In- house Legal Counsel

Sweco UK; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading design and engineering consultancy in Leeds is seeking an In-House Legal Counsel to provide commercial and compliance support to teams across the UK. The role involves negotiating contracts, supporting governance matters, and offering technical guidance. Ideal candidates will have a law degree, a current practising certificate, and relevant experience in a legal environment. The position supports flexible working arrangements, requiring a minimum of three days on-site.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Career progression opportunities

Qualifications

• 2-4 years PQE or Legal Executive/CILEX qualified.
• Experience in a legal environment dealing with contracts and data regulations.
• Awareness of the implications of the Building Safety Act 2022.

Responsibilities

• Support the Head of Legal with various legal duties.
• Review and negotiate contracts across sectors.
• Provide compliance governance support.

Skills

Client focused mindset

Collaborative attitude

Analytical skills

Problem-solving abilities

Communication skills

Education

Degree in relevant subject

Current Practising Certificate (Solicitor)

Job description

Let’s transform society together

We are looking for a motivated, professional In-House Legal Counsel to join our legal team to provide commercial and compliance support to 1,100 colleagues across the UK & Ireland. This role is based in our Leeds office and can be worked flexibly with a minimum of 3 days per week in the office.

Please note we will be relocating to Leeds City Centre mid 2026 from our current base in Chapel Allerton.

Who we are :

We are Sweco. We are future planners, city shapers, urban innovators, digital transformers, net zero chasers, community connectors, social enterprisers and lifestyle improvers. We are difference makers. We are Europe’s leading design, engineering, environment and regulatory consultancy.

As In-House Legal Counsel, you’ll be responsible for :

• Supporting the Head of Legal, working closely with our business on a broad range of legal duties.
• Reviewing forms of contract for the provision of professional consultancy services (NDAs, appointments, collateral warranties, novation, intra-company arrangements)
• Negotiating directly with a wide range of clients and our supply chain, across a range of sectors including the built environment, energy, industry and other professional services.
• Dealing with legal, insurance, governance and compliance matters.
• Providing support on contentious matters

What does the role involve?

• Working closely with the business to review a range of professional service contracts; drafting and negotiating amendments to reflect Sweco’s governance and appetite for risk whilst facilitating business transactions.
• Working with both bespoke contracts and standard industry forms (e.g. NEC, FIDIC, ACE).
• Supporting privacy and compliance governance matters.
• Communicating effectively with a range of internal and external partners, across all sectors, to ensure compliance issues are understood and effectively risk managed
• Providing technical guidance, support and training to colleagues and assist in mentoring and development of others
• Playing an active role within the legal team, developing and promoting our technical excellence in all legal areas, keeping up to date with developments both in legal practice and application across a range of sectors
• Demonstrating commercial acumen, understanding our strategy and working in collaboration with team members and disciplines to achieve our business objectives
• Advising and supporting colleagues through both formal and informal contentious matters and liaising with insurers, brokers and external counsel where required.

To be successful in this role, you will need to possess :

• A client focused, commercially aware mindset with a solution orientated approach
• A collaborative attitude, with a strong team focus
• An ability to communicate both in a persuasive and positive manner with other team members and to provide advice on legal concepts clearly to those without a legal background
• An ability to be able to quickly analyse legal issues and deliver effective reports to all management levels of the business
• A curious and pragmatic mindset, flexible in approach to adopt new methods of working, being able to work on own initiative and seek assistance when required
• An ability to organise and prioritise workload to ensure that timescales are met.
• Good problem solving / contingency planning skills with ability to find quick, innovative and practical solutions
• The commitment to take responsibility for your personal development and enable and support the learning of others
• An ability to recognise own impact on others and adapt approach where appropriate
• An understanding of the importance of taking pride in your work, through accurate timely delivery and attention to detail
• Engineering consultancy and construction sector experience including an understanding of the implications of the Building Safety Act 2022
• Awareness and experience of data privacy matters in the context of both internal governance requirements and a varied portfolio of projects

Professional Membership and Qualifications :

• Degree in a relevant subject or equivalent qualification.
• Admitted to the Roll of Solicitors with current Practising Certificate (2-4 years PQE) or Legal Executive / CILEX qualified
• At least 3 years’ experience (gained in-house or in private practice) of working in a legal environment, dealing with insurance matters, contract / commercial negotiations in the context of the built environment and data regulations.

If you believe you have the skill set required to join our team and are keen to join a business with genuine opportunities for career progression, then we’d love to hear from you.

Let’s transform society together at Sweco.

About Us

Transforming society together, we're planning and designing sustainable communities and cities of the future.

Solving the great societal challenges of our time is more relevant, demanding and inspiring than ever before. At Sweco, we bring together experts with different perspectives and skills to develop solutions that address the challenges of urbanisation, harness the positive power of digitalisation and make societies more sustainable.

We offer our clients a combination of global expertise and local presence, adapted to their business and reality. Our ambition is to be our clients’ most relevant partner, working together to help them solve their challenges, today and into the future.

Sweco is committed to enabling all its colleagues to achieve a great balance between work and their other priorities, such as caring responsibilities, leisure activities, further learning or other interests. We offer flexible start and finish times, part time and hybrid working options so that you can flex your hours around your day to day needs.

Equality, Diversity & Inclusion

It’s important to us that that all our colleagues thrive at work - we strive to have a friendly and inclusive culture which respects the contribution individuals can bring to Sweco. We aim to promote equality, inclusivity and diversity for everyone.

Here at Sweco we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity / paternity.

We have signed the Armed Forces Covenant to ensure those who serve or have served, and their families, are treated fairly. To find out more The Armed Forces Covenant - Our Commitments | Sweco UK .

We are also proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer, and will interview applicants covered by the Equality Act 2010 that opt into the guaranteed interview scheme on the application form and meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If I have a disability, can I get help (e.g. “reasonable adjustments”) with the application process?

If you’re an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, please contact [e-mail] for assistance.

In order to address your request the following information is needed :

Name

The best method for contacting you (Phone or email)

The position title

Requisition / vacancy number

Upon receipt of this information, we’ll respond to you promptly to obtain more information about your request.

Please note : we reserve the right to close vacancies before the advertised closing date.

Sweco UK&I have an internal resourcing team who are responsible for all recruiting activity. We have a Preferred Supplier List of trusted agencies who we work with on those “hard to fill” roles.

We have defined processes for recruitment applications and it is company policy not to accept speculative CVs. Any speculative CVs received into the business (whether to a manager or member of the resourcing team) will become the property of Sweco and the agency will not be eligible for an introductory fee.

Our Preferred Supplier List was reviewed in November 2024 and we are not looking to add any additional agencies. We’ll be reviewing the PSL again at the end of 2025 and non-compliance with the above statements could be detrimental to you having the opportunity to be included.

Our Talent Community for experienced professionals is a great way to keep up to date with our latest news, insights, future vacancies, as well as gaining access to exclusive events hosted by our experts.

To learn more Join Our Talent Community - Sweco United Kingdom