Legal Director - Major Projects

National Grid; City Of London; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus up to 40% (on target)

Pension scheme with 12% match

Private medical insurance

Company EV or cash alternative

Share incentive plan

Job summary

National Grid is seeking a senior projects and infrastructure solicitor to provide strategic legal support across major capital delivery and energy transition programmes. You will advise on contracting, governance and procurement, partner with UK Legal and business teams, and help translate investment decisions into safe, value-focused outcomes while managing legal risk at a senior level.

You'll work closely with the CCD Associate General Counsel and lead on bringing innovative legal services

Qualifications

• Experience advising on energy, infrastructure or major project delivery.
• Strong drafting and negotiation capability for complex contracts.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders at multiple levels.

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic legal advice on infrastructure and major capital delivery projects.
• Collaborate with the CCD Associate General Counsel to shape legal strategies.
• Support contracting, delivery strategies and governance across programmes.
• Advise on project delivery models, procurement and alliance arrangements.
• Manage legal risk, disputes, changes and contract performance issues.

Skills

Infrastructure and project law

Contract drafting & negotiation

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment & mitigation

Energy sector knowledge

Education

Qualified solicitor

PQE 7+ years

Job description

About the Role

At National Grid, we keep people connected and society moving. But it’s so much more than that. National Grid provides the environment for our teams to thrive and make a real impact. As we drive momentum in the energy transition for all, we are committed to ensuring that every employee feels empowered and engaged.

A senior projects and infrastructure solicitor role for someone with a passion for the energy sector and a commitment to contributing to the energy transition.

You will be a strong communicator and trusted business partner, able to listen effectively, collaborate with UK Legal colleagues and business teams, and provide clear, pragmatic and risk-based advice to stakeholders at all levels.

The role provides strategic legal support across National Grid's largest and most complex major projects, including major transmission infrastructure, network reinforcement, strategic investment and energy transition projects. The role will help the business translate investment decisions into safe, timely and value-focused delivery outcomes while managing legal and commercial risk across the full project lifecycle.

Working closely with the CCD Associate General Counsel and senior leadership teams, the role leads the development and delivery of legal strategies for major projects and capital programmes, supporting successful procurement, construction, delivery, operation and close-out. A core component of the role is supporting innovative and efficient legal service delivery using legal technology, digital tools and scalable ways of working.

What You'll Do

• Provide excellent, pragmatic legal advice and develop legal strategies for National Grid's most significant infrastructure and capital delivery projects.
• Work alongside the CCD Associate General Counsel to deliver the CCD Legal team objectives and support the wider UK General Counsel function.
• Support project teams in developing and implementing effective contracting and delivery strategies that balance legal, commercial and operational objectives.
• Advise on project delivery models, alliance arrangements, EPC and construction contracts, framework arrangements, strategic supplier relationships and other complex infrastructure contracting structures.
• Support project teams in navigating project risks, delays, cost escalation, change control, disputes, claims and contractual performance issues.
• Lead on legal aspects of major project governance and investment decision-making, ensuring legal risks are identified, managed and escalated appropriately.
• Influence, effectively communicate with and advise senior stakeholders across National Grid, including executive leadership teams and programme boards, to lead and operate with impact to drive resolutions.
• Draft, negotiate and advise on a wide range of complex agreements, including construction contracts, framework agreements, collaboration arrangements, project delivery agreements and strategic supplier contracts.
• Support the delivery of major project procurement strategies in collaboration with the broader Commercial & Capital Delivery team.
• Support legal governance and assurance by promoting consistent and proportionate decision-making across major programmes.
• Represent UK Legal at programme boards, steering groups and internal governance forums.
• Identify and implement continuous improvements in business performance, including development of playbooks, contract standards, project guidance materials and legal process improvements.
• Manage external counsel and specialist advisers to deliver timely, commercially focused and cost-effective support.
• Support the GC function in driving digital transformation, including the implementation of legal technology, automation and AI-enabled solutions that improve legal service delivery.
• Champion innovation within the CCD Legal team, identifying opportunities to use technology, data and new ways of working to improve support provided to capital delivery and programme stakeholders.

What You'll Have

• Strong understanding of infrastructure, construction and project development law within the energy, utilities, infrastructure or other regulated sectors. Experience of dispute resolution/contentious work to achieve commercial resolutions is also an advantage.
• Strong knowledge of major project delivery models, construction contracts, framework arrangements, programme governance and project risk allocation.
• Strong contract drafting, negotiation and advisory experience, ideally involving complex infrastructure, engineering, construction, capital delivery and strategic investment programmes.
• Ability to manage legal risk, balance legal and commercial considerations and provide strategic, practical and risk-based legal advice.
• Strong understanding of the legal challenges associated with large-scale capital delivery programmes, including delay, change, claims, disputes, supplier performance and programme governance.
• Able to work at a strategic level with senior stakeholders while managing multiple complex projects, competing priorities with ambiguity.
• Curious mindset to promote challenge, while adopting a commercially flexible outlook to drive meaningful resolution of issues.
• Experience advising senior leaders on high-profile and business-critical projects.
• Experience working with external counsel and specialist advisers while maintaining quality, value for money and efficient delivery.
• Demonstrable experience acting as a trusted adviser and influencing complex stakeholder groups across legal, commercial, engineering, operational and regulatory disciplines.
• Qualified solicitor with strong experience advising on energy, infrastructure, construction, commercial or commercial projects acquired in private practice and/or in-house.
• Likely to have at least 7 years' PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered where the candidate can demonstrate the requisite technical expertise, judgement, stakeholder-management skills and ability to operate at a senior level.

What You'll Get

Competitive Compensation dependent on experience.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus based on personal and company performance with on target being 20% (with a maximum of 40%) and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%, Private Medical Insurance, A company electric vehicle or cash alternative, plus many more flexible benefits. such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

More Information

Further Information

The closing date for this vacancy is Midnight 12 November, with interviews due to take place w/c November 19 onwards. We encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

About us

Every day we deliver safe and secure energy to homes, communities, and businesses. We are there when people need us the most. We connect people to the energy they need for the lives they live. The pace of change in society and our industry is accelerating, and our expertise and track record puts us in an unparalleled position to shape the sustainable future of our industry. To be successful we must anticipate the needs of our customers, reducing the cost of energy delivery today and pioneering the flexible energy systems of tomorrow. This requires us to deliver on our promises and always look for new opportunities to grow, both ourselves and our business

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.