Planning & Property Lawyer

We are recruiting a qualified solicitor or barrister, with significant experience in planning and property law. The UK is on a journey to reach net zero by 2050. The energy sector plays a vital part in helping the country to make this transformational change but to deliver on this ambition we need people with talent, the drive, and the passion to help us tackle climate change. Consenting and delivery of new infrastructure sits at the heart of realising this ambition. We are therefore seeing unprecedented growth in the need for property and planning legal support.

The need for a property and planning lawyer in the UK Legal team is to provide property and planning legal advice to National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET), in both the delivery of existing infrastructure projects and new infrastructure projects both on and offshore. These are large projects in terms of scale and complexity.

The role will be based out of our Warwick or Strand, London office; we operate a hybrid working policy, and a typical working pattern would be three days per week in Warwick, London or another office/site, with the rest of the week flexible. We’re happy to discuss additional flexibility in working patterns or requirements that you feel could help to make this job work for you.

You will work closely with colleagues in the UK Legal team, alongside other stakeholders to plan and deliver NGET construction projects ranging from £millions to £billions. Such projects include new substations, overhead line and underground cable routes and offshore projects. You will be part of the UK Legal team. You will be working with other property and planning lawyers and will also work closely with other lawyers in the team to deliver NGET’s infrastructure projects.

Alongside strong legal skills, we are looking for an individual who is passionate about energy and the net-zero ambition and who has the drive to support and enable the business in its ambitions. You will also have commercial awareness of the industry within which NGET operates. You will be a natural and instinctive communicator, able to listen effectively and advise at all levels within National Grid while using your experience and expertise to develop other members of the UK Legal team and colleagues in the wider business. You must be able to take the lead on the property and planning aspects of major infrastructure projects, with the ability to influence through a broad range of contacts.

What you’ll do

• You will deliver clear, commercially focused legal advice, and lead the development and execution of legal consenting and property strategy for major projects, supporting NGET’s commercial objectives.
• You will work closely with consents, lands, external affairs and engineering teams, represent UK Legal at key internal forums, manage external counsel, and support compensation claims.
• In addition, you will help identify and mitigate legal and commercial risk, contribute to continuous improvement initiatives, develop precedents and training, and share expertise across the UK Legal team, with opportunities to broaden your experience across wider commercial and corporate legal matters.

Key accountabilities of the role will include:

• Delivering strategic and business focused legal advice and analysis to NGET on nationally significant infrastructure projects, including planning, environmental, compulsory acquisition and other property advice and supporting the implementation of the project.
• Delivering advice on town and country planning applications, marine licences, s37 consents and compulsory purchase orders.
• Delivering strategic and business focused legal advice on land access for surveys, securing temporary land rights and land assembly for permanent footprint of NGET assets.
• Advising NGET projects on biodiversity net gain and community benefits.
• Protecting NGET’s existing and proposed assets from third party developments.
• Providing strategic advice and guidance to all levels of the business on legislative reform and emerging national policy and guidance.
• Managing external legal service providers to deliver advice that effectively implements agreed business strategy to a high standard, within budget and driving value for money.

About you

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with significant experience in planning and property law, acquired in private practice and/or within an in‑house legal team (likely to have at least 5 years PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered if you can show the requisite experience).
• Previous experience in promotion of Development Consent Orders and Compulsory Purchase Orders, and working on large‑scale and complex energy infrastructure projects.
• Able to demonstrate experience in resolving issues with stakeholders, landowners and occupiers.
• Strong track record supporting projects in delivery.
• Excellent communicator, also able to listen effectively in a team or business environment and build strong relationships.
• Capable of taking the lead on the development of legal consenting strategy and a credible voice in setting the overall strategy.
• Effective project manager with ability to lead and deliver high‑profile and strategic projects with ability to influence through broad range of internal and external contacts.
• Ability to manage and deliver against competing priorities.

Benefits

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus of up to 40% (based on company and personal performance), a full electric company car or cash alternative and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. You will also have access to a number of flexible benefits such as a share incentive plan, a salary sacrifice technology scheme, support via the employee assistance line and matched charity giving to name a few. We will also support with your development during your career with National Grid.

EEO statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace for all. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates - we make appointments purely on merit, assessed against objective selection criteria. We support flexible working and will make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process should you have any physical or mental impairment which may affect your ability to participate in the process.

Please note that in most cases, National Grid is unable to offer sponsorship for employment under the UK points‑based immigration system. As such, applicants must have the legal right to work in the UK without requiring sponsorship now or in the future under the UK points‑based immigration system. However, in exceptional circumstances where there is a clear and demonstrable need for specialist skills that cannot be sourced from the local labour market, National Grid may consider offering sponsorship. All applications are welcome from candidates who meet these requirements, regardless of race, nationality, or ethnic origin.