Overview

Essex County Council (ECC) are delighted to be supporting Harlow Council to recruit a Legal Compliance Officer, on a Part-Time temporary basis.Please note that this post requires the successful individual to be based on site, 3 days per week, increasing to 4 days from January 2026.Location : HarlowHours : 22.5 Hours per weekContract : 6 Month ContractSalary : £35 per Hour (Umbrella)Job Purpose:

To support the Legal Services department with statutory and organisational compliance through the provision of general and specialised activities across all areas of the Service.Responsibilities

To have responsibility for managing requests for information received under FOIA and EIR and to respond on behalf of the Council to all hybrid FOIA requests, seeking support from the Legal Services Manager in cases of complex requests.To respond to personal data requests (Subject Access Requests) made under DPA 2018 and GDPR, seeking support from the Legal Services Manager in cases of complex requests.To take the lead on managing and responding to internal and third-party personal data sharing requests under DPA 2018 and GDPR, seeking support from the Legal Services Manager in cases of complex requests.To undertake processes and requirements for compliance with and reaccreditation of the Legal Service’s LEXCEL accreditation.To process and ensure prompt payment of invoices in accordance with agreed timescales using the Council’s systems.Duties Include but Not Limited to:Access and monitor information requests received under FOIA that require disclosure from multiple departments/services (hybrid FOIA) using the Council’s electronic system.Ensure hybrid FOIA requests are answered within statutory timeframes.Draft and send response letters and disclose requested information to the FOIA requester.Provide advice and assistance to departmental FOI officers regarding answering FOIA requests and applicable exemptions, seeking support from the Legal Services Manager in complex cases.Access and monitor personal data requests (SAR) under DPA and GDPR using the Council’s electronic system.Draft and send SAR response letters.Ensure personal data requests are answered within statutory timeframes.Liaise with the relevant department requesting data sharing to obtain information on legal basis/exemption to disclose personal data between departments, with or without consent as applicable.Conduct file reviews ensuring LEXCEL compliance and produce electronically generated reports to the Legal Services Manager within agreed timeframes.Keep and update electronic records related to invoices processed and paid and provide to the Council’s Finance Service within agreed timeframes.Experience

Working knowledge of legal practice complianceKnowledge and understanding of the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulations 2016/679 (GDPR)Experience of dealing with and responding to Freedom of Information Requests, Subject Access Requests and third-party requests for personal dataFlexible with balance of office-based working and working from home (full-time office working is available if desired, subject to risk assessments)Knowledge and understanding of information governance legislation including but not limited to: FOIA 2000, Environmental Information Regs. 2004, Data Protection Act 2018, GDPR 2016/679Next Steps

If you are interested in finding out more about this role, please apply via the Working for Essex website. For any queries related to this post please email Ashleigh.Drake@essex.gov.ukSeniority level

Entry levelEmployment type

Full-time (Note: Part-Time role as described in overview)Job function

LegalIndustries

Government Administration

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