Construction & Project Associate

JMC Legal Recruitment; Greater Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid and flexible working

Comprehensive benefits package

Job summary

Leading International Firm in Manchester is seeking a Projects and Construction Associate (NQ+) to join its busy contentious construction team. You will handle high-value disputes, including adjudication, mediation and litigation, advising developers, investors and contractors.

From day one you will have real responsibilities, with strong supervision and a defined development framework, and you may work on international instructions while enjoying hybrid working and a comprehensive benefits

Qualifications

• Newly qualified upwards, with contentious construction experience or a construction seat behind you
• Excellent technical skills and a strong academic record
• Client focused, credible and commercially aware
• Drive, enthusiasm and a real appetite to understand the sector

Responsibilities

• Carry a varied, high-quality caseload across significant disputes.
• Work on adjudication, mediation and litigation.
• Assist with pre-action protocol, dispute avoidance and contract interpretation.

Skills

Contentious construction

Client focus

Commercial awareness

Strong academic record

Education

Qualifying law degree (LLB/GDL)

Solicitors Qualification

Job description

Projects and Construction Associate | NQ+ | Leading International Firm | Manchester

This is a standout opportunity for a junior Contentious Construction Solicitor to join a highly regarded international practice in Manchester.

You will advise serious clients on significant construction and infrastructure disputes, complex, high value work on schemes that shape the places they sit in. From day one you will be handed real responsibility and immediate exposure to first class matters.

The Firm

An international firm with a substantial UK presence and a well-established Manchester office, consistently ranked in the Legal 500 across a range of practice areas, with partners individually recognised in their fields.

Construction and real estate are the cornerstone of the firm's identity, sitting firmly at the commercial heart of the business rather than at its edges. That scale creates a powerful platform for ambitious lawyers.

The culture sets it apart: technically demanding work delivered in a collaborative, flexible environment without the relentless billing pressure. If you want work of quality and a life outside it, this firm offers that rare middle ground.

The Role

As an Associate in the Manchester team, you will carry a varied, high-quality caseload across significant disputes while helping clients manage risk on complex projects. Work typical includes adjudication, mediation and litigation, claims under the pre action protocol, dispute avoidance, risk management and contractual interpretation.

Construction is a core strength here. The contentious group has a formidable national reputation, advising developers, investors, contractors and public sector clients, and it generates most of its own work rather than living off referrals from elsewhere in the firm.

That matters at junior level: the disputes are the team's own, and the client relationships are yours to build from early on. The work is predominantly domestic, with scope to get involved in international instructions, and you will have serious supervision behind you while you develop.

Your Experience

• Newly qualified upwards, with contentious construction experience or a construction seat behind you

• Excellent technical skills and a strong academic record

• Client focused, credible and commercially aware

• Drive, enthusiasm and a real appetite to understand the sector

Benefits and Opportunities

• Hybrid and flexible working

• Strong supervision and clear progression against a defined development framework

• Exposure to major UK and international construction and regeneration projects

• Comprehensive benefits package