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- Tasks: Lead legal strategy for real estate development and asset management while mentoring a high-performing team.
- Company: A national institution blending heritage with modern innovation, managing iconic land and assets.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, strong bonus, hybrid working, and excellent career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a significant impact in a senior legal role within a dynamic and respected organisation.
- Qualifications: UK qualified Solicitor with at least 8 years of in-house legal experience in real estate.
- Other info: Join a collaborative culture that champions diversity, inclusion, and continuous learning.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
This new Group Legal Director role is the senior legal partner for the two business units, providing and overseeing commercially focused advice on Real Estate Development, Asset Management/Leasing, Governance and Corporate Real Estate matters, leading the team, managing external advisers, and supporting Board and Executive engagement.
Client Details
Our Client is a national institution that blends heritage with modern innovation, stewarding an exceptional portfolio of land and natural assets for the long term. Professionally managed with a commercial mindset, it unlocks value from iconic places - on land and at sea - while returning its success to the public.
Description
The responsibilities with this senior role include:
- Legal Service Delivery: Lead on key strategic and complex legal matters relating to real estate development, property/asset management and rural/coastal assets. Ensure legal services are delivered efficiently and aligned with business priorities. Maintain high standards of legal accuracy, discretion, and responsiveness, particularly when dealing with sensitive stakeholders and constitutional matters.
- Leadership and Team: Work collaboratively with senior leadership colleagues in the department to ensure a coordinated and consistent service is delivered to the business overall. Coach, mentor and line manage 2 senior associate legal counsels, fostering a high-performance culture and supporting career development. Actively contribute to and role model collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and continuous learning across the department and the wider business, championing and facilitating (directly and indirectly) the development of others, mentoring more junior colleagues and supporting succession planning. Champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing within the department and across the wider business.
- Legal Business Partnering: Act as the lead strategic legal advisor for the two business units, embedding legal expertise into strategic decision-making. Provide proactive, pragmatic and solution-oriented legal advice that effectively balances commercial opportunity with legal risk, taking into consideration other risk factors of relevance (e.g. reputational, financial, sustainability etc.). Build strong and trusted relationships with senior business leaders, acting as a critical friend and sounding board. Support the business in navigating constitutional matters and sensitive stakeholder relationships with discretion and integrity.
- External Legal Panel Management: Manage relationships with external panel firms supporting the business units. Ensure legal advice received externally is of the highest quality, commercially sound, and aligned with business needs. Drive cost certainty and reduction in external legal spend, ensuring value for money and effective use of resources. Monitor performance and delivery of panel firms, providing feedback and ensuring continuous improvement.
- Governance and Strategic Support: Work closely with the Group Head of Legal to ensure effective support at Board and Executive level. Contribute to the development and implementation of legal strategy, policies, and frameworks. Support the organisation's constitutional obligations and governance processes.
- Operational Excellence: Work collaboratively with Legal, Ethics & Compliance colleagues to help champion and drive improvements in legal operations, including digital transformation, process optimisation and risk management. Monitor legal trends and regulatory developments, ensuring the business remains compliant and informed. Provide an external perspective that brings best practices, experience and insight from other organisations.
Profile
The successful candidate will be a UK qualified Solicitor with substantial PQE (at least 8 years, there is no upper limit) and significant in-house legal experience in a senior advisory role, ideally within the real estate sector, in a complex, multi-unit organisation. They will have:
- In-depth understanding of UK real estate law, including development, joint ventures, leasing, and asset management.
- Sound understanding of corporate governance.
- Demonstrated ability to operate with discretion and professionalism in sensitive environments.
- Proven track record of delivering pragmatic strategic legal advice to senior stakeholders.
- Experience managing legal teams and developing talent.
Desirable:
- Familiarity with the housebuilding sector and/or rural assets may be beneficial.
- Awareness and appreciation of ethical and compliance standards relevant to a public-facing organisation (and an awareness of or a desire to upskill in public sector legal obligations and constitutional matters).
This is a Hybrid role, based in London and the surrounding areas – the successful candidate may be required to travel nationally on occasion but normal working practices are to be in the office 50% of the time.
Job Offer
This is a well-remunerated role offering a strong bonus and other excellent benefits.
Group Legal Director - Property Development, Asset Management employer: Michael Page Legal
Contact Detail:
Michael Page Legal Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Group Legal Director - Property Development, Asset Management
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the real estate and legal sectors. Attend industry events or webinars, and don’t be shy about introducing yourself. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s recent projects and challenges. Tailor your responses to show how your experience aligns with their needs, especially in governance and asset management. We want to see you shine!
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to explain how you can add value as a Group Legal Director. Highlight your leadership skills and experience in managing legal teams. Confidence is key, so let us see that you mean business!
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take the initiative to engage directly with us.
We think you need these skills to ace Group Legal Director - Property Development, Asset Management
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Group Legal Director role. Highlight your experience in real estate law and leadership skills, showing how you can bring value to our team at StudySmarter.
Showcase Your Achievements: Don’t just list your responsibilities; share specific examples of your successes in previous roles. Whether it’s managing a legal team or navigating complex legal matters, we want to see how you've made an impact.
Be Clear and Concise: When writing your application, keep it straightforward and to the point. Use clear language and avoid jargon where possible. We appreciate a well-structured application that’s easy to read!
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to submit your application directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity with StudySmarter.
How to prepare for a job interview at Michael Page Legal
✨Know Your Legal Stuff
Make sure you brush up on UK real estate law, especially around development and asset management. Be ready to discuss how your experience aligns with the complexities of the role and how you can provide strategic legal advice.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
This role involves managing a team, so be prepared to share examples of how you've successfully led and developed legal teams in the past. Highlight your coaching and mentoring experiences to demonstrate your ability to foster a high-performance culture.
✨Build Relationships
Emphasise your ability to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders. Prepare examples of how you've acted as a trusted advisor and navigated sensitive situations with discretion and integrity.
✨Understand the Business
Familiarise yourself with the organisation's mission and values, especially their focus on blending heritage with modern innovation. Be ready to discuss how you can align legal strategies with their business priorities and contribute to their long-term success.