Legal Adviser / Senior Legal Adviser (Adults and Education)

Job Details:

Job Reference: HCC624702

Salary Range: £40,643 - £54,423 per annum, plus Market Supplement of up to £4,500 per annum

Work Location: Elizabeth II Court, Winchester (Hybrid Working)

Hours per week: 37 (part time working may also be considered)

Contract Type: Permanent

Closing Date: 24 August 2026
Please note applications will be reviewed once submitted, therefore this advert may close early depending on volumes of applications received.

Join our friendly and professional legal department and explore what the future could look like with Hampshire County Council!

The Role:

We are looking for a motivated and curious Senior or Junior Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Executive (with litigation rights) to join our Adults and Education Legal Team. Whether you are an experienced Adults and Education legal practitioner, newly qualified or looking to move into a new area of practice, this is an excellent opportunity to build your legal career in a team that delivers work which is both challenging and genuinely rewarding.

You will be supported by senior fee earners to develop your expertise and further your career in our well-respected team and contribute to the success of Hampshire Legal Services. To learn more about the HLS Team, please visit Hampshire Legal Services .

This post is being advertised at both Senior Legal Adviser (G) and Legal Adviser (F) grades with Market Supplement of up £4,500 per annum available, dependent on experience. You will be appointed depending on experience and qualifications relevant to the criteria below.

What you’ll do:

This is an in-house legal adviser role, where you will work individually and as part of a friendly team, taking on a complex caseload to provide professional and timely legal advice to all Hampshire County Council directorates and a wide range of other organisations delivering public services, including other local authorities, health providers and, maintained and academy schools.

What we’re looking for:

We are looking for a lawyer who:

• is able to demonstrate sound legal skills and judgment
• adopts a pragmatic solution focused approach
• has strong client relationship and communication skills
• works collaboratively in a team and is able to support other team members
• can prioritise effectively and work independently to meet deadlines; and
• shares Hampshire Legal Services’ values to deliver high quality legal advice

Senior Legal Adviser

As a qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Executive (with litigation rights) or equivalent, you will have relevant post qualification experience in the areas of adult social care law and/or education law .

Legal Adviser

As a newly qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Legal Executive (with litigation rights) or equivalent or as someone looking for a change of direction in your career, support and training will be available. Adult social care law and education law are specialist fields, and we do not expect applicants to have previous experience of these fields. What matters most is an open mind, a willingness to learn, and an interest in using your legal skills to support services that make a real difference to people’s lives. You will receive full training and support from experienced colleagues, including supervision, mentoring and opportunities to develop advocacy skills. This is an ideal role for someone at the beginning of their legal career or those wanting to retrain into a meaningful public sector practice area.

Why join us?

Having successfully adopted online and hybrid working, we can consider candidates from out of the area, working partially remotely and from our offices in Winchester.

As a forward-looking local authority, our commitment to delivering an exceptional quality of life to our Hampshire residents also extends to our employees. It is important to us that our staff feel supported in their work. As such we can offer you a good work-life balance through flexible working and our excellent benefits package including:

• Access to Local Government Pension Scheme
• 25 - 28 days annual leave entitlement (dependant on Local Authority service)
• Interest free travel loans and discounts
• Employee Support Services
• Family friendly policies

Additional Information:

Legal Adviser (Adults and Education) Candidate Pack
Senior Legal Adviser (Adults and Education) Candidate Pack

Please note this post is Politically Restricted.

Vetting Requirements:

This post is subject to a Basic Disclosure Check.

Contact Details for an Informal Discussion:

Charlotte Koster, Legal Team Leader on View email address on careers.newjob.org.uk

Hampshire County Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. We expect all employees, workers and volunteers to share this commitment. We will ensure that all our recruitment and selection practices reflect this commitment.

In order to combat discrimination, no unnecessary conditions or requirements will be applied which could have a disproportionately adverse effect on any one group. All sections of the population will have equal access to jobs. No applicant or employee will receive less favourable treatment because of age, disability, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation, marriage or civil partnership and pregnancy or maternity, unless a Genuine Occupational Requirement (GOR) applies.

We are a Disability Confident Employer - committed to ensuring that our recruitment and selection process is inclusive and accessible.