Associate - Construction & Engineering

DAC Beachcroft; Leeds; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working (Flex Forward)

Professional development opportunities

Job summary

DAC Beachcroft’s Leeds office hosts a Construction & Engineering team focused on non-contentious infrastructure and projects work.

The role involves drafting, negotiating, and advising on construction and engineering contracts, with client meetings and business development support. A strong academic record and excellent communication are essential, along with the ability to manage multiple matters and supervise junior staff.

Qualifications

• Experience in construction contracts would be advantageous; strong academic track record required.
• Ability to draft and negotiate complex contracts and advise on NEC4 standard forms.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with clients and internal teams.

Responsibilities

• Draft, negotiate and advise on complex construction and engineering contracts (NEC4 and bespoke forms).
• Attend client meetings with partners and lead where appropriate.
• Assist with fee proposals and tender documents.
• Manage own caseload and supervise paralegals in the team.
• Interact with clients, ensuring high levels of service and compliance with policies.
• Develop knowledge sharing, training, and updates for clients and the team.

Skills

Construction contracts

Negotiation

Client relationships

Legal drafting

Attention to detail

Communication

Education

Law degree / Qualified solicitor

Passing LPC / Bar

Job description

Department: Real Estate - Construction and Engineering

Department: Real Estate - Construction and Engineering

Location: Leeds

Description

This role is to work as part of the Construction & Engineering team based out of our Leeds office.

The non-contentious Construction & Engineering team has developed a strong client base and secure pipeline of work in the infrastructure and projects sector. The team has also built up an exceptional reputation in the residential development sector and is on national panels with a number of top name house builders. The team acts for developers, funders, central government, local government and a number of NHS Trusts.

Infrastructure and projects is a growth area that the team is focussed on developing and forms a key part of the team's strategy going forward. The team has a strong public sector client base through which it has developed specialist experience in transport projects (road, rail and buses), flood defence projects and NHS projects.

This role offers the unique opportunity to be part of a growing team specialising in the construction and engineering aspects of infrastructure projects with the opportunity to gain experience in managing and developing client relationships. Progression within the role is encouraged and managed by experienced and knowledgeable senior members of the team.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but are not restricted to:

• Working closely with partners in the team to draft, negotiate and advise on a variety of complex construction and engineering contracts, such as framework agreements, call-off contracts, consultant appointments and pre-construction service agreements, based on NEC4 standard forms, as well as bespoke forms of contracts.
• Attending client meetings with partners and/or leading client meetings where appropriate.
• Assisting with developing fee proposals and/or tender documents.
• Management of your own case load.
• Supervision of paralegals in the team.
• Interaction with the firm's clients, providing a high level of service at all times.
• Exercising full compliance with DAC Beachcroft policies, procedures and protocols.
• Developing a high level of financial and case/file management.
• Contributing to practice development and business development activities as appropriate e.g. knowledge sharing, training, assisting and preparing updates for clients and the team, legal research, input into pitch documents and tendering exercises etc.
• Building an awareness of the firm's other services and developing effective internal and external networks.
• Handling confidential information in line with the firms' data security protocols.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Experience in construction contracts would be advantageous, but candidates with experience in commercial contracts/projects who are interested in working in infrastructure and projects will be considered.
• A strong academic track record is required.
• Excellent attention to detail, and strong communication skills (written and verbal) with an ability to produce work to a high standard.
• Confident with an ability to build strong relationships with clients (internal and external) and third party contacts at all levels.
• Ambition to learn and develop in the role.
• Must be flexible, organised, and self-motivated team player who is able to work within the team to achieve common goals.
• Must be able to work under pressure to meet required deadlines.

We are happy to talk flexible working with our Flex Forward scheme. We would encourage you to talk to us about our approach to flexible working during the hiring process if you would like to explore this further.

Note for Recruitment Agencies

DAC Beachcroft manages all vacancies via our in-house recruitment teams, prioritising direct sourcing and referrals. When external support is required, roles are released to selected agencies on our Preferred Supplier List (PSL).

Speculative CVs sent to any DAC Beachcroft employee without prior instruction from our recruitment teams (LLP and CSG) will not be accepted, and no fees will be payable.

For PSL queries, please contact: [e-mail] or [e-mail]