Location
London Borough of Brent – Remote working with 2 days a week working from home and 3 days at the Civic Centre and other locations from time to time.

Hours
36 hours per week

Salary
£52,194 per annum inclusive of London weighting (PO4/PO5 depending on experience)

About the Role
Join Brent Council’s Legal Service and contribute to a vibrant and diverse London borough. The Lawyer will manage a caseload of debt recovery matters, working closely with various client departments within the council. This role involves instigating county court proceedings against debtors and enforcing judgments. A strong knowledge of civil procedure rules and practice is essential, along with experience in recovery of service charges, major works, arrears of Adult Social Care fees, and enforcement.

Key responsibilities include:
- Considering and investigating matters referred to the legal team and allocated to the caseworker
- Requesting and obtaining further information and documentation from client departments, acknowledging referrals, and advising on case merit
- Taking prompt action in the debt recovery process
- Engaging in dispute resolution and exploring alternative settlement methods such as mediation
- Instructing Counsel and costs draftsman when necessary
- Managing a caseload of debt recovery matters, including instigating and defending claims against the council
- Advising client departments and responding to queries on service charge disputes
- Efficiently using the council’s case management systems (training provided)

This is a 12-month fixed term contract open to both internal and external applicants. The role reports to the Senior and Principal Lawyer in the team.

Experience
Strong knowledge of civil procedure rules and practice is essential. Experience in debt recovery, including recovery of service charges, major works, arrears of Adult Social Care fees, and enforcement is required. Experience managing a caseload and working with multiple client departments is highly desirable.

About you
We are looking for an organised, proactive, and flexible team player with the ability to quickly grasp a wide range of debt recovery cases. The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent communication skills and the ability to work collaboratively within a busy legal team.

Qualifications
Qualified lawyer with relevant legal experience in financial litigation and debt recovery matters.