Commercial Lawyer | Preston

Salary £47,665 - £53,051 per annum| Permanent | 37 hours per week | Commercial & Procurement Team

Please note that we are unable to offer sponsorship for this role

Lancashire is the fourth largest local authority in England and spans twelve districts that cover a huge geographic area and a range of communities, both urban and rural. We deliver a wide range of services to the 1.2 million people who live here.

Lancashire's Legal (Commercial & Procurement) team supports the delivery of those services through the provision of solutions-focused commercial legal advice, on a diverse range of high value and complex matters. The work includes drafting and amending contracts and other legal and procurement documents, negotiating with third parties, collaborating with other public and private sector partners and advising on tenders. We advise on a broad range of projects including Redefining Lancashire economic development work, highways, infrastructure, insourcing and outsourcing of council functions and the council's commercialisation agenda.

The role involves advising on the application of the council's constitution, relevant procurement legislation, subsidy control, grant funding and a variety of other commercial matters, with the opportunity to work on high value and strategic projects.

The role will be primarily a general commercial lawyer post, however the successful applicant will also have the opportunity to advise in the following service areas:

• the council's Digital Service on a range of contract, commercial and procurement matters, including the procurement of hardware and software, software licences and the use of third-party frameworks

• Academy conversions. This involves the drafting and negotiating of Commercial Transfer Agreements, working closely with the council's Legal Property and Assets teams to ensure that academy conversions are completed on time.

We are a friendly, talented and collaborative team who support each other to make a meaningful contribution to the council's vision – making Lancashire the best place to live, work and prosper. Commercial Lawyers enjoy a high level of responsibility and hands-on experience of stimulating, challenging work, whilst benefiting from an inclusive, supportive and flexible working environment.

The successful candidate will have access to a generous benefits package, set out in more detail here - https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/jobs/work-for-us/ and at https://www.lancashire.gov.uk/applications/staff/staff-benefits/

All successful applicants will need to have been admitted as a Solicitor, be a practicing Barrister or a Chartered Legal Executive.

Desirable requirements:

• Demonstrable commercial background, with credit given for the breadth and depth of experience that a candidate can demonstrate.

• Experience of local authority legal work with an appreciation of the requirements of adhering to our constitution and the relevant procurement legislation.

• We will consider lawyers with commercial experience from any setting as well as newly qualified lawyers who can demonstrate a strong work ethic and professional attitude.

For an informal discussion, please contact Ross Hudson on (01772) 533233 / email ross.hudson@lancashire.gov.uk

Council employees work on a hybrid basis. The post is based at County Hall, Preston, but employees have the ability and opportunity to work from home.

Closing Date: 11/10/2026

Please ensure you upload a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria for the role.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications.

Local Government Reorganisation

The Government has confirmed that local government across Lancashire will be reorganised, with the current 15 councils being replaced by four new unitary councils covering North, South, East and West Lancashire from April 2028.

If you are successful in your application, you will initially join Lancashire County Council. However, as part of the planned transition, your employment will transfer to one of the new unitary councils from April 2028, subject to the implementation of the reorganisation and relevant employment legislation.

Throughout this period, our focus remains on delivering excellent services to our communities. By joining us now, you'll play an important role in shaping the future of local government and helping to build a strong new organisation that will serve residents for years to come.

Job Description & Person Specification