Associate / Senior Associate / Legal Director in Chelmsford

Main information

• Term Type: Permanent
• Fulltime: True
• External Department: Planning and Environmental
• Location Text: Ipswich, Norwich, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Bristol

About us

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face. Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 42% of our partnership.

The team you will join

Our Planning and Environmental Team sits within our wider Real Estate department. We are recognised in both Chambers and Legal 500 as being Top Tier and were ranked 3rd in the 2025 annual Planning Law Survey by Planning Resource. Our team deals with a wide range of planning and environmental work, including complex, high value and high-profile matters. Led by three Partners and supported by a diverse group of lawyers the work of the team includes planning, compulsory purchase, Development Consent Orders, highways, rights of way, waste management, environmental permitting, contaminated land, statutory nuisance and habitats and nature conservation. We provide support to other teams with advice and due diligence work as well as carrying out free standing environmental work for a range of clients.

The work you will be doing

The successful candidate will play a critical role in providing expert legal advice and services to high-net-worth clients. You will be responsible for:

• Ensuring client needs are met with the highest standard of professionalism and efficiency
• Maintaining and growing client relationships and contributing to the strategic direction and success of the firm.
• Participating in networking events, conferences and other business development activities to promote the firm’s services.
• (As Legal Director) Leading and mentoring a team of junior lawyers, fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment.

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an Associate/ Senior Associate / Legal Director who has gained experience within a regional, national or City firm with a well-developed knowledge in a range of Planning, Environmental and Compulsory Purchase.

• Experience building credibility and trust through effective relationships
• Strong attention to detail to produce work documentation which is consistently of a high standard
• Well-developed knowledge in Planning, Environmental, and Compulsory Purchase law
• To be competent in using Microsoft Word, Excel, time recording software, case management, Outlook and digital dictation
• (As Senior Associate / Legal Director) Ability to mentor junior team members and contribute to team development

Birketts has designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. Any information provided in relation to PQE should be used for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Applicants will be considered on their individual merits. As an Associate, we typically expect candidates to have between 3-6 years PQE. As a Senior Associate, we typically expect candidates to have between 6-8 years PQE.

Benefits

As a Birkett colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

• 25 or 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
• Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
• Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
• Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
• Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
• Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
• Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
• Paid CSR Day
• Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric car scheme
• Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website:

Inclusivity and Culture

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.