Director of Legal & Governance (Monitoring Officer)


Company:	Reading Borough Council
Salary:	£96,900 to £112,827 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Reading, RG1 2LU
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 2 days remote
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	2 Sept 2026
Closing date:	21 Sept 2026

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Summary

Some career opportunities stand out from the crowd: offering greater scope and challenge and a wider remit where your skills can flourish. This role presents the opportunity to draw on your professional expertise and take on a wider corporate perspective as part of Reading’s leadership team.

This is a great opportunity for an experienced and accomplished legal / governance professional to play an influential role in Reading’s corporate team, and beyond. As a member of our senior leadership team, you will help shape the organisation's strategic direction, providing trusted advice and challenge whilst enabling the Council to deliver its ambitions for residents, communities and businesses.

You’ll provide overall strategic direction and professional leadership to our Legal and Democratic Services team – ensuring a high-quality, customer focused approach defines how we work. You’ll ensure accurate and timely legal advice underpins key political decisions and delivery across a range of programmes, acting as an enabling function while supporting informed and proportionate management of risk.

As the Council’s statutory Monitoring Officer you will ensure that sound governance principles and systems support the political process. By fostering strong professional relationships across all political parties, you’ll be able to present impartial advice to elected members, and ensure clarity on roles and accountabilities, and that political debate and discourse is managed appropriately.

Reading BC hosts the Joint Legal Team that provides Children’s and Adults’ Social Care legal service to the six unitary authorities in Berkshire. You’ll oversee this provision, paying close attention to quality assurance and building positive relationships with stakeholders across the county.

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