Commercial Solicitor

Southern Water; Worthing; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water company in Worthing is seeking an experienced lawyer to provide commercial legal services, particularly focusing on engineering infrastructure programs. Candidates should have a strong background in contract law and public procurement, along with significant post-qualification experience. The role offers competitive compensation and a hybrid working model including several benefits.

Benefits

Company and performance-related bonus

Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution

Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary

Health benefits through a Cash Plan

25 days annual holiday

Study support for job-related qualifications

Flexible working options

Qualifications

• Expert knowledge of law and legal research techniques.
• Minimum 10 years relevant post-qualification experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide high quality commercial legal services to the Engineering & Capital Delivery function.
• Draft and negotiate various forms of commercial contracts.
• Advise on public procurement regulations and practices.
• Support diverse engineering and construction arrangements.

Skills

Contract drafting and interpretation

Public procurement law

Legal judgement

Analysis and legal research

Good IT skills

Commercial awareness

Influencing and negotiating

Education

Excellent degree qualification (2:1 or equivalent)

Qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive)

Job description

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There has never been a better time to join our organisation as we build towards a greener future, tackling climate change, minimising our environmental impact and reducing our carbon footprint!

Job Overview

To provide high quality commercial legal services to the Engineering & Capital Delivery function of Southern Water - focused on Southern Water’s water resources infrastructure programme, the Water for Life Hampshire (WfLH) Programme, in particular the Thames to Southern Transfer (T2ST), and Southeast Strategic Reservoir Option (SESRO) Strategic Resource Options (SRO) programmes, through:

• advising on the legal ramifications and structuring of a wide range of commercial arrangements and diverse capital /commercial projects, transactions and contracts.
• drafting, negotiation and settling various forms of commercial contracts.
• advising on the full regime of public procurement regulations and practical procurement issues, including acting as guardian of relevant legal policies and providing standardised procurement and commercial legal agreements.
• advising the company on the legal ramifications and structuring of a wide range of often complex and expansive engineering and construction arrangements and diverse commercial projects, transactions and contracts (working with the Senior Commercial Solicitor).
• focussing on the full remit of non-contentious (and some initial stages contentious) engineering and construction matters relating to infrastructure and non-infrastructure projects.

About You

• Expert knowledge of law and legal research techniques, contract drafting and interpretation.
• Expertise in public procurement law and practice (knowledge of new Direct Procurement for Customers regime highly desirable, but not essential).
• Has reliable legal judgement and appreciates legal risk.
• Produces sound analysis, using secure legal research.
• Good IT skills including electronic document production and assembly.
• Highly developed commercial awareness.
• Expert influencer and negotiator.
• Pro-active individual with interest in business matters.
• Excellent degree qualification (2:1 or equivalent), or satisfactory evidence of equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement.
• Qualified lawyer (Solicitor/Barrister/Chartered Legal Executive) ideally with at least 10 years relevant post-qualification experience.

Package

This role will be full time Monday to Friday with a hybrid approach to working between our Falmer or Durrington office and home. We are offering a competitive salary as well as other benefits including:

• Company and performance-related bonus

• Generous pension with up to 11% company contribution

• Life assurance payment equal to four times your annual salary

• Health benefits through a Cash Plan

• Two paid community volunteering days a year

• 25 days annual holiday

• Stars Reward gateway offering discounts and savings on several products and experiences

• Study support may be available for job-related qualifications

• We offer competitive maternity leave and flexible return to work options

Join our Legal team and see how far your career could progress with a company committed to career progression, training and development opportunities, our customers and the environment.

Does this opportunity excite you but you’re not 100% sure if you meet all the requirements for the role? Or are you concerned that ‘normal’ office hours aren’t possible given your personal circumstances? Whilst we can’t accommodate every flexible working request, we’ll try to find a practical solution. So why not engage with us and find out more about this role?

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do, because delivering water for life is our core purpose. To achieve this, we need 24/7 support in place to resolve incidents quickly and efficiently. All our employees understand the importance of out-of-hours incident support – because when problems appear, fixing them is our top priority. That’s why our people join together and support when and however needed to make sure our customers get the service they deserve. Joining the Southern Water family means you’ll become part of our incident support team. During your interview, your manager will speak to you about any incident support rotas that apply to your position.