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.
What you’ll be doing
Overview
- Responsibility at all stages of the lifecycle of our construction projects including reviewing and negotiating upstream and downstream construction contracts and associated PCGs, warranties and bonds etc., advising on contract administration queries including extensions of time and loss and expense claims and advising in relation to all forms of dispute management and resolution.
- Acts autonomously in analysing and solving problems within established working procedures.
Stakeholder Management
- Build and maintain relationships with managers and employees to ensure that the UK Legal team remains responsive to business needs and expectations.
- Under the supervision of the Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel, engage and manage agreed panel law firms to deal with specific legal issues as required.
General Legal Support
- Carry out contract reviews in accordance with UK policies and procedures and provide commercial and pragmatic advice in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Advise and assist the UK businesses in the negotiation and drafting of contract terms and conditions with its clients, partners, supply chain members and other stakeholders.
- Advise and assist the UK businesses in the formation, negotiation and drafting of professional services appointments and other key business documentation requiring legal support and input.
Dispute Management & Resolution
- Provide legal support in relation to all forms of dispute management and resolution.
- Conduct or assist with adjudications or other forms of ADR as directed by the Managing Counsel or Senior Counsel and, in consultation with them, engage and manage agreed panel law firms in relation to mediation, litigation or arbitration.
Bonds, Parent Company Guarantees and Warranties
- Review the wording of bonds, guarantees and warranties in accordance with UK and Balfour Beatty Group policies and provide advice in a timely and appropriate manner.
- Liaise with UK Commercial, Treasury and Group Legal teams to procure bonds and parent company guarantees.
Training
- Deliver discrete legal training for the legal team and SBUs.
- Stay up to date with new and changing legislation.
- Maintain own CPD.
Support for Organisational Agenda
- Ensures personal compliance with all Regulations and Company Policies.
- Supports delivery of the Ethics & Compliance agenda by the Ethics & Compliance team.
Who we’re looking for
Qualifications / Experience
- Qualified solicitor/barrister; ideally not less than two years PQE, consideration may be given to less experienced candidates displaying requisite skills and experience.
- Knowledge and experience of construction/infrastructure industry.
Personal qualities
- Organisation: 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 Legal team and within SBUs.
- Strong verbal and written communication, able to influence and persuade.
- Inputs into client meetings. Presents positions to SBUs in non‑legalistic ways, clearly and effectively distilling complex technical concepts into business terms.
- Negotiation: Effective negotiator, robust but flexible approach.
- Forward looking: Looks for ways to innovate and improve ways of working.
Why work for 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
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 can 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 information, 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 candidaterecruitmentqueries@balfourbeatty.com.
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