Commercial Solicitor

South West Community Chaplaincy; Grantham; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Enhanced Employer Pension

Life Assurance

Flexible hybrid working (7am - 7pm)

Generous annual leave - 25 Days plus B

Buy and sell holiday scheme

Enhanced parental pay

Employee assistance programme

Job summary

The Woodland Trust is seeking a Commercial Solicitor to provide expert legal advice across a broad range of commercial and operational matters, helping the Trust achieve its strategic objectives while effectively managing legal risk. The role involves drafting and negotiating contracts, advising on governance, IP, data protection and regulatory compliance, and supporting senior stakeholders.

This is a hybrid role with home working and the head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire, with occasional

Qualifications

• Experienced drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts with pragmatic advice.
• Able to advise on a range of legal issues and provide practical, proportionate solutions.
• Able to communicate complex legal matters clearly to non-legal colleagues.
• Commercially minded with sound judgement in risk management.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, risk-based legal advice across commercial contracts, governance, IP, data protection and regulatory compliance.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts and legal documents supporting strategic objectives.
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to navigate legal issues and inform decisions.
• Identify legal risks and offer pragmatic solutions; build trusted relationships with stakeholders.
• Maintain robust legal records and contribute to governance and compliance practices.

Skills

Commercial contracts

Governance

Intellectual property

Data protection

Regulatory compliance

Legal advisory

Education

Solicitor in England and Wales with active practising certificate

Job description

The Woodland Trust is looking for a Commercial Solicitor to provide expert legal advice across a broad range of commercial and operational matters, helping the Trust achieve its strategic objectives while effectively managing legal risk.

The Role:

• Provide practical, risk-based legal advice across a broad range of matters, including commercial contracts, charity governance, intellectual property, data protection and regulatory compliance.
• Manage a diverse caseload, balancing competing priorities while delivering a responsive and high-quality legal service to the Trust.
• Draft, review and negotiate a variety of contracts, agreements and legal documents that support the Trust's work and strategic objectives.
• Work closely with colleagues across the organisation, helping them navigate legal issues and make informed decisions.
• Identify and communicate legal risks clearly, providing pragmatic solutions that support positive outcomes.
• Build effective relationships with internal stakeholders and external advisers, acting as a trusted legal partner.
• Maintain robust legal records and contribute to strong governance and compliance practices across the Trust.
• Share legal knowledge and support colleagues to build confidence and understanding in key legal areas.
• This is a hybrid position with a mix of home working and from our head office in Grantham, Lincolnshire. Head office attendance would be required once every two months on average. Occasional travel to other offices and remote locations may also be required.

The Candidate:

• Experienced in drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts, with the ability to deliver clear, pragmatic and proportionate advice.
• Comfortable advising on a range of legal issues and able to quickly get to the heart of a problem and recommend practical solutions.
• Skilled at communicating complex legal matters in a way that is easy for non-legal colleagues to understand and act upon.
• Confident building relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and working collaboratively to achieve the best outcomes.
• Commercially minded, with sound judgement and a balanced approach to managing legal risk.
• Self-motivated and organised, able to manage competing priorities while maintaining high standards of work.
• Curious and keen to keep developing your expertise, staying up to date with changing legal and regulatory requirements.
• You’ll be a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, with a current practising certificate.

Benefits and Wellbeing:

Joining our team means you’ll be part of our fight for a greener, healthier planet for people and wildlife. We take good care of our staff, offering support and training opportunities. We also offer:

• Enhanced Employer Pension
• Life Assurance
• Flexible and hybrid working options (7am - 7pm)
• Generous annual leave - 25 Days plus Bank Holidays (pro rata for part-time)
• Buy and sell holiday scheme
• Enhanced parental pay
• Employee assistance programme

To support inclusivity and remove barriers for candidates, we publish all salaries upfront and proudly follow the We Show the Salary pledge. The salary listed is the set salary for this role, and we don’t ask applicants to state their current pay or expectations. If you choose to apply, we’ll take that as confirmation that the advertised salary meets your expectations.

About Us:

The Woodland Trust is the UK’s largest woodland conservation charity. We want to see a world where woods and trees thrive for people and nature. The Trust engages and inspires people to make a difference by protecting, restoring and creating woodland and getting more trees in the ground.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion:

To achieve our mission, we need to better reflect society and the communities we work in. People of colour and disabled people are currently under-represented across the environment and conservation sector. If you identify as a person of colour and/or disabled, we particularly encourage you to apply.

Acceptable Use - Artificial Intelligence (AI):

We understand that candidates may choose to use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we ask that any information submitted reflects your own experience, skills and understanding. During interviews, candidates are expected to respond independently without the use of AI tools.

Interviews will take place virtually via MS Teams.