Principal Legal Officer Pay Rate per hour: £32.05 Location: Belfast - Departmental Solicitor's Office, Advisory Division 4, Lanyon Plaza Hours: 37 hours per week Contract: Temporary ongoing Benefits Hybrid working pattern available Flexitime arrangements Opportunity to work within the Departmental Solicitor's Office Exposure to a wide range of public law matters Belfast city centre location Staffline Recruitment Ireland is currently recruiting for a Principal Legal Officer on behalf of the Department of Finance, Departmental Solicitor's Office, Advisory Division 4. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced legal professional to provide specialist legal advice to the Department for Communities across a range of complex and high-profile areas of law. The successful candidate will provide legal advice in the areas of local government, charities, social security, and housing law, supporting the Department in the delivery of its statutory functions and policy objectives. Key Responsibilities Provide legal advice to the Department for Communities on local government law matters Advise on legal issues relating to charities regulation and governance Provide specialist legal advice on social security legislation and policy Advise on housing law matters and associated statutory frameworks Deliver clear, practical, and risk-based legal advice to departmental clients Support the Department in managing legal risks and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation Assist with legal research, drafting, and interpretation of legislation as required Essential Criteria To be considered for this role, applicants must meet the following criteria: Qualified Solicitor or Barrister entitled to practise in Northern Ireland Minimum of 3 years' post-qualification experience Desirable Criteria Experience advising public sector organisations or government departments Experience in one or more of the following areas: local government, charities, social security, or housing law Additional Information Applicants must meet the essential criteria to be shortlisted Successful candidates will be required to obtain CTC security clearance Applicants should have resided within the UK f3 years for clearance requirements How to Apply If you are interested and available for this position, please upload your CV via the application link or contact Skills: Legal Advice Public Law Statutory Interpretation Legal Research Legal Drafting Legislative Analysis Local Government ADZN1_NI