Construction Associate Lawyer 1+ PQE

ZipRecruiter; Manchester; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A top law firm in Manchester seeks a construction associate with at least 1 year of PQE in non-contentious construction law. The role involves advising clients on procurement strategies, managing relationships, and contributing to business development. You will join a large specialist team, gain access to development support, and handle significant construction projects. Competitive salary and benefits included.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits package

Access to excellent learning & development support

Collaborative and supportive culture

Qualifications

• 1+ years’ PQE in construction law (non-contentious emphasis).
• Experience from a leading regional or City practice.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, reliable with multiple assignments.

Responsibilities

• Advise on non-contentious construction work across various sectors.
• Build trusted relationships with clients and deliver timely advice.
• Participate in business development and client relationships.

Skills

Construction law expertise

Strong drafting skills

Interpersonal skills

Stakeholder management

Attention to detail

Education

Qualified lawyer with 1 or more years’ PQE

Job description

Job Description

What You’ll Do

• Advise on non-contentious construction work across sectors including residential, infrastructure, energy, transport, civil engineering and utilities.
• Work with clients such as sponsors, developers, employers, operators, contractors, sub-contractors and professional teams on procurement strategies, facilities management, and avoidance & resolution of disputes.
• Take ownership of matters and build trusted relationships with clients, delivering high-quality, timely and commercially driven advice.
• Support cross-jurisdictional and project-wide work, collaborating with teams in other offices and specialist groups (real estate, projects, banking etc.).
• Participate in business development and client relationship building; contribute to the team’s growth nationally and internationally.

About You

• Qualified lawyer with 1 or more years’ PQE in construction law (non-contentious emphasis).
• Experience from a leading , regional or City practice.
• Strong drafting skills and solid technical understanding of construction procurement, project documentation and contract forms.
• Good interpersonal and stakeholder management skills.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, reliable and able to manage multiple assignments to deadline.
• Ambition to grow your construction specialism in scale, complexity and geography.

Why Join This Team

• You’ll be part of a large specialist Construction & Engineering group (100+ lawyers, 24 partners) acting on some of the UK’s most significant private and public sector construction projects.
• Access to excellent learning & development support, with structure, mentoring, and full backing from senior colleagues.
• Opportunity to work across Manchester or Leeds, with exposure to and international mandates.
• Collaborative and supportive culture, where technical excellence meets commercial insight.
• Competitive salary and benefits package.

If you’re a construction associate looking to work on high-profile, non-contentious mandates in a well-respected team, we’d love to hear from you.