Principal Lawyer – Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Location: Mann Island, Liverpool

Salary: £59,311 - £70,405, with excellent benefits

Contract Type: Permanent / Full-time

Flexible Working: Yes

Specialist Legal Roles with Real Impact

Join a dynamic legal team at the heart of one of the UK’s most ambitious and forward-thinking regional authorities. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority is seeking experienced and motivated Commercial Lawyers to help shape the future of our city region through high-impact legal work.

We are currently recruiting for two exciting positions:

• Principal Lawyer (Commercial)
• Principal Lawyer (Transport and Infrastructure)

Each successful candidate will focus primarily on their designated area but will also contribute across a diverse portfolio of legal work, supporting the full spectrum of the Combined Authority’s legal needs.

Why These Roles Stand Out

• High-Quality, Varied Work: Engage with a broad range of commercial legal matters across infrastructure, transport, regeneration, and innovation.
• Tangible Impact: Contribute to projects that deliver real benefits to communities across the Liverpool City Region.
• Work-Life Balance: Enjoy flexible working arrangements and a supportive, collaborative team culture.
• Modern Waterfront Office: Based at our stunning city centre location at Mann Island, with excellent transport links and amenities.
• Excellent Benefits: Including reimbursement of professional fees, staff travel pass, health cash plan, and a defined benefit pension scheme.
• Project Ownership: Play a key role from inception to delivery, with opportunities to shape and influence major initiatives.
• Supportive Environment: Join a friendly, multidisciplinary team with low turnover and strong internal collaboration.

What We’re Looking For

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX lawyer (England & Wales). This is essential.
• Typically 4+ years PQE, though we welcome applications from exceptional candidates with less experience.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills, with the ability to manage a wide range of in-house matters.
• Confident communicator with the ability to influence stakeholders and manage competing priorities
• A proactive, solutions-focused mindset with a “can-do” attitude and appetite for autonomy.

Principal Lawyer (Commercial)

This role focuses primarily on grant and loan funding arrangements and subsidy control. While property and planning law experience is not essential, a working understanding of these areas may be advantageous. Experience in public and procurement law is also beneficial, providing valuable context to the Combined Authority’s legal landscape.

You’ll support the Strategic Investment Fund, which drives inclusive, sustainable economic growth across the region. Multi-million-pound investments span innovation, infrastructure, regeneration, and social enterprise, including:

Digital Infrastructure

• LCR Connect – Delivering a 212km full-fibre network enabling gigabit connectivity and digital inclusion

Regeneration & Brownfield Development

• Brownfield Land Fund - Unlocking housing development across Liverpool, Wirral, St Helens, and Knowsley
• Urban Development Fund - Supporting sustainable commercial and mixed-use developments
• Chrysalis Fund - Financing regeneration projects

Innovation & Enterprise

• LCR Life Sciences Innovation Zone – the first integrated Freeport and Investment Zone and the flagship model for the Government’s Industrial Strategy Zones Action Plan.
• Sci-Tech Daresbury – Expansion of lab-enabled office space for high-growth tech and life sciences firms
• LCR Seed Fund - Equity investment in early-stage businesses in priority sectors
• Kindred CIC - Supporting socially trading organisations with inclusive economic models

Environment & Energy

• HyNet North West - Hydrogen and carbon capture infrastructure for industrial decarbonisation
• Sustainable Urban Development Fund - Green infrastructure and flood resilience initiatives

Skills & Employment

• Skills Bootcamps - Training in digital, construction, and green sectors
• Adult Education Budget - Delivering inclusive learning and upskilling opportunities across the region

Principal Lawyer (Transport and Infrastructure)

This role focuses primarily on commercial contracts and public procurement, supporting a wide range of organisational activities and strategic projects. Experience of construction and projects law may be advantageous, but the role involves drafting and advising a wide range of commercial contracts including funding, marketing and IT agreements.

You’ll contribute to high-profile, multi-million-pound initiatives across transport, infrastructure, and decarbonisation, including:

Rail Operations

• Merseyrail Concession Agreement - Managing the region’s rail network through a long-term operating contract.
• Rolling Stock Project – Introducing a new fleet of Class 777 trains
• Train Connectivity and Information Systems Project – Implementing a system enabling real-time communication between trains and the control room
• Baltic Station – Constructing a new station in Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle
• Station Enhancements – Upgrading key stations including Liverpool Central and Sandhills

Bus Operations

• Bus Reform Programme – Transitioning to a franchised bus network
• Fleet Procurement – Modernising bus travel with new electric, diesel and rapid transport vehicles
• Depot Infrastructure – Upgrading bus depots to support the new fleet and new technologies
• Green Bus Routes – Reducing congestion and emissions and supporting active travel through priority corridors

Wider Transport Projects

• Mersey Tunnels – Ongoing management and maintenance
• Ferry Services Modernisation – Introducing a new vessel and upgrading supporting infrastructure
• Smart Ticketing Systems – Implementing an integrated contactless payment system across the transport network

Decarbonisation & Net Zero

• Public Sector Decarbonisation Schemes – Retrofit and energy efficiency works at public sector sites
• Social Housing Retrofit Programmes – Energy performance improvements across thousands of homes in partnership with housing providers
• Local Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Scheme – Installing electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the city region
• Mersey Tidal Power Project – A flagship renewable energy project with the potential to generate up to 1 GW of clean electricity

Apply Today

Please complete the application form on our website in full. While your CV provides a helpful overview, we’re particularly interested in the specific nature of your responsibilities and achievements. This helps us understand how you’ll fit into the team and gives you the opportunity to showcase your skills, experience, and motivation.

We value authenticity and personal insight. To ensure a fair and genuine process, we kindly ask applicants not to use AI-generated content. We want to hear your unique voice and perspective. Applications that appear heavily AI-generated may be disqualified.