Senior Construction Lawyer

National Grid; Warwick; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Company car or allowance

Performance bonus up to 40%

Pension scheme

Flexible benefits

Job summary

National Grid is recruiting a qualified solicitor or barrister with substantial non-contentious construction law experience to lead the construction law aspects of major UK infrastructure projects. You will advise on procurement, contract interpretation, change control and risk allocation, supporting delivery teams with practical and commercial legal guidance.

The role covers drafting and negotiating construction contracts (NEC4/FIDIC), managing relationships with internal teams and external

Qualifications

• Significant non-contentious construction law experience with complex contracts.
• Hands-on experience advising on NEC4 contracts and live project delivery.
• Typically 6+ years PQE with large-scale infrastructure exposure.
• Experience collaborating with project, commercial and procurement teams.
• Knowledge of Utilities Contract Regulations / Procurement Act 2023 is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide clear, commercially focused construction and engineering legal advice.
• Draft and negotiate construction and professional services contracts (NEC4, FIDIC).
• Advise on procurement, regulatory compliance, risk allocation and governance.
• Manage external counsel and support dispute avoidance and resolution.
• Develop precedents, training and share expertise across the UK Legal team.

Skills

Construction law

Drafting contracts

Contract interpretation

Risk management

Stakeholder communication

Education

Solicitor or Barrister qualification

Job description

About the role

You will work closely with colleagues in the UK Legal team, alongside other stakeholders to plan and deliver NGET construction projects ranging from £millions to £billions. Such projects include the construction of new substations, overhead line and underground cable routes and potentially offshore cable projects.

You will be part of the UK Legal team. You will be working with other construction lawyers and will also work closely with other lawyers in the team to deliver NGET’s infrastructure projects.

Alongside strong legal skills, we are looking for an individual who is passionate about energy and the net-zero ambition and who has the drive to support and enable the business in its ambitions. You will also have commercial awareness of the industry within which NGET operates.

You will be a natural and instinctive communicator, able to listen effectively and advise at all levels within National Grid while using your experience and expertise to develop other members of the UK Legal team and colleagues in the wider business.

You must be able to take the lead on the construction law aspects of major infrastructure projects, with the ability to influence through a broad range of contacts.

What you'll do

You will deliver clear, commercially focused legal advice and lead the development and execution of legal strategy for major construction projects and strategic infrastructure contracts, supporting NGET’s commercial objectives. This is a hands-on role supporting projects at the coal face of delivery, not just at procurement or contract award stage. You will provide practical, commercially focused advice to project, commercial and procurement teams as issues arise during live project delivery, including on contract interpretation, change control, compensation events and claims, risk allocation, governance, supplier engagement and dispute avoidance.

The role also involves drafting and negotiating a broad range of construction and professional services contracts (based on standard forms including NEC and FIDIC), advising on procurement and regulatory compliance, representing UK Legal at key internal forums, managing external counsel, and supporting dispute resolution matters. In addition, you will help identify and mitigate legal and commercial risk, contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, develop precedents and training, and share expertise across the UK Legal team, with opportunities to broaden your experience across wider commercial and corporate legal matters.

About you

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with significant, current non-contentious construction law experience, including recent hands-on experience advising on, drafting and negotiating complex construction and engineering contracts, particularly NEC4. Likely to have at least 6 years’ PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered where the candidate can demonstrate the requisite experience.
• Strong track record supporting large-scale, complex construction projects through live delivery, including advising on contract interpretation, change control, claims/compensation events, risk allocation, governance and supplier engagement
• Experience working directly with project, commercial, procurement and technical teams, providing clear, pragmatic legal advice at the coal face of project delivery.
• Able to support both high-profile strategic infrastructure projects and business-as-usual construction contract matters across a busy portfolio.
• Experience of advising on ad hoc construction disputes (not a prerequisite).
• Ideally you will have knowledge of advising on the Utilities Contract Regulations / Procurement Act 2023 along with experience of advising in the energy sector or another regulated environment (training will be provided).
• Excellent communicator, also able to listen effectively in a team or business environment and build strong relationships.
• Capable of using experience and expertise to develop and train other members of the UK Legal team.
• Capable of taking the lead on the development of legal construction contracting strategy and a credible voice in setting the overall strategy.
• Effective project manager with ability to lead and deliver high profile and strategic projects with ability to influence through broad range of internal and external contacts.
• Ability to manage and deliver against competing priorities.
• Experience and strong track record in project or relationship management.

About us

We are recruiting a qualified solicitor or barrister with significant, current non-contentious construction law experience, including recent hands-on experience supporting complex construction and engineering contracts through procurement, negotiation and live project delivery.

The UK’s transition to net zero by 2050 is one of the most significant infrastructure challenges of our generation - and the energy sector is central to making it happen. At National Grid Electricity Transmission ("NGET"), we are delivering the infrastructure needed to connect cleaner, more secure energy to homes and businesses across the country. This is driving unprecedented growth in our construction portfolio, and creating a rare opportunity for a construction lawyer to work at the heart of some of the UK’s most complex and strategically important infrastructure projects. The role will provide construction and engineering legal advice to NGET across major onshore, and potentially offshore, projects, supporting both existing schemes and new developments. These are large-scale, complex projects where legal advice is integral to delivery, risk management and the achievement of the UK’s net-zero ambition.

Location: The role will be based out of our Warwick or Strand, London office; we operate a hybrid working policy, and a typical working pattern would be three days per week in Warwick, London or another office/site, with the rest of the week flexible. We’re happy to discuss additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you.

More Information

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A competitive salary - dependent on experience.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a company car or allowance, a bonus of up to 40% of your salary for stretch performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, a salary sacrifice technology scheme, support via the employee assistance line and matched charity giving to name a few.

We will also support with your development during your career with National Grid.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points-based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points-based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.