex caseload including property, planning, contract, procurement, conveyancing and regeneration matters.
• Provide confident, timely legal advice to officers and Members, including Planning Committee.
• Guide the Council through judicial reviews, planning appeals, inquiries and statutory processes.
• Support delivery of the Reshaping Programme and major capital schemes.
  Promote strong governance, excellent client care and modern legal practice.

What we offer:

You'll join a supportive, friendly and collaborative team where people share knowledge openly and celebrate collective success. We offer a working culture that respects work-life balance, underpinned by flexible and family-friendly policies so you can thrive professionally and personally.

This role provides a genuine pathway into senior leadership, with access to Vale of Glamorgan management development programmes, mentoring and broader corporate exposure as part of our People Strategy.

About you:

This role is perfect for someone who enjoys variety, problem solving and being close to the decisions that shape our communities. If you want your legal expertise to genuinely influence outcomes and not just process transactions, this could be your next step.

You'll bring:

• Professional qualification as a Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of CILEX.
  Significant experience in at least one of: Property, Contract or Planning law.
• Experience contributing to or leading project work (e.g. regeneration schemes, commercial acquisitions/disposals, strategic land use).
• Leadership, people management or supervisory experience, or a commitment to developing these skills.
• A basic understanding of administrative and corporate law relevant to local government, or the ability to develop this quickly.
• Strong drafting, analytical and negotiation skills.
• Ability to handle complex matters and competing priorities.
• Excellent communication skills, including translating complex legal concepts for non‑lawyers.
• A collaborative, inclusive and values led‑ approach.

You don't need experience in every area - depth in one specialism and a willingness to learn the others is more important to us.

We're looking for a can-do, solutions-focused mindset: someone who is flexible, enthusiastic and committed to supporting the work of the wider Legal Services team as well as their own portfolio.

If you are unsure whether you meet every requirement, we encourage you to apply. We value potential, learning mindset and alignment with our values just as much as technical expertise.

How to apply:

You can apply for this post through the Council webpage 'Job Vacancies'

If you are interested in the role and would like an informal conversation, then please contact: Justine Cass - Operational Manager, Legal Services, Email: JCass@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk

Please note that information can be provided in Welsh. Please contact Natalie Delaney at Sellick Partnership for more information.

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.