South London Legal Partnership - Senior Housing Lawyer

Salary: £60,573 - £62,766

Golden Hello: £3,000 (external applicants)

Experience Level: Senior lawyer - minimum 5 years’ PQE (step up candidate’s welcome)

Working Pattern: Hybrid working, minimum two days per week in the office

Location: Merton (team days Monday and Wednesday) with attendance at partner boroughs as required.

Optional: 9‑day working fortnight available for those that choose it, following successful probation period (keeping in mind the needs of the service and colleagues)

South London Legal Partnership (SLLP) are seeking an experienced Senior Housing Lawyer to join a well-established and supportive in house housing legal team representing 5 London Boroughs.  This role is designed for a lawyer who is a subject matter expert in housing law, comfortable leading people as well as cases, and motivated by delivering high quality, practical legal advice in a public service environment.

This is a senior role with real responsibility, combining case ownership, advocacy and people management, supported by a strong management and professional support structure. See what the team has to say Here.

The Role

You will act as one of the team’s senior housing law specialists, managing a complex and varied caseload while providing direct leadership to a small team of housing lawyers. The role offers scope for experienced managers as well as strong housing lawyers looking to take their first step into people management, with training and support in place.

You will be expected to balance competing priorities, communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders, and lead with patience and professionalism in a demanding but rewarding area of law.

Main Areas of the Role

• Acting as the subject matter expert in housing law across the service
• Managing a complex housing law caseload, including advocacy where required
• Advising on:
  • Social housing and homelessness
  • Applications and duties under the Housing Act 1996 and Code of Guidance
  • Housing disrepair
  • Tenancy management, including possession proceedings
  • Anti‑social behaviour (ASB) and tenancy fraud
• Leading and supervising a team of approximately five direct reports
• Supporting and developing junior lawyers, including those in training
• Working closely with housing officers and senior managers to deliver clear, timely and effective legal advice
• Contributing to service planning, quality assurance and continuous improvement

About You

You will be:

• A qualified solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (Fellow of CILEX) with litigation practising rights
• A housing lawyer with around 5 years’ PQE or more
• Confident operating as a senior technical expert
• An effective and approachable people manager, or a strong practitioner ready to step up
• A clear and calm communicator, able to manage pressure and multiple priorities
• Patient, supportive and committed to developing others

Experience within local government, housing associations or relevant private practice is welcome.

What We Offer

• A senior role combining technical leadership and people management
• A genuinely varied and interesting housing caseload
• Strong management support and a clear supervision framework
• Hybrid working and a collaborative team culture
• The opportunity to shape housing law practice and mentor the next generation of lawyers
• Meaningful work that directly impacts residents and communities
• SLLP offers hybrid working, a 9‑day working fortnight, one team day per week in Merton, flexible use of offices across partner boroughs, and a genuine commitment to good work life balance while maintaining high professional standards.

For a confidential discussion contact: brian.gallagher@penna.com or 07716 098175

Please see the Job Description for the role Here

How to Apply

1. Upload your CV under “Please select one of the options below.”
2. Complete the short mandatory fields on the next page.
3. Use ‘Add Attachments’ to upload your Supporting Statement and any other documents.
4. Please ensure that the file name of your CV and supporting statement includes your full name.
5. Ensure both CV and Supporting Statement are uploaded before submitting your application.
6. If you have a long-term health condition or disability and would like your application to be considered in accordance with a Disability Confident Scheme, please email: execapplications@penna.com, to inform the Penna team.