Location:  Warwick, GB, CV34 6DA

Division:  Legal BP UK Transmission and GSO

Requisition Number:  20964

About us

We are recruiting a Qualified solicitor or barrister, with significant experience in planning, compulsory purchase, property and related law.

The need for an additional planning / property lawyer in the UK Legal team is to support National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), a regulated business, in both the delivery of existing major infrastructure projects and new infrastructure projects (which include above ground and underground linear infrastructure projects and off-shore cable projects). These are large projects in terms of scale and complexity involving 100’s of landowners.

You will work closely with colleagues in our Consents and Property teams, alongside other stakeholders to plan and deliver projects ranging from £millions to £billions. Such projects include the construction of new substations, overhead line and underground cable routes. There may also be the opportunity to support other National Grid businesses with their infrastructure projects.

Alongside strong legal skills, we are looking for an individual who is passionate about energy and the net-zero ambition and who has the drive to support and enable the business in its ambitions. You will also have commercial awareness of the industry within which NGET operates.

You will be a natural and instinctive communicator, able to listen effectively and advise at all levels within National Grid while using your experience and expertise to develop other members of the UK Legal team and colleagues in the wider business.

You must be able to take the lead on the legal aspects of delivering major infrastructure projects, with the ability to influence through a broad range of contacts.

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for delivery of strategic and business focussed legal advice to NGET on planning, property (and related environmental matters), and compulsory purchase matters on major infrastructure projects;
• Advising on the consenting and land rights strategy and delivery aspects of major infrastructure projects (involving potentially both on and off shore construction projects);
• Advising on all legal aspects of Development Consent Orders, Compulsory Purchase Orders and associated property agreements on major infrastructure projects;
• Responsible for the creation and application of sustainable and consistent legal strategies in respect of NGET’s planning applications and applications for the grant of compulsory purchase orders in order to achieve the desired business outcomes;
• Responsible for developing and applying consistent legal policy and process for NGET’s acquisition of interests in land, access to land, entry into deeds of consent and protective provisions;
• Advising on negotiations with the Crown Estate, landowners and other utilities associated with infrastructure projects;  
• Advising on Crossing Agreements and Asset Protection Agreements;
• Engaging with industry and governmental stakeholders, including the Planning Inspectorate, National Farmers Union and other governmental agencies, to influence the creation, implementation and amendment of relevant UK legislation and guidance and other industry frameworks;
• The role also envisages supporting the relevant business teams on a wide range of general planning and property matters;
• Support regular collaboration sessions with the external legal panel to further develop and enhance the approach to NGET’s development consent order applications from a property and planning perspective;
• Develop and implement plans to improve efficiency of legal and business process in respect of contentious property matters, requests for removal of title restrictions by third parties, and third-party statutory orders applied to NGET’s business’s assets or business, and thereafter maintain and update such processes;
• There may be the opportunity to broaden your skills and knowledge and support the business in other legal work carried out by the UK Legal team, for example construction and regulatory legal work;
• Drafting briefing notes to internal stakeholders (including the Board) where appropriate;
• Highlight priority areas requiring legal support.
• Agree with the relevant business stakeholder, action plans to address issues to ensure timely delivery of changes or corrective actions.
• Take responsibility for developing, drafting and implementing appropriate code modifications and regulatory developments.
• Take responsibility for steering, developing and delivering appropriate commercial strategies.
• Take responsibility to deliver on-going improvements in business performance.
• Deliver insightful and easy to understand presentations and training to other members of the legal team and business teams.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with experience in either planning or property law, acquired in private practice and/or within an in-house legal team (likely to have at least 6 years PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered if you can show the requisite experience).
• Able to demonstrate a knowledge of promoting a development consent order from either a planning or property perspective.
• Have experience of adivising on Development Consent Orders, Compulsory Purchase Orders and associated property aspects of major infrastructure projects.
• Excellent communicator, also able to listen effectively in a team or business environment.
• Have experience of working with the Crown Estate, landowners and other utility providers in the context of infrastructure projects.
• Capable of using experience and expertise to develop and train other members of the team.
• Capable of taking the lead on development of legal strategy and a credible voice in setting the overall strategy.
• Effective project manager with ability to lead and deliver high profile and strategic projects with ability to influence through broad range of internal and external contacts.
• Has sound commercial awareness of the environment in which NGET operates, being sensitive to changes in the market.
• Ability to manage and deliver against competing priorities.
• Experience and strong track record in project or relationship management.

What you'll get

A competitive salary – dependent on experience.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a company car or allowance, a bonus of up to 20% of your salary for stretch performance and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, a salary sacrifice technology scheme, support via the employee assistance line and matched charity giving to name a few.

More Information

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. 

The closing date for this vacancy is 02 July 2021 however we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid reserves the right to remove this advert or close it for further applications at any point during the recruitment process.

At National Grid, we work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office.

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