We are seeking a Planning Lawyer (Qualified Solicitor or Barrister) to join our General Counsel team. In this role, you will collaborate closely with other lawyers in the UK Legal team to support NGET’s infrastructure projects. We are looking for a candidate with substantial experience in the design and delivery of infrastructure projects through various consenting regimes, including Development Consent Orders (DCOs) and Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs). While strong legal skills are essential, we also require someone who excels in multi-disciplinary teams and is driven to support the business in achieving its goals. A solid understanding of the industry in which NGET operates is crucial.

You will work alongside engineers, surveyors, and consents specialists, as well as various external suppliers. As a natural communicator, you will effectively listen and provide advice at all levels within National Grid, using your experience to mentor and develop other members of the UK Legal team and colleagues across the organization. You must be prepared to take the lead on the legal aspects of major infrastructure projects and possess the ability to influence a wide range of stakeholders.

This role can be based out of our Warwick or Strand office, and we’d hope to see you at least two days per week but you’re welcome to be in the office more often if that would work best for you. We’re happy to discuss any additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you!

What You'll Do

• Delivering strategic and business focused legal advice and analysis to NGET on nationally significant infrastructure projects, including planning, environmental, compulsory acquisition and other property advice and supporting the implementation of any strategy to achieve the same.
• Providing strategic advice and guidance to all levels of the business on legislative reform, planning reform, and emerging national policy and procedures.
• Responsible for the development and application of consistent strategies to support consents, land, and project delivery for both onshore and offshore elements.
• Working and negotiating with stakeholders including the Crown Estate, other network operators and utilities, and the many landowners and occupiers associated with our infrastructure projects.
• Being part of a collaborative legal panel, including external legal advisers, sharing knowledge, experience, and opportunities for efficient delivery of the portfolio of projects.
• Assisting in the identification, management, prioritisation, and reporting of risks within individual projects, or the portfolio of projects.
• Using and developing your experience to support and assist in the development of others within the legal team, or in other business teams supporting project delivery.
• Managing external legal service providers to deliver advice that effectively implements agreed business strategy to a high standard, within budget and demonstrably driving value for money.

What You'll Have

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with significant experience in planning law, acquired in private practice and/or within an in-house legal team (likely to have at least 5 years PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered if you can show the requisite experience).
• Knowledge and experience of advising on, and promoting, a Development Consent Order and Compulsory Purchase Orders. If you have knowledge of one of these areas, we would still be very interested in hearing from you as training could be provided in the other area.
• Able to demonstrate experience in resolving issues with stakeholders, landowners and occupiers.
• Able to demonstrate excellent knowledge of planning law, compulsory acquisition, and principles of property law.
• Excellent communicator, able to provide leadership in discussions about legal or project strategy. Also able to listen effectively in a team or business environment. Experienced in providing business-focused advice.
• A strong track record in project management, and the relationships that support effective project delivery.
• Has sound commercial awareness of the environment in which NGET operates, with a reasonable understanding of prospective regulatory changes.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of colour are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At National Grid, we are committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person for our growing business in this role or another one.

What You'll Get

Competitive Salary dependent on experience

Plus:

• Up to 20% Annual Bonus (based on personal and company performance).
• 28 days annual leave, plus eight statutory days in addition.
• A full electric company car or cash alternative.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• The option to buy additional or sell holiday days every year.
• A generous contributory pension scheme - we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%.
• Financial support to help cover the cost of professional membership subscriptions.
• Life Insurance 10 x base salary.
• Access to benefits such as a share incentive plan, salary sacrifice car and technology schemes, support via employee assistance lines and matched charity giving to name a few.
• Family care benefits including a back-up care service for when your usual care arrangements fall through (six paid days each year as standard with the option to purchase further days).

Further Informaiton

This is a hybrid working role from our Warwick or Strand office with circa 2 days in the office. The closing date for this vacancy is Midnight 9 Jan 24, with interviews due to take place w/c 13 Jan 25 onwards. We encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid’s recruitment periods can and may vary. We reserve the right to remove this advert or close it to further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

About us

National Grid touches the lives of almost everyone in the UK, with an energy network that stretches across the Atlantic. We’re an international team, and our work underpins the lives of millions of people. Feet forwards, head up, and eyes bright, we’re working hard to create value for people today – and shape the future of energy tomorrow. In the UK, we don’t generate or sell energy – we join the dots to get energy from A to B. National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) owns and operates the high voltage electricity transmission system in England and Wales. Our role is key in enabling the transition to a low carbon energy system by designing and building the generation and demand connections and wider infrastructure needed to meet the UK’s ambitious net zero targets.

Our goal is to drive, develop and operate our business in a way that results in a more inclusive culture. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, the innovation from diverse teams & perspectives and business need. We are committed to building a workforce so we can represent the communities we serve and have a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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