About the role
We’re looking for a Legal Counsel to join our UK Legal team and help deliver clear, pragmatic and proactive legal support across Balfour Beatty’s Regional Scotland business.
Working closely with colleagues across the business, you’ll provide practical guidance that helps teams manage risk, make informed decisions and operate in line with our legal, ethical and compliance standards. You’ll support contract reviews, negotiations, legal documentation and the continued improvement of legal processes, policies and ways of working.
This is a great opportunity for a construction lawyer, including those newly qualified, to build strong in-house experience within a leading infrastructure business, while contributing to high-quality legal service delivery in a collaborative and commercially focused team.
What you'll be doing
- Deliver timely, practical and cost-effective legal advice across legal, contractual and compliance matters.
- Support the development and implementation of legal and compliance policies, procedures and standards.
- Build strong working relationships with business leaders, managers and employees to ensure legal support meets business needs.
- Review construction and infrastructure contracts in line with UK policies, providing clear commercial advice.
- Advise on the negotiation and drafting of contract terms with clients, partners, supply chain members and stakeholders.
- Support the preparation and negotiation of joint venture, consortium, framework and professional services agreements.
- Review and negotiate bonds, guarantees, warranties and NDAs, working with internal and external advisers where needed.
- Liaise with Commercial, Treasury and Group Legal teams to support the procurement of bonds and parent company guarantees.
- Coordinate with approved external law firms on specific legal matters and training activity.
- Contribute to continuous improvement across legal templates, policies, processes, systems and training materials.
Who we're looking for
- A non-contentious construction lawyer, either newly qualified or with some post-qualification experience gained in-house or in private practice.
- Knowledge or experience of NEC and/or JCT contracts would be beneficial.
- Commercially focused, pragmatic and confident working independently.
- Strong organisational, negotiation and communication skills.
- Able to translate complex legal concepts into clear, business-focused advice.
- A proactive team player with a flexible, solutions-oriented approach.
- Comfortable working with senior stakeholders across an infrastructure or construction environment.
- Resilient and able to manage a busy, varied workload.
- Committed to continuous improvement and open to new tools, systems and ways of working.
- Professional, personable and able to influence effectively across the business.
Why work for us
Day in, day out, our teams deliver some of the UK’s most ambitious, exciting and meaningful projects; developing, building and maintaining the vital infrastructure that supports national economies and strengthens communities.
Why join us?
As if contributing to and supporting work that makes life better for millions wasn’t rewarding enough, we offer a full range of benefits too. You’ll have the freedom to shape the package that’s right for you and your life. Here are some of our key benefits:
- Smart working, giving you more flexibility such as staggered start and finish times, with up to 40% remote working, where roles allow.
- 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata)
- Family friendly policies which include 28 weeks full pay for maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full pay for paternity/partners leave
- Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and much more…
About us
Balfour Beatty Group Enabling Functions are Legal, Finance, IT and Procurement, Communications, Health Safety and Environment, HR and Sustainability. Together, they support delivery of our Build to Last strategy whilst improving efficiencies and standardising our approach, systems and processes.
Diversity and inclusion
At Balfour Beatty we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential components of any successful, happy workplace. Through our Value Everyone Diversity and Inclusion Strategy and Action Plan, we are growing our diverse workforce and developing our inclusive culture where everyone is able to thrive and reach their full potential, regardless of their identity or background. To find out how we are making this a reality, visit www.balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion
To help and support us with our desired commitment to create an inclusive culture we are members of WISE, enei, Business Disability Forum and the Association for Black and Minority Ethnic Engineers (AFBE). In 2020, we signed the Audeliss and Involve Open Letter to demonstrate our commitment to taking key long term and sustainable actions on Black Inclusion. Balfour Beatty is also a Gold Award holder in the Ministry of Defence 'Employer Recognition Scheme' and actively encourage applications from Armed Forces personnel, veterans and reservists.
As a Disability Confident Employer, we are committed to working with people who have disabilities and long-term health conditions to remove barriers for them in obtaining employment. We are also committed to offering applicants with a disability an interview if they meet the minimum requirements for the role. For more info, visit: https://disabilityconfident.campaign.gov.uk/
We are looking to continually improve our resourcing process and ensure that it is fair and inclusive for all. If you have any feedback on the process, please share this with us at: [email protected]
Job Reference: BBUK20285
