Legal Counsel (Commercial) – HS2 (High Speed Two) Ltd
Base salary: £54,878 to £64,562 pa, plus a 20% flexible benefits fund (fully pensionable). See the Benefits section on our website.
HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. We provide adjustments, flexible working, staff network support, and professional development opportunities.
Responsibilities
* Provide high‑quality, independent commercial and contracts law advice, including drafting documents, across HS2 and its business Directorates.
* Serve as the main lawyer and point contact for GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 matters, supporting HS2’s Data Protection Officer.
* Run weekly legal surgeries for contract management and Corporate Procurement to maximise efficiencies and minimise external legal costs.
* Act as legal contact for all Phase 2a procurements, leading early‑works procurement.
* Prepare and deliver training to internal staff on procurement law, PCR and UCR, and other legal matters as they arise.
* Draft template precedents for the legal team and develop self‑help tools/templates for internal staff.
* Provide legal research, keep abreast of the law, and supply updates that affect HS2’s business.
* Advise on the resolution of contractual claims and disputes (excluding litigation or arbitration), using external lawyers where appropriate.
* Manage external legal support, monitoring costs, budgeting, timescales, and quality.
* Contribute to reports and briefings for senior management, liaising with senior lawyers and policy advisers.
* Advise senior leadership on legal matters.
* Supervise trainees/junior lawyers and prioritise workload to meet business needs.
* Actively promote and embed Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in all work, supporting organisational initiatives.
Skills
* Produce and present communications for varied audiences.
* Strong interpersonal and influencing skills.
* Excellent legal drafting skills.
* Problem‑solving in novel situations.
* Prioritise multiple tasks in a high‑activity environment.
* Deliver high‑quality outputs under pressure with keen attention to detail.
* Planning and organisational abilities.
* Work effectively within a multidisciplinary team on commercial legal issues.
Knowledge
* Qualified solicitor or barrister with contracting or construction experience in both client and contractor environments.
* Demonstrable specialism in contract law and/or procurement law, preferably with large projects.
* Commercial and construction contract knowledge.
Experience
* Managing the provision of external legal advice.
* Public sector procurement processes.
* Problem‑solving.
* Commercial legal experience in UK‑based construction or infrastructure projects, or experience with government departments, utilities or transport projects.
The post‑holder is expected to behave consistently with HS2 values: Safety, Leadership, Integrity and Respect.
As HS2 Ltd does not hold a sponsorship license from the Home Office, we cannot provide sponsorship to any applicant. Applicants must have the Right to Work in the UK at the time of application and will undergo a Right to Work validation prior to interview.
Any offers will be subject to satisfactory completion of pre‑employment checks, including nationality & immigration status, employment references, DBS, financial and education checks.
We anonymise CVs during the first assessment to remove bias. Ensure to attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application.
Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
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