In house Property Lawyer in City of Westminster

We are looking for a high‑calibre Property Lawyer (Legal Counsel) to join our small, high‑impact in‑house legal team. This is a brand new role dedicated to safeguarding our Trustees, our brand, and our ability to protect animals across England and Wales.

Employment Terms

• 12‑month contract with potential to extend.
• Working hours: 35 hours‑per week, Monday to Friday (open to discussion of a reduced working pattern, within a minimum requirement of 21 hours per week).
• Hybrid role: you will work from home and will travel for occasional meetings in our London or Horsham offices.

We think this role is going to be popular and are expecting to attract high interest. We strongly encourage early applications to avoid missing out – closing date is the 3rd of May.

Responsibilities

• Act as the lead specialist for property law, providing pragmatic advice to the Society on commercial and residential property transactions, planning matters and land development, overage provisions, tenancy arrangements, custodian trusteeships and compliance with charity law in a property context.
• Draft, advise and negotiate on a wide range of property matters.
• Lead work to create a suite of precedent documents.
• Provide contract advice for service contracts and construction contract drafting to the Estates team through a wide range of activities and projects.
• Proactively identify and mitigate financial, compliance and reputational risks.
• Partner with the Chief Legal Counsel (CLC) to shape the legal team’s service strategy and manage organisational risk.

This role requires a lawyer who thrives on autonomy. You will act as a business partner and, as the SME, give sound advice that may have an immediate impact on the RSPCA’s reputation. You must possess the judgement and experience to know when to act independently and when to elevate matters to the CLC.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with considerable post‑qualification experience.
• Ability to work autonomously – comfortable as a sole specialist, managing competing priorities and tight deadlines with minimal supervision.
• In‑depth knowledge of property law with some working knowledge of charity law as needed.
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Ability to translate complex technical legal matters into credible, high‑impact advice for a wide range of stakeholders.
• Ability to self‑motivate and to work in a highly organised manner.
• Capability to manage a heavy, diverse workload.
• Experience in the non‑profit sector is highly desirable.

Do you want to create a better world for animals? At the RSPCA, we believe all animals deserve kindness and respect. We work for the benefit of every animal – including pets, farmed animals, wildlife, and animals used in science. Choose a career with us and make a difference for every kind.