Deputy Head of Legal

Salary: £68,238 - £81,777
Job Grade:  Level 6 Zone 1
Work Location: North London Waste Authority, Unit 1B, Berol House, 25 Ashley Road, Tottenham Hale, London, N17 9LJ 

Hours per week: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
Closing date: Sunday 13th April 2025, 23:55

Interviews to be held: Week commencing 21^st April 2025 

Employed by London Borough of Camden, the Deputy Head of Legal will be based in North London Waste Authority (NLWA), serving Camden and six other north London boroughs that make up its membership.

About the role

This role will support the Head of Legal in the Corporate Services Directorate and is key to the effective management of NLWA’s legal, risk, and insurance issues and the delivery of good governance within the authority. The postholder should have both knowledge and experience of local government, given NLWA is a local authority albeit one that still operates in the pre-executive reforms LGA 1972 regime with a limited legal role and duties.

This is a specialist role, and the incumbent will have a high profile in the organisation, supporting the management of its legal, risk, and insurance matters. The key stakeholders are internal NLWA teams, NLHPP, LondonEnergy Ltd, the Authority’s Chief Officers including its Monitoring Officer and elected Members. The postholder will be expected to liaise closely with external advisors, whilst dealing with as much as possible in-house.

Effective governance is key to the authority’s success, and the postholder will be expected to understand, demonstrate, support, and develop the governance framework. The formal governance regime for the organisation can be found here.

About you

We are seeking a highly knowledgeable and experienced legal professional with a deep understanding of local government law, including property, commercial, and waste law. You should have a solid grasp of the political process and local authority governance, along with expertise in risk management procedures.

A commitment to valuing diversity and inclusion is essential, as is the ability to build trusted relationships with colleagues and stakeholders. You will need to manage staff effectively, including those who are not direct reports, and handle a complex caseload while proactively managing priorities.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are crucial, enabling you to instill confidence in your advice and explain complex concepts, situations, and risks clearly and concisely. Flexibility, ownership, and responsibility for your performance are key attributes we are looking for.

You should demonstrate creativity and innovation in meeting client needs and have experience providing high-level advice to senior officers. Proven success in managing and motivating individuals and teams, introducing and maintaining quality initiatives, and managing risk, including through insurance, is required.

Additionally, you should be adept at managing external lawyers to ensure quality and value for money and have experience providing full legal assurance in complex procurement activities.

For more information regarding this role please refer to the job profile.

To view the Job Profile, click HERE or copy and paste the link into your browser:  

http://camdocs.camden.gov.uk/HPRMWebDrawer/Record/10893680/file/document?inline

To apply for this job please follow the "Apply" link. You will be required to demonstrate how you meet the role criteria noted in the Job Profile.

About North London Waste Authority (NLWA)

Our mission is to preserve resources and the environment for future generations by exemplary planning, innovation, and communication in managing north London’s waste. 

We serve two million residents in seven boroughs and run communications and engagement campaigns to help them reduce their rubbish and recycle more. We campaign for government and industry action to reduce unnecessary single-use items, encourage reuse and repair and promote effective recycling. 

To help tackle the climate emergency and to prevent rubbish going to landfill, we are building the greenest Energy Recovery Facility in the country and modern recycling facilities at the Edmonton EcoPark, through the North London Heat and Power Project.

Working for NLWA

At the NLWA you will have the opportunity to shape the way we manage the waste of over 2 million residents, in the most environmentally beneficial and cost-effective way. Managing 3% of the UK’s waste and working on behalf of 7 London Boroughs provides NLWA with a platform to influence the development of national and environmental policy that drives greater benefits for our residents and our planet.

We look forward to hearing your ideas and opinions on how we can redefine the service, and we’ll redefine what a career can be 

What we Offer

At North London Waste Authority, you will receive a host of benefits offered as part of the Camden contract including:

• 27 days annual leave for new starters, rising to 31 days after 5 years
• Local Government Pension Scheme
• Flexible working opportunities
• Interest free loans
• Career development and training
• Wellbeing support and activities

Click HERE to see full details of our benefits offered as part of the Camden Contract.

Inclusion and Diversity 

we value and celebrate difference and encourage diversity in all respects. Our diverse workforce ensures we represent our communities to the best of our ability and enables us to make better decisions. Because of this, we particularly welcome applications from Black, Asian and those of other non-white ethnicities, those who identify as LGBT+, neurodiverse and disabled people.

Anonymised Application – in keeping with Camden’s commitment to inclusion the recruitment to this role is anonymised and supports the objective of reducing the impact of unconscious bias.

Asking for Adjustments

Camden is committed to making our recruitment practices barrier-free and as accessible as possible for everyone. This includes making adjustments or changes for disabled people, neurodiverse people or people with long-term health conditions. If you would like us to do anything differently during the application, interview or assessment process, including providing information in an alternative format, please contact us on 020 7974 6655, at resourcing@camden.gov.uk  or post to 5 Pancras Square, London, N1C 4AG.