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Paralegal - Contracts Team
| Posting date: | 04 February 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £31,067 to £37,938 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 18 February 2025 |
| Location: | Reading, Berkshire |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Reading Borough Council |
| Job type: | Temporary |
| Job reference: | RES0613 |
Summary
Full Time - 23 Month Fixed Term Contract
If you are a paralegal with experience of contracts and procurement now is the perfect time to join us as we deliver our ambitions to be the best place to practice law in local government; being close to our customers, recruiting the best talent, successfully deploying legal technology and ensuring the continued growth of the business to new customers.
Reading’s Legal Service provides the Council and its partners with the highest quality professional legal advice and representation which allows them to run their organisations well, and to serve our community.
We lead a highly regarded internal Corporate Legal Team, serving the needs of the Council across a wide range of functions. As well as hosting the Joint Legal Team, a long-standing shared legal service for all the Berkshire councils and a recognised centre of excellence for childcare, adults and education law.
We are seeking an experienced contract paralegal to support our team with a range of contract and procurement assistance.
About the role
As a paralegal, you will support the Principal Lawyer, Senior Lawyer and Lawyers in the team with a range of tasks which may include:
Opening cases
Support the team with the preparation of contracts
Assisting in the drafting of contracts
Preparing matters for sealing
Bundling of contracts using in-house case management system
Holding a caseload of matters under the supervision of a lawyer
Undertake research
Work closely with client departments to facilitate smooth legal operations.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading
Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively
Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential
Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity
About you
You will thrive on change and continuous improvement and be supported by our Principal Lawyer.
The following experience is required for this role:
Good working knowledge of public procurements and/or construction contracts and/or company law
Experience of working in a legal department (ideally local government / public sector)
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with colleagues and clients.
Excellent IT Skills e.g Word, PowerPoint, DocuSign and any other related legal case management system.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
All staff are encouraged to actively participate in the development and implementation of the Legal Services Strategy for us to be the best place to practice law in local government.
We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Benefits include:
A competitive salary
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Shaidah Ramzan Legal Services Manager at Shaidah.Ramzan@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: 18th February 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
If you are a paralegal with experience of contracts and procurement now is the perfect time to join us as we deliver our ambitions to be the best place to practice law in local government; being close to our customers, recruiting the best talent, successfully deploying legal technology and ensuring the continued growth of the business to new customers.
Reading’s Legal Service provides the Council and its partners with the highest quality professional legal advice and representation which allows them to run their organisations well, and to serve our community.
We lead a highly regarded internal Corporate Legal Team, serving the needs of the Council across a wide range of functions. As well as hosting the Joint Legal Team, a long-standing shared legal service for all the Berkshire councils and a recognised centre of excellence for childcare, adults and education law.
We are seeking an experienced contract paralegal to support our team with a range of contract and procurement assistance.
About the role
As a paralegal, you will support the Principal Lawyer, Senior Lawyer and Lawyers in the team with a range of tasks which may include:
Opening cases
Support the team with the preparation of contracts
Assisting in the drafting of contracts
Preparing matters for sealing
Bundling of contracts using in-house case management system
Holding a caseload of matters under the supervision of a lawyer
Undertake research
Work closely with client departments to facilitate smooth legal operations.
You’ll be part of a team that relies on each individual to play their part to the best of their ability. As well as the colleagues that you work closely with every day, you’ll also be part of Team Reading, playing your personal part in making Reading a successful and vibrant place.
Our vision is to ensure that Reading realises its potential as a great place to live, work and play, and that everyone shares the benefits of this success. Our values and behaviours guide how we will achieve this:
Work Together as one team - champion and inspire a culture which ensures that all employees across the organisation work together to provide excellent outcomes for Reading
Drive Efficiency - create an environment in which resources are used efficiently and employees’ skills are developed and used effectively
Be Ambitious - aspire to deliver excellence and inspire and support others to reach their potential
Make a Difference to Reading - inspire a culture in which the customer is the focus and where change is welcomed as an opportunity
About you
You will thrive on change and continuous improvement and be supported by our Principal Lawyer.
The following experience is required for this role:
Good working knowledge of public procurements and/or construction contracts and/or company law
Experience of working in a legal department (ideally local government / public sector)
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build strong relationships with colleagues and clients.
Excellent IT Skills e.g Word, PowerPoint, DocuSign and any other related legal case management system.
Our offer
We offer a supportive environment to grow and develop your career with the opportunity to put your ideas across. Innovation and ambition are strongly encouraged, and you’ll get a great feel for that working in our friendly and collaborative environment.
All staff are encouraged to actively participate in the development and implementation of the Legal Services Strategy for us to be the best place to practice law in local government.
We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.
Benefits include:
A competitive salary
Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
A wide range of flexible working opportunities
Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
Season Ticket Loan - to help with the cost of your rail/ bus journey, to & from work
Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax
For more information on this position please contact Shaidah Ramzan Legal Services Manager at Shaidah.Ramzan@reading.gov.uk
Closing Date: 18th February 2025
Interview Date: To be confirmed
Please note that the closing date is given as a guide. We reserve the right to close this vacancy once a sufficient number of applications has been received. Therefore, it is strongly advised that you complete and return your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.