Senior Lawyer - Environment & Sustainability

Westmorland and Furness Council seeks a Senior Lawyer - Environment & Sustainability to lead environmental legal work. Candidates should have experience in strategic and regulatory advice on environmental matters, contractual drafting, and negotiation. The role involves advising on natural capital and climate projects, attending Council meetings, and collaborating with team members. The position is based in Brampton, UK, offering a competitive salary and various benefits.
About this opportunity

A great opportunity has arisen at Westmorland and Furness Council within our Legal Team for a Senior Lawyer to lead on the Council’s environmental work.

To be a success in our Legal Team you will have strong experience in providing both strategic and regulatory advice on the environment, natural capital and climate and sustainability to clients, and who also has skills and experience in contractual drafting and negotiation in this area. We recognise that a key skill will be adaptability and ability to collaborate and learn given the new and evolving nature of this practice area.

Example areas of the type of experience we are looking for include:
• Advising on natural capital projects in the UK;
• Advising on carbon offsetting projects in the UK;
• Drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in relation to Local Nature Recovery Strategy, Flood Resilience, BNG, Nutrient Neutrality, natural capital investment, carbon offsetting and other ecosystems services outcomes; and
• Providing advice on other climate and sustainability matters, including environmental projects, grants, contracts and other related agreements; and
• Advising on the establishment and operation of natural capital projects, including habitat banks for Biodiversity Net Gain and Nutrient Neutrality, carbon offsetting and other ecosystems services.

Other duties will include dealing with a range of matters including providing advice to Officers and Elected Members, attending Council Meetings, Committees and working groups as required.

Nature and Climate Change are key priorities of Westmorland and Furness Council having declared both a climate and biodiversity crises. We are aiming to be at the forefront of climate mitigation, climate adaptation and nature recovery, helping our communities adapt to our changing world.

Who we are looking for…

Delivering the best possible service for the benefit of our residents and clients is important to us, so we are looking for a strong team player with a proven track record of delivering to deadlines, who has effective communication skills and is able to use sound judgement to solve problems. To thrive in this role, you will be used to working in a busy pressurised environment and will enjoy a challenge. Additionally, good ICT literacy and the ability to use electronic publications for the purpose of legal work and research is critical.

What can we offer you!

Working at Westmorland and Furness Council you will receive a variety of benefits, including a competitive pension scheme, enhanced annual leave allowance and other various perks and discounts schemes. For more information about life at Westmorland and Furness Council and what we can offer you, please visit our Careers site. Our benefits | Careers

Application and Interview information

Closing date: 24th March 2025

If you have any queries about this role or would like an informal conversation about this opportunity, then please contact Danielle Walls - danielle.walls@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk.