Legal Counsel – Energy & Infrastructure - 6 Month Contract

Hydrogen Group; Maidenhead; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading organisation in energy solutions is seeking a Legal Counsel Manager for a 6-month contract. The role requires a lawyer with strong commercial contracts and energy sector experience to provide legal support across diverse energy projects. Key responsibilities include drafting and negotiating contracts, advising senior stakeholders, and championing process improvements. Applicants should possess a collaborative mindset, strong judgement, and the ability to manage complex legal considerations while supporting commercial goals.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in drafting and negotiating commercial agreements in the energy sector.
• Ability to advise on construction-focused contracts including JCT, NEC, and FIDIC.
• Understanding of corporate matters, financing arrangements, and IP.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality legal support across commercial and infrastructure activities.
• Advise senior stakeholders while managing external counsel effectively.
• Champion continuous improvement and contribute to team development initiatives.

Skills

Commercial contracts expertise

Energy sector knowledge

Regulatory understanding

Stakeholder management

Job description

We are currently supporting a leading organisation in the distributed energy and low‑carbon solutions space as they look to appoint a Legal Counsel Manager, on a 6‑month contract. This role partners closely with commercial, technical and operational teams and is well‑suited to a lawyer with strong commercial contracts and energy sector experience.

Role Overview

The Legal Counsel Manager will provide high‑quality, pragmatic legal support across a wide range of commercial and infrastructure‑focused activities. This position is central to enabling the development, delivery and optimisation of distributed energy projects, new energy services solutions and broader decarbonisation propositions in the UK and internationally.

Key Responsibilities

Commercial & Project Legal Support

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, particularly those relating to distributed energy solutions such as CHP, solar, battery storage, optimisation services and related technologies.
• Advise on construction‑focused contracts including JCT, NEC and FIDIC forms, as well as EPC, O&M, PPA and procurement agreements.
• Provide support on adjacent legal areas including corporate matters, financing arrangements, dispute management, IP and general commercial issues.
• Deliver clear, practical advice that simplifies complex concepts and enables business teams to make confident decisions.
• Interpret and advise on regulatory considerations affecting energy markets, balancing commercial ambition with risk management.

Commercial & Sector Awareness

• Understand and align with the commercial priorities of the business, helping to deliver growth in the most efficient and effective way.
• Stay informed about market trends, regulatory developments, energy policy and the broader decarbonisation landscape.
• Bring creativity and fresh thinking to problem solving, contributing to the development of new propositions and commercial models.
• Operate as a balanced, commercially minded partner across all business units.

Stakeholder Management & Collaboration

• Act as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders and project teams across multiple jurisdictions.
• Demonstrate strong influencing skills, providing challenge and guidance where needed.
• Build strong, effective relationships internally and externally, ensuring legal is seen as an enabler.
• Manage external counsel effectively to ensure value‑driven outcomes.

Driving Change & Best Practice

• Champion continuous improvement across legal and commercial processes.
• Support the creation and refinement of templates, guidance materials and internal playbooks.
• Contribute to internal training, knowledge sharing and team development initiatives.
• Make confident, timely decisions under pressure and elevate issues appropriately.
• Actively support cultural development within the legal function, including positive behaviours around collaboration, inclusion, and high performance.

Personal Qualities

• Inspires confidence through commercial understanding, sound judgement and high emotional intelligence.
• Collaborative mindset with a willingness to share knowledge and support colleagues across functions.
• Strong ownership mentality, taking responsibility for decisions and outcomes.
• Ability to balance legal rigour with commercial pragmatism in a fast‑paced environment.

This is a contract position and will require someone to start within the next 4-6 weeks.