Senior disrepair paralegal 2x

Location: Oldham (hybrid)

Salary: £37,650

Job Type: Permanent

The Vacancy

Are you an experienced legal professional with a passion for housing law and a strong track record in managing disrepair claims? Do you want to use your expertise to make a real difference in people’s lives while developing your legal career in a supportive, values-driven organisation?

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) has an exciting opportunity for a Senior Disrepair Paralegal to join our dynamic Legal Services Team.

You’ll play a key role in delivering robust legal support, managing complex housing disrepair claims, and helping to ensure fair, effective, and cost-efficient resolution of property condition matters. This is a great opportunity for a skilled legal practitioner who thrives on responsibility and wants to contribute to strategic service improvement.

What’s in it for you?

When you become part of FCHO, you’ll benefit from a supportive work culture and a great rewards package, including:

• A salary of £37,650 per Annum
• 37-hour working week with flexible hybrid working options
• 30 days holiday and all UK bank holidays plus one company shut down day
• Defined contribution pension scheme with an employer contribution of up to 10%
• Automatic enrolment into a healthcare cash plan and private health insurance
• Access to our colleague benefit platform with discounts across hundreds of brands
• 24/7 GP helpline (Doctorline) for you and your family
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, adoption, and sick pay
• Discounted gym membership
• Paid professional subscriptions where essential to your role
• Long service awards
• Supportive, flexible working arrangements and a strong focus on wellbeing

What will you be doing?

In this role, you will:

• Manage your own caseload of complex housing disrepair claims from pre-action through to litigation
• Provide expert legal advice and representation in relation to disrepair, ensuring strong compliance with legal obligations
• Work closely with surveyors, solicitors, external legal representatives and internal teams to resolve cases efficiently
• Draft legal documents including pleadings, witness statements, and court submissions
• Represent FCHO in County and Magistrates Court hearings when required
• Monitor legislation and case law developments, and keep the business informed of legal risks or changes
• Mentor and support junior colleagues and contribute to service improvements within the Legal Services Team

What do you need?

Essential:

• Law degree or CILEx Level 6 (or equivalent legal qualification)
• Strong experience in housing disrepair law and pre-action protocols
• Previous experience in a similar legal role, ideally in an in-house or housing context
• Excellent legal drafting and advocacy skills
• Strong case management abilities, with good organisational and time management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Confidence working independently and with external stakeholders
• Good knowledge of Microsoft Office and ability to work digitally
• High level of discretion and professionalism when handling sensitive matters

Desirable:

• Completion of Legal Practice Course (LPC) or equivalent
• Experience defending disrepair claims on behalf of social housing providers
• Knowledge of Microsoft Excel for case tracking and reporting
• Familiarity with litigation strategy including drafting complex pleadings

The Company

Who are we?

First Choice Homes Oldham (FCHO) owns and manages around 11,500 homes and is proud to have the highest regulatory rating (G1/V1). We are committed to improving lives – whether by providing safe, quality homes, delivering excellent services, or offering a great place to work.

We champion equality, diversity and inclusion, and strive to reflect the diverse communities we serve.

We’re inclusive and proud

We are committed to building an organisation that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills & are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. As an equal opportunities employer, FCHO is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective colleagues and does not condone discrimination on the basis of age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership. We aspire to have a diverse and inclusive workplace and strongly encourage suitably qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply and join us.

We care that you have a great experience with us at FCHO. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments to make your experience smoother, please let us know – we’ll do all we can to help.

Join us, and use your legal expertise to make a lasting difference at FCHO.