Legal Counsel, Commercial Legal Services

Centrica; England; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An energy and services company in the UK is seeking a qualified Legal Counsel to provide high-quality legal support across its commercial operations. The successful candidate will manage legal risks, draft and negotiate contracts, and engage closely with senior leaders to deliver pragmatic legal advice aligned with business objectives. A strong understanding of UK consumer and commercial law is essential, with a focus on the energy sector. The role offers a flexible working arrangement with a requirement to visit the Windsor office weekly.

Qualifications

• Experience in commercial law within a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to manage diverse stakeholders effectively.
• Demonstrable experience in legal roles dealing with high-profile matters.

Responsibilities

• Support a variety of legal work for Centrica's customer facing businesses.
• Draft and negotiate non-standard contracts.
• Provide legal advice to senior stakeholders on business decisions.

Skills

Contract drafting and negotiation

Risk assessment and management

Consumer law understanding

Business-facing legal experience

Adaptability

Clear communication of complex concepts

Relationship building with senior leaders

Education

Professionally qualified Lawyer

Job description

Join us, be part of more.

We’re so much more than an energy company. We’re a family of brands revolutionising how we power the planet. We're energisers. One team of 21,000 colleagues that's energising a greener, fairer future by creating an energy system that doesn’t rely on fossil fuels, whilst living our powerful commitment to igniting positive change in our communities. Here, you can find more purpose, more passion, and more potential. That’s why working here is #MoreThanACareer. We do energy differently - we do it all. We make it, store it, move it, sell it, and mend it.

We have a brilliant new opportunity for a Legal Counsel, Commercial Legal Services to join our Legal, Regulatory Affairs, Ethics & Compliance, and Secretariat Function (LRECS). Reporting directly to our Associate General Counsel for Centrica Retail - Business you will have a key role in driving the realisation of Centrica’s legal functions and especially the Commercial Legal Services teams objectives.

Location: We work flexibly in line with our Flexible First working arrangements believing that empowered colleagues are happier and more productive. The successful candidate will, however, need to be comfortable commuting to our Windsor office on at least a weekly basis and to our other locations as may be needed.

What will you do?

You will support a wide variety of legal work including supporting the customer facing businesses of Centrica / British Gas. This will include the procurement of goods and services, the development of partnerships and collaborative arrangements with 3rd parties and drafting of energy supply arrangements for businesses.

The role is a broad commercial position with a focus on balancing the need for clear and pragmatic commercial advice while ensuring compliance with the laws and regulations governing the supply of energy and services to consumers and businesses.

Key accountabilities will include:

• Delivering high quality, high impact, high value legal and commercial support across the business with the right balance of risk awareness and pragmatism.
• Supporting the businesses in managing operational and regulatory risks, including the development and delivery of key policies, training and guidance to the business to better manage legal risk.
• Structuring, drafting, negotiating and facilitating non-standard contracts of major impact to Centrica.
• Providing advice to senior stakeholders on key business decisions, policy and customer journeys.
• Procuring advice and support from the wider Legal, Regulatory, Ethics, Compliance and Company Secretariat ("LRECS") team on any other legal or regulatory matters that arise including privacy, IP, dispute resolution, employment or commercial issues and changes to regulation and legislation.
• Keeping informed of industry-specific laws and regulations and ensuring that appropriate risk management strategies are in place.
• Instructing and managing external lawyers and third where appropriate to ensure appropriate and cost-effective advice is provided to the business.
• Developing strong stakeholder relationships and networks within the function and the other business units to support the delivery of objectives and the management of risk.

Who are we looking for?

As a professionally qualified Lawyer, with significant demonstrable experience, the variety of the work means that you must be able to consistently exhibit a highly flexible and inquisitive approach to not only how you and the business deliver services, but also in your range of legal work. You must have the ability to manage a diverse set of stakeholders, be able to prioritise effectively and deliver high quality commercially savvy work.

The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of consumer and commercial law in the UK, an interest in technology law, energy and net zero, and an understanding of energy regulation would be beneficial.

Key skills required:

• Experience of drafting contracts and negotiating commercial agreements with a range of complexity. An understanding of consumer law would also be beneficial.
• Demonstrable ability to assess risk and deliver advice in a pragmatic manner, taking into account the wider regulatory framework and commercial drivers.
• Significant business facing experience in a legal role dealing with complex, high profile and important legal matters.
• Experience of working within a complex and fast paced organisation and demonstrable ability to adapt and continuously learn.
• Expressing complex concepts in plain and simple language.
• Pragmatic and clear advice focussed on delivering solutions.
• Interpretation of and advice on regulatory and compliance requirements, balancing risk and commercial objectives.
• Experience of building strong relationships with senior business leaders in challenging environments.