Legal Services Manager (Governance / Compliance)

Maidstone, ME14 1ST

£53,523 per annum

Full Time, Permanent (35 hours per week)

Closing Date: 18th March 2026

At One Manchester, our purpose is simple. We provide good quality homes, great services and real opportunities for our customers and communities. Everything we do is about creating safe, secure and thriving neighbourhoods across central, south and east Manchester.

Behind that purpose sits strong governance. Good decisions. Managed risk. Clear accountability.

That is where this role comes in.

We are looking for a Legal Services Manager to act as the central point of coordination for all legal matters across the organisation.

This is not an in-house solicitor role. You will not be expected to provide legal advice directly. Instead, you will ensure that One Manchester receives the right legal advice, at the right time, in a proportionate and cost-effective way.

You will be the person who makes legal processes work and will be responsible for:

Acting as the first point of contact for legal queries across the organisation

Triage of issues and determining the appropriate route for advice or action

Instructing and managing our external legal framework in line with agreed arrangements

Ensuring instructions are clear, focused and commercially sensible

Tracking live legal matters and maintaining oversight of progress, risk and cost

Translating external legal advice into clear, practical guidance for managers and leaders

Identifying trends, recurring issues and opportunities to improve how we manage legal risk

Supporting the Director of Governance to ensure robust governance and ethical standards

You will work closely with Directors, Heads of Service and operational managers across housing, property, development and corporate services. This gives the role real visibility and influence across the organisation.

The impact of your work will be felt in areas such as:

Tenancy and enforcement cases

Property and development contracts

Governance and regulatory matters

Complex customer or compliance issues

You will not just pass messages between lawyers and the business. You will add value by bringing clarity, structure and momentum to legal matters.

About you

You may come from a legal, governance, compliance or other regulated background. You might have worked in housing, local government or a similar environment.

You are comfortable dealing with senior stakeholders and confident enough to ask the right questions before external advice is commissioned. You are organised, measured and calm under pressure. You understand risk and know when to escalate.

You do not need to be a qualified solicitor. This is a standalone role with genuine ownership. You will shape how we commission and manage legal services, ensuring value for money and consistent, high-quality outcomes.

Why join One Manchester

We own and manage over 12,000 homes across Manchester and are a trusted Registered Provider of Social Housing. We are ambitious about our future and committed to continuous improvement. We invest in our homes, our services and our people.

We are transitioning to a culture where agile working is a feature of many roles and we actively support flexible working where practical. If flexibility is important to you, we are open to conversation.

If you are motivated by making systems work better, supporting strong governance and enabling good decisions, we would welcome your application.