About The Role
Balfour Beatty has an exciting opportunity for a Legal Counsel to join our growing team in Scotland.
You will work as part of the UK business-facing legal team, delivering a proactive legal service to support Balfour Beatty by providing professional guidance, pragmatic advice and practical support on legal and compliance issues.
Responsibilities
- Responsibility at all stages of the lifecycle of construction projects, including reviewing and negotiating contracts, PCGs, warranties, bonds, and advising on contract administration queries, extensions of time, loss and expense claims, dispute management and resolution.
- Act autonomously in analysing and solving problems within established working procedures.
- Build and maintain relationships with managers and employees to ensure that the UK Legal team remains responsive to business needs and expectations.
- Engage and manage agreed panel law firms under the supervision of the Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel to deal with specific legal issues.
- Carry out contract reviews in accordance with UK policies and procedures and provide commercial and pragmatic advice in a timely manner.
- Advise and assist the UK businesses in negotiating and drafting contract terms and conditions with clients, partners, supply chain members and other stakeholders.
- Advise and assist in drafting professional services appointments and other key business documentation requiring legal support.
- Provide legal support in all forms of dispute management and resolution.
- Conduct or assist with adjudications or other ADR as directed by the Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel, engaging panel law firms in mediation, litigation or arbitration.
- Review the wording of bonds, guarantees and warranties in accordance with UK and group policies and advise in a timely manner.
- Liaise with UK Commercial, Treasury and Group Legal teams to procure bonds and parent company guarantees.
- Deliver discrete legal training for the legal team and SBUs, and stay up to date with new and changing legislation.
- Maintain personal CPD and ensure compliance with all regulations and company policies.
Qualifications / Experience
- Qualified solicitor or barrister, ideally with at least two years PQE, although less experienced candidates with requisite skills may be considered.
- Knowledge and experience of the construction / infrastructure industry.
Personal Qualities
- Good organisational skills; self‑starter, prioritises own work and delivers independently to deadline.
- Commercial acumen: understands business drivers.
- Problem solving: solutions‑orientated, pragmatic.
- Teamwork: builds productive relationships within the Legal team and SBUs.
- Strong verbal and written communication, able to influence and persuade; presents positions to SBUs in non‑legalistic ways, distilling complex concepts into business terms.
- Effective negotiation skills, robust but flexible approach.
- Forward‑looking: looks for ways to innovate and improve ways of working.
Benefits
- Smart working with up to 40% remote working where roles allow.
- 25 days paid annual leave (pro rata).
- Family friendly policies: 28 weeks full‑pay maternity/adoption leave and four weeks full‑pay paternity/partners leave.
- Pension, share incentive plan, volunteering leave, recognition schemes and more.
Diversity and Inclusion
At Balfour Beatty we believe diversity and inclusion are essential to a successful workplace. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture, encouraging applications from women, ethnic minorities, disabled persons and veterans. For more information: https://balfourbeatty.com/diversityandinclusion.
Equality Statement
We are a Disability Confident Employer committed to removing barriers for people with disabilities and long‑term health conditions.
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