Principal Lawyer - Planning and Highways

Closing date: 16 June 2026

Salary: Grade 7, £65,101 per annum (inclusive of a time limited £10,000 recruitment allowance until 31/01/2028)

This is an exciting opportunity for a highly experienced Planning & Highways Lawyer to lead a specialist legal function at the heart of Somerset Council’s growth and infrastructure ambitions. As Principal Lawyer, you will shape and influence major development and highways projects, providing expert advice that enables sustainable growth while protecting the interests of local communities.

Leading a skilled legal team, you’ll work at both strategic and operational levels, driving improvements in development planning and management, supporting complex, high-profile work, and playing a key role in the Council’s ongoing transformation. With strong collaboration across senior leadership and partners, this role offers the chance to make a visible, lasting impact in a forward-thinking and purpose-driven organisation.

Role Summary

As our Principal Lawyer – Planning and Highways, you will provide strategic legal leadership and expert advice to support the Council in delivering its priorities, transformation programmes and statutory duties. You will guide policy, decision-making and service delivery, while leading a high-performing legal team to ensure robust, effective and compliant outcomes. In doing so, you will play a key role in enabling the Council to operate with confidence, deliver high-quality services, and achieve positive outcomes for the communities it serves.

What you’ll do – Key Responsibilities

• Lead on all aspects of Planning and Highways legal work, including undertaking a personal caseload, and ensuring through appropriate delegation and supervision that work is delivered to a high standard and in a timely manner, supporting the Council to achieve its priorities and objectives.
• Have responsibility for the effective management of resources relating to the Planning and Highways legal team, ensuring external legal spend and associated contracts are managed efficiently, delivering quality outcomes and value for money.
• Ensure the team supports the Council in achieving its outcomes successfully, maintaining the skills and competencies required to advise on relevant matters within available resources, and demonstrating performance through clear, measurable outcomes reported to the Head of Legal Services.
• Ensure, through robust performance management, the delivery of high-quality, value for money services within a culture of continuous improvement, including supporting staff development and progression to maintain effective service continuity.
• Establish and maintain a strong understanding of client needs and objectives through effective relationship building, while mentoring and supporting more junior team members to ensure a consistent and shared focus on delivering those objectives.
• Ensure, through appropriate delegation and professional supervision, that work is delivered in the most efficient manner, and that the use of external legal support is procured in line with agreed procedures and focused on achieving best value.
• Work with clients to support the most effective delivery arrangements for legal services, promoting collaborative and efficient ways of working.
• Be an integral member of the Legal Services Management Team, demonstrating a personal commitment to the Council’s values and promoting these across the team.
• Support the Monitoring Officer and the Head of Legal Services & Deputy Monitoring Officer in key meetings, including committees, senior officer discussions, and engagement with councillors and external stakeholders.

What we’re looking for – Knowledge, Experience, & Skills

• Demonstrable knowledge of the statutory, policy and strategic commissioning framework within local government, including equality and diversity in service delivery.
• Understanding of effective customer and community engagement, and the ability to support service redesign, change and continuous improvement.
• Strong understanding of performance management and quality assurance frameworks.
• Significant experience of working with Members and Directors on complex issues, shaping strategic direction and advising on policy development.
• Proven experience of delivering corporate projects, alongside developing and delivering effective communication and engagement activities.
• Experience of partnership working, including influencing and leading multi-agency initiatives.
• Relevant degree or professional qualification, with evidence of continuing professional development in a specialist field.
• Ability to lead change, act as a role model, and promote an innovative, adaptable and continuous improvement culture.
• Ability to prioritise workloads, meet deadlines, motivate others, and demonstrate a strong “can do” approach with high levels of drive and self-motivation.
• Strong customer and community focus, with a commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, and high standards of personal integrity.
• Strong analytical and decision-making skills, with the ability to manage complex service delivery and policy matters confidently and thoroughly.

Additional Information

• Permanent, Full-time role (37 hours per week).
• 33 days’ annual leave (additional to Bank Holidays).
• Flexible and hybrid working opportunities.
• Relocation package up to £8,000 for those moving to Somerset.
• Grade 7 salary of £55,101, plus a time limited recruitment allowance of £10,000 per annum until 31/01/2028.
• We are able to offer Skilled Worker sponsorship for this role if you are already residing in the UK. We can also proceed with candidates who already have sponsorship and wish to transfer it.

For an informal chat about the role, you can contact Kehinde Awojobi, Head of Legal, via email: kehinde.awojobi@somerset.gov.uk

A full job description will be provided to shortlisted candidates or on request via recruitment@somerset.gov.uk quoting reference 899/AB