Lawyer (Housing Management)

London Bridge

12 Month Contract

£45,000 - £50,000

Closing date: 23rd January 2022

Interviews: w/c 31st January 2022

This role requires the post holder to hold a valid Practising Certificate

We are looking to recruit a Lawyer (Housing Management).

At the Hyde Group, our vision is to provide a great home for everyone. Our values guide the way we operate as a business: we’re customer driven, inclusive, collaborative and innovative.

You will manage and conduct a housing management advice and litigation caseload for the Hyde Group working as part of a team of three housing management lawyers within a legal department of 14 lawyers and legal professionals ensuring quality legal practice and value for money for the Group.

Duties of a Lawyer (Housing Management):

• Deliver legal services to the Group, meet agreed KPIs and ensure value for money.
• The housing management advice and litigation caseload is likely to include the following:
• ASB injunctions and contempt applications;
• ASB possession claims;
• Unauthorised subletting claims and tenancy fraud possession claims;
• Unauthorised occupier possession claims, including failed successors, former licensees, squatters;
• Complex or defended rent arrears possession claims;
• Other complex multi-ground possession claims;
• Leasehold disputes and service charge recovery;
• and general advisory work on housing management and related issues as they arise, including hoarding, mental health and social care issues.
• Support client officers from the tenancy, anti-social behaviour, income and homeowner teams to conduct appropriate legal case work, maximising capacity to retain legal cases in-house ensuring value for money without compromising case outcomes.
• In limited circumstances and where appropriate, present routine possession and injunction cases in the County Court. In all other circumstances make use of the Group’s barrister panel and instruct counsel.
• In collaboration with other members of the legal team and wider compliance and governance teams, ensure that all Group legal services have effective and innovative policies, procedures and systems covering all aspects of work. Ensure these are operated properly in conjunction with the Risk Management frameworks, encompassing Health and Safety, Data Protection and demonstrate effective controls and compliance with all statutory, regulatory and policy requirements relating to the management of the Group.
• Ensure that Group legal services have effective and innovative policies, procedures and systems covering all aspects of work.

About you:

• You may be a Solicitor admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales, or a Barrister or a Fellow of ILEX (and therefore eligible to be called a Legal Executive).
• Must hold a valid Practising Certificate.
• Experience in housing management cases, typically a minimum of 3 years post qualification experience in the type of matters set out above.
• Experience in managing own caseload and working to agreed levels of billing and time recording.
• An effective communicator, both orally and in writing, having a good command of written English.
• High level of commercial awareness and ability to adapt to changing needs of the business.
• Ability to work under pressure, conducting a high volume of cases against tight deadlines, with a strong delivery focus.
• Excellent drafting skills and legal acumen.
• Flexibility is required to meet the organisations business needs and deadlines.
• A collaborative and collegiate approach embracing the opportunity to coach and support other team members and work in a team.

We offer a great flexible benefits package, the ability to engage in flexible working, 26 days annual holiday and a 35 hour working week and the opportunity to work for an organisation whose social purpose is to help provide people with a home.

Diversity and inclusion are integral to the Hyde Group’s values as a social business, and critical in delivering our vision of a great home for everyone. We strive to build and nurture a culture where inclusivity is the norm and not an initiative. Many of the greatest ideas and discoveries come from a diverse mix of minds, backgrounds and experiences, and we’re committed to cultivating an inclusive workplace which reflects our customer profile and where everyone is proud to be unique.