Chief Legal Officer

Chief Legal Officer - Public Sector

Maidstone, Kent

The Opportunity

JMC Legal Recruitment has been retained exclusively by Kent Police to appoint a permanent Chief Legal Officer. This is a senior executive appointment of genuine strategic weight - an opportunity to lead legal services for one of England's largest regional police forces and to shape its approach to governance, legal risk and professional standards for years to come.

As Chief Legal Officer, you will serve as Kent Police's most senior solicitor and Head of Profession for legal services. You will provide authoritative strategic and tactical legal advice across the full spectrum of policing operations - personally managing a portfolio of complex, high-risk matters while leading a multi-disciplinary legal team of around 9-10 people and representing Legal Services at the highest executive and governance forums within the Force.

This is not a routine in-house legal role. It demands a high-energy, resilient leader with the political awareness, sound judgement and professional authority to navigate and influence at the most senior levels of a uniformed organisation. The person appointed will serve a community of over 1.9 million people and carry the weight of that responsibility with pride.

Your Role

Strategic Legal Leadership

Serve as the Force's Head of Profession, representing Legal Services at the highest executive and governance forums. Provide authoritative advice on emerging legislation, complex case law and strategic legal risk - personally supporting Chief Officers on high-profile, high-stakes matters that require expert, timely legal input.

Team Leadership & Development

Lead and inspire a multi-disciplinary legal team of solicitors, paralegals and support staff. Set professional standards, oversee caseload management across the team, and foster a culture of excellence, accountability and continuous development.

Litigation & Casework Oversight

Personally manage a portfolio of complex, high-risk legal matters. Oversee the Force's litigation function across civil claims, employment tribunal proceedings, inquests, judicial reviews and criminal process - and manage relationships with external counsel and barristers used regularly for hearings, Crown Court matters and employment tribunals.

Governance & Compliance

Ensure that the Force operates within its legal obligations across the full spectrum of its activities. Provide leadership on data protection, regulatory compliance, professional standards and public accountability - advising on the relationship between the Chief Constable and the Police & Crime Commissioner, and managing the Legal Services budget within the public sector financial framework.

Stakeholder Influence

Build and sustain trusted relationships across the Force at the most senior levels. Navigate a uniformed, hierarchical organisation with political awareness and interpersonal authority - earning the confidence of Chief Officers, executives and external partners alike. The incoming CLO will invest significant time building their internal network and establishing their presence across the Force.

Transformation & Innovation

Drive the modernisation of the Legal Services function. Translate emerging legal developments - including evolving case law on rights of audience, Supreme Court judgments on sex and gender, and ongoing police reform - into actionable strategy. Continuously raise the function's standing and effectiveness within the wider organisation.

Your Profile

You are a senior lawyer who combines genuine legal depth with the leadership presence and personal qualities to thrive at the heart of a complex, high-profile public sector organisation.

You will be a qualified solicitor with a broad legal background, and will be most comfortable when no two days look the same. Litigation and employment law are central to the role, and experience across these areas - whether advising on civil claims, employment disputes, inquests or judicial reviews - will be highly advantageous. An appreciation of criminal law and the regulatory environment in which policing operates will also be valuable.

As a leader, you will be collaborative and approachable, with a genuine investment in developing the people around you. You will also be resilient and decisive - comfortable operating under pressure, managing competing priorities and delivering clear, confident advice when it matters most. You will understand how to earn trust in a hierarchical organisation and will bring the interpersonal skills to build lasting relationships with senior stakeholders who may not have a legal background.

Above all, you will be someone who cares about public service. This role carries real responsibility - to the Force, to its officers and staff, and to the communities of Kent. The right candidate will feel that weight and be energised by it.

Requirements:

• A current practising certificate as a qualified solicitor
• A track record of leading and developing a legal team, setting standards and managing performance
• Experience providing strategic legal advice to senior leaders or boards in a large, complex organisation
• Sound judgement on legal risk, with the confidence to deliver difficult advice clearly and constructively
• An understanding of public sector governance and accountability - experience within policing, local government, the civil service or a similarly environment is highly advantageous
• Strong political awareness, sound personal judgement and the gravitas to be trusted at the most senior levels of the organisation
• A leadership style that is open, team-focused and human, combined with the resilience the role demands