Paralegal - Contracts Team

at  Reading Borough Council

Job description

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

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