Legal & Technical Adviser in Kenilworth

Location: Stoneleigh, Warwickshire with agile working

Working Hours: 35 hours per week

Contract Type: Permanent

The opportunity

Are you an experienced Land Law Adviser striving to achieve a better work/home-life balance? Do you have a ‘can do’ attitude and enjoy working in a friendly and supportive team environment? This exciting opportunity could be the role for you.

We are looking for an experienced Land Law Adviser to join our team answering member queries on a wide variety of topics such as land ownership including boundaries, adverse possession, easements and covenants; tenancies including agricultural tenancies, 1954 Act, telecoms and housing; utilities including wayleaves and easements and land disputes including nuisance, trespass and occupiers’ liability.

In this diverse and interesting role, you’ll be part of a supportive team giving our members high quality advice on a range of legal and technical issues sympathetically, professionally and predominantly over the phone.

What you'll be doing

This is a varied and interesting role where you will be involved with issues that will make a lasting difference for farmers and the nation. There are no chargeable hours or billing targets, our focus is on providing high quality advice/service to our members. This means offering calm and knowledgeable advice over the phone and making often complex legal, technical and policy‑related advice easy to understand for our members. A desire to learn about agricultural aspects of Land law is important and in‑house training will be provided on these niche areas to bring you up to speed. This role would be perfect for either a Property Practitioner or a Property Litigator.

The advice our team provides is predominantly over the phone, but you’ll also provide confirmation of advice in writing where necessary. At the same time, you’ll help to draft and maintain legal guides, template agreements and documents, factsheets, advisory articles and web pages. You’ll also present on a range of issues at stakeholder meetings. As a valued team member, you’ll work closely with colleagues both in your own team and other NFU departments, offering expert advice.

You will be advising on Land law as your fundamental topic but the varied areas of law we advise our members on also includes Employment, Environment, Agriculture, Planning, Transport and general legal matters, including contract disputes. Some of these areas also offer a drafting service as well as a Consultancy offering. Everyone in our team advises on a variety of these topics.

About you

You’ll have a Law degree, related degree or other relevant legal qualification together with recent experience and responsibility for providing expert legal advice to a variety of people, either on the phone or face‑to‑face, combined with a strong customer service ethic. Having a recent proven track record of a working knowledge in Land law and a willingness to learn other legal areas mentioned is essential.

So, you’ll be used to handling a diverse range of enquiries and organising your work effectively, while offering immediate, objective and effective advice when required. As an articulate and patient communicator with excellent writing skills, you’ll also have the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly to a range of audiences. Naturally, you’ll have strong research skills, with the enthusiasm and flexibility to learn niche areas of law. With a positive, supportive attitude, you’ll always be ready to help and guide your colleagues.

Why choose us?

Join us and you’ll find an organisation that encourages and enables you to achieve your full potential. In return you will be rewarded with a full range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday allowance (starting at 25 days a year + Bank Holidays, rising to 30 days pro rata with length of service), plus 1 annual Christmas company day
• Option to buy and sell up to 5 days annual leave
• Company funded health Cashplan
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and shared parental leave
• Performance‑related pay
• Competitive Pension and Life assurance
• Access to interest‑free loans for cars, bikes, season tickets and driving lessons
• Employee Assistance program to help you deal with life’s challenges
• Discounts on new vehicles, holiday rentals, wellbeing and lifestyle and many more
• Attractive, modern office, with on‑site restaurant and free parking

Who we are

Every day, we’re the voice of around 43,000 British farmers and growers who produce food, making sure their concerns are heard at the heart of government both online and locally. This means developing strong relationships with everyone from NFU colleagues to government ministers. So, as well as having a high profile in both the media and Westminster, we work with and support local members through a network of regional and county offices across England and Wales.

Business Services

Our legal and technical advice team is part of Business Services – our biggest department. We’re a busy team at the sharp end of the NFU’s services, from generating income for the organisation to answering member queries. In short, Business Services aims to deliver the best experience possible to our members, our partners and other people from outside the organisation.

We’re committed to recruiting a diverse and highly talented workforce. We’ll support you by providing you with extensive learning and development opportunities and build a career that balances your professional ambitions with your personal commitments.