Principal Lawyer – Employment, Education & Corporate Governance

Job description

Contract terms

Starting salary: HC1 (£73,122 – £84,234)
Work location: Alexandra House, 10 Station Road, Wood Green, London, N22 7TR
Hours per week: 28 – 36 per week (compressed hours available)
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: Sunday, 21st June 2026 at 23:59
Expected interview date: W/C 6th July 2026

About Haringey

Haringey is a fantastic place to live and work – the world in one borough. A place brimming with creativity, personality, radicalism, and community. It is a place where we stand up for each other. A place that is proudly distinctive. We’ll be celebrating all this and more as the “rebel borough” when we are the 2027 London Borough of Culture.

Our history champions change-makers and everyday rebels; revelling in our differences, battling discrimination, championing equality, and doing things our own way. Haringey’s people are a huge asset, with knowledge, expertise, and passion. Our staff members embody our organisational values: Caring, Creative, Courageous, Collaborative and Community-focused. These values keep us looking forward, ambitious for the future, and continuously striving to do our very best for all of our residents.

About the role

This is a genuinely influential opportunity for an accomplished public law lawyer to operate at the heart of a large, ambitious London borough. As Principal Lawyer for Employment, Education & Corporate, you will lead on some of the Council’s most complex, high‑profile and politically sensitive legal matters, shaping decisions that directly affect residents, staff and services.

You will provide trusted, expert legal advice at the most senior level, working closely with Directors, Heads of Service, elected Members and external partners. The role combines deep technical practice with strategic leadership: managing a complex caseload, advising on constitutional and corporate governance matters, supporting the Monitoring Officer, and leading transformational projects that cut across the organisation.

This is not a “back office” legal role. You will be a visible, confident adviser in committee rooms and board‑level discussions, influencing outcomes, managing risk and helping the Council deliver its priorities in a challenging operating environment. If you are motivated by work that has real impact, autonomy and profile, this role offers scope and stretch in equal measure.

About the team

You will lead the Employment and Education legal function within a Legal & Governance service that values professionalism, innovation and collaboration. The team provides high‑quality, solutions‑focused advice on complex employment, education and governance issues, supporting services across the borough during periods of reform, scrutiny and change.

As part of the Legal Services Extended Management Team, you will play a key role in shaping the future direction of the service — driving improvement, modernisation and new ways of working. You will manage, mentor and develop a small team of skilled lawyers, building capability, confidence and resilience while fostering a supportive, high‑performance culture.

The wider organisation is values‑led and politically astute, with senior leaders who understand the importance of strong legal advice and early engagement. You will be encouraged to think strategically, challenge constructively and build strong internal and external relationships that enhance the Council’s reputation and effectiveness.

About you

You will be a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or CILEX Fellow with significant post‑qualification experience in employment and/or education law, ideally gained within a complex, regulated or public sector environment. You are comfortable handling technically demanding, high‑risk matters and advising senior stakeholders with confidence, clarity and authority.

You will already have experience of leading people or services — setting direction, motivating others and managing performance — and be ready to operate at a senior, strategic level. You bring sound judgement, political awareness and the ability to translate complex legal issues into clear, practical advice that supports good decision‑making.

Above all, you are someone who wants to make a difference. You are collaborative, adaptable and values‑driven, with the credibility to lead, the confidence to influence, and the curiosity to keep learning in a fast‑moving environment. If you are looking for a senior legal role where your expertise will be visible, valued and genuinely impactful, this could be the right next step for you.

Working for Haringey

At Haringey Council we are committed to creating a workplace culture where all our people feel valued, included, and able to be their best at work, and we recognise the benefits of a diverse workforce so welcome applications from all ethnicities and communities so that we continue to make a difference to our residents and community.  Our benefits package includes a leave entitlement of 31 days + bank holidays, potential hybrid working opportunities, health and wellbeing support, a generous local government pension scheme and a range of discount schemes across leisure and culture that provide both financial and money-saving discounts.

Please note: we reserve the right to end this advert before the noted deadline if we receive sufficient applications. If you wish to apply for this role, please ensure that you do so as soon as possible.  

Additionally, we are aware that automated emails may be diverted through to junk email folders.  Please continue to check these through the application process.  If you have any questions about the status of your application, please contact ResourcingHub@haringey.gov.uk