Associate / Managing Associate (Affordable Housing Development) in Leeds

Associate / Managing Associate (Affordable Housing Development)

Join to apply for the Associate / Managing Associate (Affordable Housing Development) role at Ward Hadaway.

If you\’re an experienced development solicitor looking for a new challenge and a genuinely supportive, down‑to‑earth team, this could be the opportunity for you.

We’re looking for a solicitor with 6+ years’ PQE and strong property development experience to join our highly regarded affordable housing team based out of either our Leeds or Newcastle office, with hybrid working arrangements. Experience with affordable housing providers is welcome but not essential — what matters most is solid development expertise and a proactive, collaborative approach. You’ll work closely with approachable Partners including Jen Robinson and Kelly Pearson and a team of lawyers at all levels, delivering high‑quality work for excellent clients, including some of the largest registered providers in the country.

What you’ll do:

• Lead on acquisitions, site assembly, development and disposals, due diligence and client reporting.
• Draft and negotiate Conditional Contracts, Development Agreements, Transfers and Leases, working closely with colleagues across disciplines.
• Prepare Reports on Title and Certificates of Title.
• Manage estate set‑ups for shared ownership and market sale schemes.

What you’ll bring:

• Strong analytical ability with real commercial awareness.
• Confidence working to challenging timelines while maintaining accuracy and client focus.
• Excellent communication skills and sound judgement.
• A collaborative mindset and willingness to work closely within a multi‑disciplinary team.

Key Information

• Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level
• Employment type: Full‑time
• Job function: Legal
• Industry: Law Practice

What we can offer you

We’re committed to being a firm focused on support, development, wellbeing and inclusion and we’re always striving to improve. Our commitment to this has been recognised by our achievement of our Gold Investors in People award and by our Hive HR Employee Voice certification.

We reward our people with a whole range of benefits, some core and some flexible, designed to shape a reward package that’s right for you – now and in the future. Our core benefits include:

• An enhanced pension scheme with employer matched contributions of up to 6%.
• 25 days annual leave + bank holidays (increasing to 28 days with length of service). There is also the option to purchase up to 5 additional days.
• Life assurance cover of 4 times basic salary, with the option to purchase additional cover.
• A range of health and wellbeing benefits.
• We also have a flexible benefits programme where you can purchase a wide range of additional benefits.

If you would like to request further information or to discuss the role, please contact people@wardhadaway.com quoting vacancy reference AHL.1225.

Location: Leeds, England, United Kingdom