Locum Commercial Lawyer (Contracts, Procurement & Public Sector)

Locum Commercial Lawyer (Contracts, Procurement & Public Sector)

Location: Remote with onsite attendance for laptop collection/return

Hours: Ideally 37 hours (minimum 30 hours per week)

Duration: Initial 3-month contract (potential extension)

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced Commercial Lawyer (Locum) to join a busy local government legal team on an interim basis. This assignment requires a confident, solutions-focused legal professional with a strong background in commercial contracts, procurement law, and hands-on experience within UK local authorities.

You will play a key role in advising on contractual matters, supporting high-value procurements, and ensuring compliance with the Public Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) across a range of projects and services.

Key Responsibilities

As the appointed Locum Commercial Lawyer, you will:

• Provide specialist advice on commercial contracts, contractual risk, KPIs, service agreements and variations.
• Support and advise on procurements conducted under PA23, including drafting and reviewing tender documentation and evaluation frameworks.
• Deliver clear, pragmatic legal guidance to officers and stakeholders across multiple directorates.
• Manage a varied caseload independently, working efficiently in a fast-paced local authority environment.
• Contribute to sound governance, documentation and compliance across all procurement activity.

Requirements

To be considered for this role, you will need:

• Qualified Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive.
• Significant local government experience, particularly within commercial contracts and procurement.
• Demonstrable experience advising on PA23-compliant procurements.
• Ability to work autonomously and at pace, providing high-quality, practical advice.
• Willingness to confirm your preferred level of weekly office attendance (regular attendance is not essential; this will simply be considered when shortlisting).

Working Arrangements

• The role can be performed predominantly remotely.
• You must be able to collect a laptop in person at the start of the assignment and return it at the end.
• All travel costs associated with laptop collection/return are the candidate's responsibility.

Why Apply?

This is a fantastic opportunity for a proven commercial/procurement lawyer to support a respected local authority, influence key projects, and use their expertise to add real value during a critical period of delivery.

Apply today or contact Sophie Clarke at Reed (Norwich) to find out more.