Legal Counsel

idibu; England; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading water company is seeking a Legal Counsel for a 2-year fixed-term contract to support major infrastructure projects aimed at improving water resilience. The role involves providing legal advice, managing external legal services, and ensuring compliance with Development Consent Orders. Offering competitive salary and comprehensive benefits, this hybrid role is ideal for a qualified planning lawyer with significant experience in infrastructure projects.

Benefits

Car Allowance

Annual Bonus

Contributory pension

Private Medical Health Care

26 days of annual leave

Wider benefits scheme

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in the Development Consent Order process.
• Experience in project delivery and managing external law firms.
• Ability to manage issues and relate to longer-term goals.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice related to consenting and other matters.
• Manage legal services from external law firms.
• Ensure DCO applications are legally robust.

Skills

Planning lawyer with at least 4-5 PQE

Experience in consenting major infrastructure projects

Highly developed communication skills

Project management skills

Job description

Overview

Our Strategic Resource Operations (SRO) team is looking to hire a Legal Counsel on a 2-year fixed-term contract. This team is responsible for the development of several major infrastructure projects that will improve resilience to drought and minimise interruptions to water supplies in the south-east whilst protecting the environment. These projects include a new reservoir and water recycling scheme and are to be delivered by Development Consent Orders (DCO).

Responsibilities

• Directly providing legal advice to Thames Water in relation to consenting and other matters.


• Managing legal services from Thames Water’s external law firms where necessary and ensuring the external law firms are being correctly instructed and assisted by Thames Water.


• Working closely with the SRO portfolio, particularly the Senior Legal Counsel and the Engagement, Land and Consents SRO team, to ensure the DCO applications are legally robust and defendable.

This is a hybrid role with a base Location of Reading or London. Some travel in and around London will be required.

Compensation

Salary for this position is between £70,000 and £80,000 per annum.

Essential criteria

• Planning lawyer with at least 4-5 PQE with extensive experience in consenting major infrastructure projects


• Experience of the Development Consent Order process and the Town and Country Planning process


• Experience in project delivery and working with external law firms


• Highly developed communication and influencing skills, both written and verbal


• Project management skills, able to multitask and work flexibly to manage conflicting priorities


• Able to manage issues in the short and medium term, and have the ability to relate to longer-term goals

Extra qualities

• Commercial law experience in the negotiation of a wide range of commercial agreements and contracts


• In-house experience


• Knowledge of the Environmental Information Regulations

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary of between £70,000 and £80,000 per annum, depending on previous experience.


• Car Allowance.


• Annual Bonus.


• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contributions to all once a year.


• Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets


• 26 days of annual leave per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus, bank holidays).


• Private Medical Health Care.


• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.


• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support yourwellbeing.

Who are we?

We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water

Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.

If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

Equality and Inclusion

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else, just let us know. We’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.