Legal & Commercial Adviser - Maternity Cover

BESA Group; Penrith; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Building Engineering Services Association (BESA) seeks a maternity-cover legal/commercial adviser. The role supports members with practical commercial and contractual advice, including governance, risk and dispute avoidance.

Hybrid work is possible from Penrith/London or remote, with a 35-hour week for full-time or 21+ hours across three days for part-time applicants. Essential experience includes post-qualification legal practice, knowledge of construction contracts, and strong communication.

Qualifications

• Legal professional with a minimum of 1-year post-qualification experience.
• Experience advising on standard and non-standard construction contracts.
• Sound knowledge of the UK construction industry.
• Familiarity with the legislative framework that affects construction contracts.
• Understanding of commercial contracts.

Responsibilities

• Undertake, research and provide practical commercial and legal advice to BESA members.
• Represent the needs and interests of BESA members to external stakeholders.
• Provide other departments and parts of the BESA Group with commercial advice, guidance and assistance.
• Attend and make presentations at national and regional meetings on commercial, legal or contractual issues.
• Prepare agendas, minutes and supporting documents for BESA committees.

Skills

Legal research

Commercial awareness

Written and oral communication

IT skills / Microsoft Office

Stakeholder communication

Education

1 year post-qualification experience

Job description

ABOUT YOU

This role is offered on a six-month temporary contract to provide maternity cover. There may be an opportunity to extend the contract should the period of maternity leave be extended.

About Us

The Building Engineering Services Association is the UK's leading trade organisation for building engineering services contractors – representing the interests of firms active in the design, installation, commissioning, maintenance, control and management of engineering systems and services in buildings.

The Legal & Commercial Department is one of BESA’s key service departments and is a highly valued and visible benefit of membership - it is held in high regard and is noted for its professionalism. The team provides advice to members and represents members’ interests to a broad range of stakeholders in the HVAC industry. The team also delivers internal advice across the BESA corporate group and together with supporting the BESA governance regime.

Key activities of the department are to:

• Advise members on a wide range of legal, commercial, corporate and contractual matters
• Prepare and deliver in innovative ways, general guidance to members on a wide range of legal, commercial and contractual issues
• Represent members’ interests to improve the commercial environment in which they operate
• Advise on and enable management of legal matters to assist other internal service departments or group subsidiaries manage their legal risk profile.

We welcome applications from both full-time and part-time candidates. Full-time hours are 35 per week, while part-time applicants must be available to work a minimum of 21 hours per week across three days. This role can be undertaken on a hybrid basis from our Penrith or London office, or remotely.

About The Role

Key Duties

• Undertake, research and provide practical commercial and legal advice to BESA members so that they can make informed commercial judgements about the risks involved in their contracting activities and resolve disputes without the need for formal court proceedings
• Represent the needs and interests of BESA members to external stakeholders
• Provide other departments and parts of the BESA Group with commercial advice, guidance and assistance
• Attend and make presentations at national and regional meetings including lecturing or making presentations on commercial, legal or contractual issues
• Prepare agendas, minutes and supporting documents for, and attending, BESA committees formed of BESA member representatives
• Undertake project work of a legal or commercial nature for the BESA GroupManage multiple tasks and projects with competing priorities, both internal and member priorities
• Where required, assisting in responding to external consultations on matters that affect members.

ABOUT YOU

Qualification, Experience & Knowledge

• Legal professional with a minimum of 1-year post-qualification experience.
• Experience of advising on standard and non-standard construction contracts
• Sound knowledge of the UK construction industry
• Familiarity with the legislative framework that affects construction contracts
• Understanding of commercial contracts

Desirable

• Mixed contentious and non-contentious experience
• Awareness and practical ability to manage corporate group issues

General Skills & Abilities – Essential

• Ability to think commercially and problem solve solutions outside of the black letter law
• Proficient in legal research skills
• Professional written and oral communications skills
• Proficient IT skills – familiarity with the use of Microsoft Office
• Ability to communicate effectively with industry participants such as BESA members
• Personable and able to work well within a small dynamic professional team and across a wider corporate group
• Self-motivated, able to multi-task and manage competing priorities

Personal Attributes

• Willing and flexible attitude and readiness to take on new challenges
• Commercially aware
• Enthusiastic, ready to make decisions, take the initiative, and originate action
• A desire to exceed internal & external stakeholder needs

Behaviours

At BESA, we expect all colleagues to demonstrate behaviours that support our culture and values:

• Customer Empathy – We anticipate and address customer challenges to foster connection and meaningful experiences with them
• Accountability – We keep our word and deliver the results we promise, holding others to account to do the same. We actively manage potential consequences and take ownership to address them.
• Continuous Improvement – We are deeply curious to understand how things work for our customers, industry and organisation. We challenge the status quo and look to enhance and evolve everything we do.
• Agility – We respond and adapt swiftly to changing circumstances.
• Commerciality – We make informed decisions that enable profitable and/or sustainable growth.
• Care – We create an environment where people feel valued and heard, providing a sense of belonging.

Interviews will be arranged directly with shortlisted candidates

Don’t meet every single requirement?

At BESA, we are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace.

If you're enthusiastic about this role but your experience doesn't match every requirement perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be exactly the candidate we're looking for!