Job Details:

Salary range: £42,912 - £49,155 per annum. Salary negotiable depending upon experience.
Work location: Kensington Town Hall, Hornton St, London W8 7NX
Hours per week: 36
Contract type: Permanent
Closing date: 21 June 2026
Interview date: Week Commencing 29 June 2026

About Us:

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ARUNA’S DEDICATION TO TRANSFORMING LIVES

The Bi-Borough Legal Services Department at Westminster City Council is a world of extraordinary stories. Where people like Aruna work on projects that are helping to regenerate our borough and transform residents’ lives.

The Church Street Estate is an exciting, vibrant area and home to a diverse range of people, but has a number of issues that have led to social and economic exclusion for many. So a few years ago we decided to create a masterplan with the aim of improving the lives of everyone who lives and works here, while building on the unique qualities of the neighbourhood.

Our ambition is to improve the quality of life for everyone in the area, and we aim to do this by building 1,750 high quality homes, creating new green spaces and playgrounds, and providing services that will support the community’s health and wellbeing.

But such massive changes bring worry and conflict. Flats and houses will have to be demolished to make way for the new, and as many people have lived in their homes for decades they don’t want to say goodbye to cherished memories and familiar surroundings. Which is where Aruna and her team came into their own.

In the summer of 2024 a public inquiry was held into the compulsory purchase order made for Site A of Church Street, and it was her role to support the development team as they put forward the case for regeneration. Many of the people who objected were understandably afraid at the prospect of losing their homes, but Aruna was passionate in her defence of the project and stressed the fact that everyone in the area deserves better. And she was reassuring too, as she explained that compulsory powers would only be used as a last resort and anyone who is moved out of their current home has a range of options to remain in the area should they wish to, and the regenerated Church Street will offer unique opportunities, new jobs and an exciting feeling of optimism.

Aruna’s commitment to a positive world of renewal for our residents is Westminster City Council’s commitment too, and the Church Street of the future will hopefully be a blueprint for progressive regeneration throughout our city.

To learn more about our plans, visit churchstreet.org

The Role:

We are expanding our Contracts & Procurement Legal Team and are recruiting three new roles in response to increasing workload, demand and a growing portfolio of interesting projects.  This is a fantastic opportunity for a newly qualified solicitor ready to progress their career into procurement and commercial contracts. We deliver effective legal services to our local authority clients, Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. We handle a wide range of legal matters and offer advice on each council’s priorities, some of which is in the public eye.

We’d like you to bring your energy and skill to your own routine caseload and as a support to your coworker’s caseloads. You’ll take the time to listen to clients and colleagues, so that you can offer them the best support. You’ll be sure to offer clear, professional and consistent advice. Your day-to-day tasks will include managing a caseload of contract and procurement matters, drafting legal documentation, advising on governance reports and proof-reading documents. You will be always open to improve your own skills and the wider legal service.

We’re often juggling multiple deadlines at once, and must adhere to strict processes for compliance and governance, so it’s inevitable that you’ll sharpen your time management skills here.

You’ll be joining a supportive, inclusive and flexible team. Teamworking and knowledge sharing to find an innovative solution is crucial to us. From juniors to those with 30+ years’ experience, we have a wide range of expertise, and so there are many minds that you can learn from. 

Please refer to the Job Description for more information.

About You:

We’re looking for someone experienced at dealing with and advising on contracts and public procurement matters. You’ll bring knowledge of contracts and procurement law (including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023), alongside a broad understanding of local government law — particularly decision-making processes. Plus, you’ve drafted legal documents such as service contracts, deeds of variation, grant agreements, and construction contracts.

You can take initiative and be trusted to effectively prioritise your own workload. At the same time, you’re looking forward to the opportunity to learn from and work with your colleagues.

You’ll bring a strong, clear command of written and spoken English, including the ability to influence others. It’s important that you’re able to work constructively with a range of internal and external stakeholders.

We’d like you to demonstrate a proactive attitude to problem solving and be able to handle competing urgent demands under pressure.

To be eligible, you’ll be a qualified solicitor entitled to practice in England and Wales. We’ll also accept applications from trainees who are due to be admitted as a solicitor. 

Westminster City Council is committed to supporting Care Leavers into the workplace. Care Leavers seeking their first job and who wish to be considered under our scheme, will automatically be invited to interview should they meet the essential criteria for the role.

What We Offer:

Westminster is an amazing place. We are home to more than 200,000 residents from all backgrounds, over 50,000 vibrant and vital businesses and three-quarters-of-a-million people work in Westminster. Westminster City Council is one in which our communities are at the heart of our decision-making and help to determine the city’s future. By working directly with our communities and other partners, we can build a more inclusive city that celebrates our diverse communities, and where residents, workers and visitors from all backgrounds will feel welcome and safe. At Westminster City Council, we pride ourselves on being an inclusive workplace and employer of choice. We encourage and welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that, at all levels, represents the communities we serve. We champion equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued, has a sense of belonging and is empowered to be their best, that is Our Westminster Way. To find out more about how we do this visit https://www.westminster.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/

As a forward-thinking Council we appreciate that people work in different ways, therefore our staff benefit from working a range of flexible working patterns as well as Agile working. 

The Council is a Disability Confident Employer. If you have declared a disability in your application, we guarantee an interview if you meet the essential criteria of the job. If you are invited for interview, you will be asked if you need any reasonable adjustments in order to attend, and we will make these wherever possible.    

We reserve the right to extend or close this vacancy early without warning subject to the volume of suitable applicants.