Associate General Counsel

National Grid plc; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Generous pension

Private medical insurance

Flexible working

Job summary

National Grid plc in the UK seeks an Associate General Counsel – Regulatory, Connections & Asset Operations to act as a senior legal partner across regulatory, network and operations leadership. The role shapes legal strategy, engages executive stakeholders, and guides risk management to support delivery of the energy transition.

The successful candidate will lead cross-functional legal support, manage external counsel, and influence policy with regulators to secure the company’s strategic

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial post-qualification experience.
• Senior legal business partner to executive and senior leadership teams.
• Substantial expertise in regulatory and commercial law in a highly-regulated industry.
• Able to translate complex legal and regulatory issues into concise, practical guidance for execs and Board.
• Proven ability to shape strategy, influence outcomes, and engage credibly with external stakeholders.
• Seasoned people leader who can set priorities, delegate, and develop a high-performing team.

Responsibilities

• Act as the principal GC business partner for Regulatory, Connections, Network and Asset Operations leadership teams.
• Lead the legal strategy for regulatory matters including licence interpretation and reform.
• Shape policy developments affecting electricity markets and future network requirements.
• Provide strategic legal support across asset management, safety-critical delivery, and operations.
• Coordinate internal specialists and external counsel to resolve significant incidents and disputes.
• Engage regulators, system bodies, and government departments to influence outcomes.

Skills

Senior leadership

Regulatory law

Commercial law

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister

Job description

At National Grid, we are investing around £70bn over five years in our networks in the UK and the US, with a range of ground-breaking projects to expand our networks. Our strategy is focussed on delivering the brilliant basics to lead on performance, driving big shifts to define our future, and building our delivery credibility to drive disciplined growth.
We are now recruiting an Associate General Counsel – Regulatory, Connections & Asset Operations. The person in post will be a senior legal leader and strategic business partner across this portfolio, providing integrated legal leadership across strategic matters that enable safe, resilient, and efficient delivery of our UK businesses and our energy transition ambitions.
The role will work closely with the UK General Counsel, as well as other executive and senior leaders, leading the development and delivery of legal strategies across the portfolio. This person will be a trusted adviser on complex, high-impact, and often time-critical matters, will shape decisions at an early stage, and will ensure legal risk is understood, owned, and addressed in line with business priorities.
As a senior member of the UK GC leadership team, the role will set direction across a broader legal remit, coordinate specialist support from across General Counsel, build strong external relationships, and lead and develop a team to provide proactive, commercially-informed, and operationally-practical advice.
#LI-RH

Key Accountabilities

• Act as the principal General Counsel business partner for the Regulatory, Connections, Network and Asset Operations leadership teams in National Grid’s UK businesses, providing an integrated view across these areas
• Work alongside the UK General Counsel to set priorities and contribute actively to the UK GC Senior Leadership team
• Build trusted relationships with executive and senior leaders, participating early in strategy, investment, operational, and delivery decisions and providing clear, pragmatic challenge where needed
• Lead the legal strategy for regulatory matters, including licence interpretation and reform, regulatory commitments, price control submissions and appeals, business separation, competition law, investigations, enforcement, and appeals
• Support the business in shaping and responding to policy, code, and regulatory framework developments that affect electricity markets in the UK, operational delivery, and future network requirements
• Provide strategic legal support across asset management, maintenance, operational performance, resilience, safety-critical delivery, service arrangements, supply chain interfaces, and material operational incidents
• Ensure joined-up advice where regulatory requirements, commercial commitments, and operational delivery intersect, identifying dependencies and preventing fragmented decision-making
• Provide legal leadership for significant incidents, disputes, investigations, and escalations, coordinating internal specialists, external counsel, and business stakeholders to protect the organisation and support timely resolution
• Engage with key external stakeholders, including regulators, system bodies, government departments, industry participants, and external advisers, to build trust, influence outcomes, and support the business strategy
• Proactively identify emerging legal and regulatory risks and opportunities across the portfolio, using horizon scanning and insight to shape business plans before issues crystallise
• Lead continuous improvement across the legal service, including clearer demand management, prioritisation, matter governance, management information, knowledge sharing, and use of digital and technology tools
• Manage external counsel and legal spend across the portfolio, setting clear scope and outcomes, maintaining quality and pace, and demonstrating value for money

Candidate profile

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial post-qualification experience
• Demonstrable experience acting as a senior legal business partner to executive and senior leadership teams across a broad, complex, and operationally-significant portfolio
• Substantial expertise in regulatory and commercial law gained within the energy sector, or another highly-regulated, asset-intensive industry
• Experienced in translating complex legal and regulatory issues into concise, practical advice, decision papers, and recommendations for executive and Board audiences
• Proven ability to shape strategy and influence outcomes through constructive challenge, strong stakeholder relationships, and credible external engagement
• Experienced people leader who can set priorities, delegate effectively, assure quality, build capability, and develop a diverse, high-performing team
• Commercially astute, with experience managing external counsel, budgets, and competing demands, while maintaining pace, quality, and value for money
• Strong commitment to the energy transition, safe and resilient operations, inclusive leadership, and the purpose and values of National Grid

Further information

• The role reports to Matthew Braovac, UK General Counsel
• The role can be based in either London or Warwick – the person will typically spend three days per week in one of our offices, mainly split between London and Warwick, with other UK travel as necessary
• Competitive base salary dependent on experience
• The role will close for applications at 23:59 BST on Wednesday 23rd September

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates – we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.
Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.

National Grid operates in both the UK and US, with a broad portfolio of energy businesses dedicated to providing safe, reliable, and sustainable power.

From electricity and gas transmission to advancing clean energy and modernising grids, our work covers every aspect of the energy system.

Our energy flows through absolutely everything we do

Life here at National Grid is more than just our purpose or our values, it’s everything we put into everything we do. It’s our commitment to diversity and inclusion; how we help our employees learn and grow; and how we partner with and support the communities where we live and work. It’s all this, and so much more.

We leverage our collective strengths to do meaningful BIG work so that we can be at the heart of a fair and affordable energy future.

Your salary is reviewed each year against the market for your role, skills, knowledge and experience.

Incentive

Annual performance plan or bonus (depending on your role) rewards your contribution to our success each year.

Retirement

Generous pension plan with company contributions up to 12%.

Private medical insurance for self and family.