Senior Legal Counsel

TN United Kingdom; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join their dynamic team in the UK. This full-time role involves providing expert legal advice on a diverse portfolio of FM contracts, particularly within PFI projects. You'll engage in contract negotiations, ensure compliance with laws, and work closely with various stakeholders, including external legal advisers. The position offers a competitive salary, a company vehicle or allowance, and a comprehensive benefits package, making it an exciting opportunity for a legal professional looking to make a significant impact in a fast-paced environment.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Life Cover equivalent to 3x annual salary

Employee discount shopping schemes

Cycle to work scheme

Corporate social responsibility days

Learning opportunities

Employee Referral Rewards Scheme

24/7 Employee Assistance Program

Qualifications

• Good knowledge of PFI, projects, facilities management, and construction law.
• Strong drafting and negotiation skills required for various legal documents.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal advice on FM contracts and ensure compliance with applicable law.
• Review, negotiate, and draft agreements for various projects and contracts.

Skills

Knowledge of PFI law

Negotiation skills

Drafting skills

Analytical skills

Stakeholder management

Risk management

Interpersonal skills

Education

Law degree

Job description

Equans is looking for a Senior Legal Counsel to join our team in London or Leeds on a 12 month fixed term contract basis. This is a full time role working 37.5 hours per week. On offer is a competitive salary, company vehicle or allowance, bonus and benefits package.

This role reports directly to the Head of Legal for the Sustainable FM division but will work closely with the Sustainable FM legal and business teams especially operations, commercial and senior management and externally with counterparty legal advisers, external legal advisers, contract counterparties and customers.

What will you deliver?

• Providing commercially focused legal advice across a portfolio of FM contracts within PFI projects, particularly in the healthcare, education and central government sectors, together with non-PFI public sector contracts, and ensuring compliance with applicable law.
• Reviewing, negotiating and/or drafting agreements and conducting contract negotiations with project counterparties, including facilities management services agreements, variations, construction works contracts and ancillary documents.
• Supporting on commercial and contractual matters with respect to FM tenders, projects, variations and on-going contractual and operational matters for PFI and non-PFI FM projects.
• Advising on legal aspects of proposed and existing subcontracts, appointments, bonds, guarantees, warranties and similar.
• Preparing corporate authorisations and working with Equans Company Secretarial Team.
• Ensuring compliance with Equans group policies and procedures.
• Assisting on the governance of transactions at local and Equans group level.
• Liaising with the relevant parent companies within the Equans group regarding the wording and approval of parent company guarantees, and any variations to these, to secure Equans obligations.
• Monitor disputes/ potential disputes and collaborate with internal disputes team and external advisors (legal/experts etc.)
• Managing legally privileged health and safety investigations within Sustainable FM with external counsel.
• Working closely with colleagues including throughout the Equans group and with customers.
• Selecting, appointing and managing external legal resource as required.
• Review current legislation and regulations and to advise on their potential impact on present and future activities within the division.
• Advise on planned future legislation, regulation and their potential impact on activities within the division.
• Involvement in developing and delivering training on various issues for colleagues across the Equans business.

What can we offer you?

On offer is a competitive salary, car or car allowance, bonus and benefits package, which includes:

• 25 days annual leave (+ public holidays)
• Life Cover equivalent to 3x times annual salary
• Employee discount shopping schemes on major brands and retailers
• Cycle to work scheme
• 2 corporate social responsibility days per year
• Broad range of learning opportunities, such as professional qualifications, collective/individual training, and personalized support programmes
• Attractive Employee Referral Rewards Scheme
• Access to our growing employee networks including WiE (Women in Equans), RISE (BAME), LGBTQI+, Working Parents, YPN (Young Persons Network) and our Disability Network
• 24/7 Employee Assistance Program and access to mental wellbeing app

Who are we looking for?

• Good knowledge of relevant areas of law including PFI, projects, facilities management and construction law.
• Knowledge and experience of the UK PFI sector is essential.
• Strong drafting, negotiating and analytical skills. Ability to draft and negotiate a variety of documentation including PFI services contracts and related projects and construction documentation.
• Experience of negotiating bespoke facilities management agreements and construction agreements based on industry standard forms such as the JCT suite of contracts and NEC is required.
• Ability to deal with risk management, governance and compliance.
• Ability to manage a sizeable workload in a fast paced environment.
• Comfortable with stakeholder management but also able to work with colleagues at all levels of the business.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship skills, with the ability to influence and persuade others in a constructive manner.

Who are we?

Equans is a world leader in energy services with nearly 70,000 employees working in more than 50 countries, with an annual turnover of over 17 billion euros.

In the UK & Ireland, Equans is a provider of technical, FM, regeneration and energy services with specialist capabilities in smart buildings, green mobility, district & embedded energy and decentralised renewables.

Equans' UK & Ireland employees combine these activities to help businesses, public sector organisations and government to embrace the energy transition towards net zero, and also the digital & industrial transitions that are redesigning the way we move, work and live.

Equans is a Bouygues group company.

What's next?

If this role is of interest to you, please click below to register, apply, and track your progress! A member of our Resourcing Team will review your application and be in touch.

At Equans, we're committed to delivering a culture where everyone's voice is heard and supported. We know the value a diverse workforce creates, delivering better results for our people, customers, and stakeholders. Diversity and inclusion is at the core of what we do; should you join Equans, you'll find a welcoming and open workplace where you're supported and encouraged to be your true self at work. You'll also have access to our growing employee networks including WiE (Women in Equans), RISE (BAME), LGBTQI+, Working Parents, YPN (Young Professionals Network) and our Disability Network.

For this role, you must have evidence of the right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a re-location package with this job role. Certain roles may require applicants to undergo a Disclosure check, as noted in the role requirements.

The Equans Resourcing Team supports this job advert. Agency involvement is not required. All related enquiries must come to the resourcing team, not direct to Equans Managers.