Job Description

The role
Join Our Team as a Legal Services Manager
We are seeking an exceptional Qualified Solicitor, Chartered Legal Executive or Barrister with the ability to conduct litigation to join our growing in-house legal team. As a Legal Services Manager (Litigation), you will work closely with the Head of Legal Services (Litigation) to shape the Compliance workstream and ensure consistently excellent service delivery.
Key Responsibilities:

• Leadership: Inspire, lead, and manage lawyers in the Legal Services team, demonstrating Southern Housing's HEART values and commitment to residents.
• Focus Area: Serve as the single point of excellence for Compliance case in the team. This deals with the work we do for issues such as injunctions associated with access for gas, electricity etc. It also includes us assisting with tenancy breach possession actions, including those relating to subletting, abandonment and tenancy fraud etc. You'll develop a specialist understanding of the law and liaise with the internal stakeholders to assist with delivering the in-house legal provision in the area to meet the needs of Southern Housing and its Group partners.
• Case Management: Manage a personal caseload of mixed housing management litigation and other contentious matters, providing high-quality legal services and advice.
• Training & Development: Provide training for the Legal Services team and Southern Housing colleagues, developing tools, precedents, and ensuring high levels of oversight and consistency.

What We're Looking For:

• Qualified solicitor, barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive with the ability to Conduct Litigation
• Passion for excellence in Compliance matters.
• Proven track record in housing management related litigation and other contentious litigation, ideally in the Social Housing sector.
• Strong leadership and management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Flexibility to attend Southern Housing's offices as required to deliver the role.
• IT proficiency, including Microsoft Office suite and Outlook.
• Desirable:
• Experience in managing other lawyers.
• Experience in drafting documents and providing training.
• Understanding of legal processes, Housing and Landlord & Tenant law, and cultural change management.

Location: Based at our main offices in Farringdon or Croydon, with hybrid working options when appropriate and as agreed with your manager. Travel between offices and occasional visits to Isle of Wight, Maidstone, or Sittingbourne may be required.
Closing date: Sunday 9th November 2025 at 23:59
Shortlisting: W/C 10th November 2025
Interview dates: W/C 17th November 2025
Note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications.
Applying for roles with us
About us
At Southern Housing, our residents are at the heart of everything we do. As one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight, and the Midlands, we give over 167,000 people somewhere affordable to call their own! We also understand the difference that safe, secure, and affordable homes can make to people's lives.
A career at Southern Housing will allow you to make a difference every day you come to work. Working in the housing sector with us will bring fresh challenges and give you the opportunity to grow and develop, too.
What's in it for you
Pension
Life
assurance
Healthcare cash plan
Eyecare & dental
Birthday
leave
Retailers discounts
Cycle
to work
Buy & sell
annual leave
Inclusion & Diversity
We work hard to create a diverse and inclusive culture and environment where people are respected for who they are. Encouraging inclusion is not just about protected characteristics, it's about celebrating differences of thought, opinion, experience and perspective of each individual.
We're all different in our own way and we want our colleagues to feel comfortable, that they belong, and are safe to be themselves at work, without fear of being judged or excluded, but valued for their contribution to our One Team approach.

Skills Required