Legal Advisor in Manchester

Overview

Why Arup? Arup's purpose, shared values and collaborative approach has set us apart for over 75 years, guiding how we shape a better world. Unleash your creativity and take your skills to new heights while working on inspiring projects. At Arup, we believe in empowering our people to produce work that sets the bar for quality. Our passionate team shares our values, and that's why they love coming to work every day.

The Opportunity

Location: Manchester (Leeds, Liverpool, Birmingham and Bristol also considered)

We are seeking an experienced Legal Advisor to provide high‑quality, commercially focused legal support across a key part of our business. Acting as a trusted partner to commercial and project leaders, you will be the primary point of contact for legal matters, advising on contracts, strategic issues, and risk management. You will work closely with colleagues across the UK, India, Middle East, Africa and Europe as part of Arup’s global legal network.

Reporting to the Regional General Counsel, you will run day‑to‑day legal work independently, provide supervision to junior colleagues, and maintain strong professional networks across the business regionally and globally.

The Legal Advisor will utilise their commercial legal expertise in the following areas of work:

• Advise on, draft and review a wide range of contractual agreements.
• Develop expertise in relevant legal subject areas.
• Create and deliver legal guidance, tools and training to the business.
• Support opportunity enablement and effective risk management.
• Ensure high‑quality technical delivery of legal services.
• Shape appropriate contractual legal frameworks for Arup services.
• Supervise junior team members, trainees and apprentices.
• Integrate legal and commercial best practice across the business.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders to deliver practical legal solutions.
• Build strong internal and external business relationships.

Is this role right for you?

We seek dynamic legal professionals with the following skills and attributes:

• Qualified lawyer with demonstrable post‑qualified experience in highly commercial work environments.
• Excellent business partnering adeptness (expected to be a brand ambassador for the legal function at Arup).
• Strong organisational skills with attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to prioritise and meet deadlines in a fast‑paced environment.
• Experience of working within a professional services or industry‑relevant setting to Arup is highly desirable.

What We Offer You

At Arup, we care about each member’s success, so we can grow together. Guided by our values, we provide an attractive total reward package that recognises the contribution of each of our members to our shared success. As well as competitive, fair and equitable pay, we offer a career in which all of our members can belong, grow and thrive – through benefits that support health and wellbeing, a wide range of learning opportunities and many possibilities to have an impact through the work they do.

We are owned in trust on behalf of our members, giving us the freedom, with personal responsibility, to set our own direction and choose work that aligns with our purpose and adds to Arup’s legacy. Our members collaborate on ambitious projects to deliver remarkable outcomes for our clients and communities. Profit Share is a key part of our reward, enabling members to share in the results of our collective efforts.

We also provide Private medical insurance, Life assurance, Accident insurance and Income protection cover. In addition, you’ll have access to flexible benefits to help you look after all aspects of your wellbeing and give you the freedom and flexibility to find the best solutions for you, your family, and your individual needs.

Different People, Shared Values

Arup is an equal opportunity employer that actively promotes and nurtures a diverse and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds, regardless of age (within legal limits), gender identity or expression, marital status, disability, neurotype or mental health, race or ethnicity, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, and whether you’re pregnant or on family leave. We are an open environment that embraces diverse experiences, perspectives, and ideas – this drives our excellence.

Guided by our values and alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, we create and contribute to equitable spaces and systems, while cultivating a sense of belonging for all. Our internal employee networks support our inclusive culture: from race, ethnicity and cross‑cultural working to gender equity and LGBTQ+ and disability inclusion – we aim to create a space for you to express yourself and make a positive difference.

We are committed to making our recruitment process and workplaces accessible to all candidates. Please contact simon.duckworth@arup.com to let us know if you need any assistance or reasonable adjustments throughout your application or interview process, and/or to perform the essential functions of the role. We will do everything we can to support you.

Our Application Process

To understand what to expect next, please visit https://www.arup.com/careers/recruitment-process/Stay safe online – Arup will never ask for your bank details as part of our recruitment process.