Senior Commercial Legal Counsel

Sellick Partnership Limited - Public Sector; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 64,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

A major UK infrastructure organisation is seeking a Senior Commercial Legal Counsel to join its legal team. This position involves providing critical legal advice on high-value procurements and contract management across various projects. Candidates must be qualified solicitors with a strong background in commercial law, ideally within the public sector. The role offers a competitive salary, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to influence significant infrastructure initiatives.

Benefits

Competitive salary and benefits

20% cash fund for salary/benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Focus on wellbeing and professional development

Qualifications

• Experience advising on large projects in construction or infrastructure.
• Experience managing external legal advisers.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercial law advice across high-value contracts.
• Draft and negotiate complex commercial agreements.
• Lead on procurements and manage legal compliance.

Skills

Strong drafting skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Contract law knowledge

Public sector procurement experience

Education

Qualified Solicitor or Barrister

Job description

Senior Commercial Legal Counsel Infrastructure organisation £64,562 - £67,727 + 20% cash fund for salary/benefits Birmingham/London Hybrid working Permanent

Overview of the Senior Commercial Legal Counsel position

Sellick Partnership is working with a major UK infrastructure organisation to recruit a Senior Legal Counsel (Commercial) into its in-house Legal and Company Secretariat team. This role sits within the Chief Financial Officer Directorate and supports one of the largest and most complex infrastructure programmes in Europe.

You will provide commercial and contract law advice across all areas of the organisation, supporting major procurements, high-value construction contracts, supply chain arrangements and corporate agreements. You will work closely with procurement, project delivery, technology and senior leadership teams to ensure contractual risk is controlled and that the organisation can deliver its programme of work efficiently and compliantly. This role suits a commercially minded lawyer who enjoys working at the heart of major projects and advising a wide range of senior stakeholders.

Key responsibilities of the Senior Commercial Legal Counsel will include

• Provide commercial and contract law advice across corporate and project related procurements, including high value construction and supply chain contracts
• Draft, review and negotiate complex commercial agreements, ensuring legal and commercial risk is managed
• Act as the main legal adviser on data protection and GDPR matters, supporting the Data Protection Officer and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards
• Lead on Phase 2a procurements, including early works contracts
• Run regular legal surgeries for procurement and contract management teams to improve efficiency and reduce external legal spend
• Deliver targeted legal training to internal teams on areas such as procurement law and contracting
• Develop and maintain legal templates and self-help tools to support the wider business
• Advise on contractual claims and disputes, using external lawyers where appropriate
• Manage external law firms, including quality, cost and delivery against agreed budgets
• Prepare reports and briefings for senior leadership and support informed decision making
• Liaise directly with senior stakeholders across the organisation and government bodies
• Supervise trainees or junior lawyers when required
• Promote equality, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of your work

Experience/qualifications required for the Senior Commercial Legal Counsel position

To be considered for this Senior Commercial Legal Counsel role, you will need:

• To be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister with strong experience in commercial, contract or construction law
• Demonstrable experience of advising on large projects, ideally in construction, infrastructure or the public sector
• Experience of public sector procurement and contracting
• Experience of managing external legal advisers
• Strong drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills
• The ability to work in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with multiple priorities

Experience gained in both in-house and private practice, or working with government departments, utilities or transport bodies, would be an advantage.

What's in it for the successful Senior Commercial Legal Counsel?

This organisation offers the opportunity to work on high-value procurements that directly impact the delivery of a nationally significant infrastructure programme. You will join a collaborative in-house legal team with exposure to complex and high-profile work, alongside:

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Plus an additional 20% cash fund that can be added to salary or used for benefits
• Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
• A strong focus on wellbeing, inclusion and professional development
• The chance to develop deep expertise in major project contracting

How to apply for the Senior Commercial Legal Counsel position

This is a strong opportunity for a senior commercial or construction lawyer looking to move into or progress within an in-house role on major infrastructure projects. If you have the relevant experience and would like to be considered, please apply as soon as possible. Alternatively, contact Mark Bladen at Sellick Partnership for a confidential discussion about the role.

Synonyms: Commercial Lawyer, Commercial Legal Counsel, Contracts Lawyer, Infrastructure Commercial Lawyer, Commercial and Procurement Counsel, Procurement Lawyer

Sellick Partnership is proud to be an inclusive and accessible recruitment business and we support applications from candidates of all backgrounds and circumstances. Please note, our advertisements use years' experience, hourly rates, and salary levels purely as a guide and we assess applications based on the experience and skills evidenced on the CV. For information on how your personal details may be used by Sellick Partnership, please review our data processing notice on our website.