Senior Legal Officer

We are currently recruiting a qualified Senior Legal Officer to lead on legal and regulatory compliance with regards to pre-litigated and litigated matters for Disrepair. About usWe are a social housing landlord and one of the largest housing providers in the region with over 22,000 social and affordable homes, mainly in the Bradford district. We employ a talented workforce of nearly 1,000 people. This year we've launched our five-year Corporate Strategy, which runs to 2029. Our purpose is to provide high quality homes, services, and support to our customers, so we've worked with colleagues and customers to find out what's important to them. Our customers sit at the heart of what we do, and our colleagues are the people who'll help us achieve our vision, which is to create the best customer experience to improve everyday lives.Responsibilities Lead on legal and regulatory compliance with regards to pre-litigated and litigated matters for Disrepair, ensuring alignment with the organisation's overall strategy and long-term objectives. Ensure service delivery and performance is in line with statutory timescales, service objectives and targets, whilst providing updates to SLT and the board. Establish clear milestones and KPIs for your service area, holding all stakeholders accountable for meeting legal requirements and deadlines. Lead and inspire litigation team members and particularly those under your management responsibility, driving high performance through clear leadership and communication. You will be responsible for staff development, management and ensuring continuous improvement within your team. Allocate cases and supervise / manage the work undertaken by the Legal Officers, the Legal Assistant and the Administrative Assistant as well as undertake file reviews, regular check-ins and setting 90-day goals. Provide support and cover for other Senior Legal Officers when needed and as required. Attend and advise internal working groups, panels and multi-agency meetings relating to Litigation work. Provide legal expertise and advice internally and to the Senior Leadership Team on all matters relating to Housing Litigation including tenancy enforcement, compliance and housing disrepair claims, researching specific areas of law as appropriate. Instruct Counsel and attend conferences with Counsel as and when required. Act as senior point of contact for key stakeholders, including customers and external law firms. You will be responsible for negotiating and securing advantageous terms for external support, ensuring long-term partnerships that benefit the organisation. You will be responsible for internal legal activity regarding litigated matters and are expected to draft, prepare and conduct legal proceedings in the County and Magistrates' Courts brought by and against Incommunities including attend hearings. Deliver in-house legal training as well as facilitate external training sessions when required through our external panel firms, utilising their added value services and planning an annual training calendar for the organisation. Exercise sound professional judgement and communicate clearly and concisely when advising the organisation on complex legal matters. Ensure the effective and efficient management of the litigation helpdesk, delegating queries to Legal Officers. Authorise settlement offers in respect of damages and costs in claims brought against Incommunities Ltd in line with the Financial Regulations. Ensure cost controls, manage budgets and mitigate financial risks but also escalate when needed. Ensure legal activity and spend stays within budget and forecasting assumptions are as accurate as possible based on performance data and trends analysis, as well as horizon scanning future risks particularly based on government policy and legislative changes. Lead on the continuous monitoring and evaluation of service performance. You will provide regular and transparent reporting to senior management, identifying successes, challenges and areas for improvement. Ensure all aspects of the service deliver on key performance indicators, including cost efficiency and overall satisfaction of stakeholders. Requirements Proven track record in strategic leadership and effective service delivery. Strong experience in budget and financial management. Exceptional negotiation skills, with the ability to influence key stakeholders and secure favourable outcomes. Strong focus on risk management, with the ability to identify and mitigate risks including horizon scanning and government and legislative changes. An extensive working knowledge and understanding of housing litigation, particularly housing disrepair claims, anti social behaviour/breach of tenancy and compliance. Relevant qualifications such as qualified solicitor or a FILEX with a minimum of two years post qualification experience or equivalent experience. An understanding and awareness of the housing and social needs of a multicultural society and of the sensitive complex issues that may arise. Proven track record of undertaking advocacy in relation to a range of housing related matters. Excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise work. Ability to communicate effectively and liaise with customers, Client Departments and the SLT. Demonstrate a calm and professional approach to sensitive matters. Ability to supervise the work of others and undertake the day-to-day management of members of the litigation team. Benefits Salary £54,098 up to £59,172 per year dependant on experience Enrollment into the Social Housing Pension Scheme 28 days annual leave that increases with service plus bank holidays Option to buy and sell annual leave Training, development, and qualification opportunities Our Hub: our wellbeing and benefits site, with exclusive access to discounts and savings (at over 800 retailers) Corporate health scheme membership Access to an Employee Assistance Programme Cycle to work scheme Local gym membership discounts. A team of trained Mental Health First Aiders who are available for colleagues to contact for support Join Our Team!We're looking for great people to join us! At Incommunities, we're committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, included, and supported. We actively welcome applicants from all backgrounds, abilities, and experiences—because we know that diverse perspectives make us stronger.