Associate / Managing Associate (Affordable Housing Development)

Ward Hadaway LLP; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in the UK is seeking a Senior Development Solicitor to join their Affordable Housing Team. The role requires over 6 years PQE and strong property development experience, focusing on acquisitions, contract negotiation, and managing estate set-ups. The firm offers a supportive environment, career growth, and a range of benefits including enhanced pension and 25+ days of annual leave. This is an opportunity to work on meaningful projects with a collaborative team while enjoying a healthy work-life balance.

Benefits

Enhanced pension scheme

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Health and wellbeing benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in property development is essential.
• Experience with affordable housing providers is welcome but not essential.
• Solid development expertise is crucial.

Responsibilities

• Lead on acquisitions and site assembly.
• Draft and negotiate development contracts.
• Prepare reports on title and manage estate set-ups.

Skills

Strong analytical ability

Excellent communication skills

Confidence working to challenging timelines

Collaborative mindset

Education

6+ years PQE

Job description

Join our Affordable Housing Team – Senior Development Solicitor (Associate or Managing Associate)

If you're an experienced development solicitor looking for a new challenge and a genuinely supportive, down-to-earth team, this could be the opportunity for you.

We’re looking for a solicitor with 6+ years’ PQE and strong property development experience to join our highly regarded Affordable Housing based out of either our Leeds or Newcastle office but with hybrid working arrangements. Experience with affordable housing providers is welcome but not essential — what matters most is solid development expertise and a proactive, collaborative approach. You’ll work closely with approachable Partners including Jen Robinson and Kelly Pearson and a team of lawyers at all levels, delivering high-quality work for excellent clients, including some of the largest registered providers in the country.

This is an opportunity to work on interesting, meaningful projects that shape local communities — while enjoying real work–life balance, strong team spirit, and a culture where people are trusted, valued, and encouraged to grow. Career progression here is genuine, not merely promised.

We are an active part of the sector: we host and attend client events, deliver external and internal training, and run strategic discussions with clients and partners across the industry. We’d like you to enjoy contributing to this side of the role and getting involved in business development in a supportive environment.

What you’ll do

• Lead on acquisitions, site assembly, development and disposals, due diligence and client reporting
• Draft and negotiate Conditional Contracts, Development Agreements, Transfers and Leases, working closely with colleagues across disciplines
• Prepare Reports on Title and Certificates of Title
• Manage estate set-ups for shared ownership and market sale schemes

What you’ll bring

• Strong analytical ability with real commercial awareness
• Confidence working to challenging timelines while maintaining accuracy and client focus
• Excellent communication skills and sound judgement
• A collaborative mindset and willingness to work closely within a multi-disciplinary team

If you’re looking for a role where you can do great work, feel supported, and build a long-term career, we’d love to hear from you.

About us

We're proud to be an independent, full-service law firm providing exceptional legal expertise to businesses, the built environment, healthcare, the public and third sectors, and private individuals. With several office locations around the UK we're one of the UK's Top 100 law firms. When you join us, you’ll be part of a team of over 500 passionate and talented individuals who take pride in offering an exciting and supportive environment allowing you to thrive.

We're passionate about promoting wellbeing and equality, diversity and inclusion, with dedicated committees to support ongoing efforts. We recognise that a healthy and thriving Firm filled with individuality and differences strengthen our teams, our clients and our communities.

What we can offer you

We’re committed to being a firm focused on support, development, wellbeing and inclusion and we’re always striving to improve. Our commitment to this has been recognised by our achievement of our Gold Investors in People award and by our Hive HR Employee Voice certification.

We reward our people with a whole range of benefits, some core and some flexible, designed to shape a reward package that’s right for you – now and in the future. Our core benefits include :

• An enhanced pension scheme with employer matched contributions of up to 6%.
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (increasing to 28 days with length of service). There is also the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Life assurance cover of 4 times basic salary, with the option to purchase additional cover.
• A range of health and wellbeing benefits
• We also have a flexible benefits programme where you can purchase a wide range of additional benefits.

If you would like to request further information or to discuss the role, please contact quoting vacancy reference AHL.0125.

If you require any adjustments to be made to our recruitment process, please request a call back via the above email address.