Commercial Lawyer

As a Lawyer within the Commercial Legal Team at National Highways you will advise on all aspects of commercial contract and procurement law to enable National Highways’ spending on the strategic road network, to build new road capacity, improve the quality of the existing network, encourage innovation and efficiency and enhance safety, the environment and sustainability. This is a diverse role and provides an excellent opportunity to apply your expert legal knowledge and skills to NEC based contracts, infrastructure projects, IT and technology contracts, services contracts, public procurement, dispute resolution, intellectual property, asset protection, research and grant funding, collaborative working and a broad range of commercial legal queries.

This is a hybrid position (40% office based) and can be based from either our Guildford, Bristol or Birmingham offices and will include some travel to other offices to attend meetings.

Why choose the National Highways Legal Team? At National Highways, our legal work serves a clear public purpose: connecting the country and supporting the economy, communities and public safety. We work across government to deliver some of the UK’s largest infrastructure projects. As a supportive, inclusive in-house team, we offer freedom from chargeable and billing targets, a genuinely positive work-life balance, and the chance to progress your career through diverse, challenging and high-profile legal work.

In the role, you will:

• Provide specialist legal advice, advising on all aspects of commercial contract and public procurement law, including in relation to the procurement of high value, complex NEC engineering and construction contracts and IT and technology contracts.
• Provide legal advice on all aspects of the procurement cycle, including procurement documents, stakeholder engagement, supplier selection, evaluation, negotiation, contract award and execution.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external customers and stakeholders.
• Manage the provision of external legal support as required, holding external lawyers to account.

About you:

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister authorised to practice in the UK.
• Demonstrable experience of advising on commercial contract and public procurement law.
• Experience of influencing and working effectively with stakeholders and colleagues at a range of levels including those at a senior level, providing check and challenge where appropriate.
• Experience of building and sustaining relationships, communicating clearly and explaining complex issues in a way that is easy to understand.
• Experience of working proactively and independently to identify “client” needs and of finding solutions to complex legal and business issues within the required timescales.
• Ability to contribute to and support others within the Commercial Legal Team and the wider Legal Directorate.

About us:

Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership. Legal Services encompasses the National Highways Legal Team, Information Rights Team, Investigations Team and the Company Secretariat. The Legal Team offer strategic legal advice on commercial, construction, planning, operational, highways, employment, regulatory, and property matters, ensuring legal compliance and minimising exposure to risk.

We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds.