Senior Lawyer (In House Counsel), Legal

About the Role

A Senior Commercial and Procurement Solicitor role for someone with a passion for the energy sector and a commitment to contributing to the energy transition.

You will be a strong communicator and trusted business partner, able to listen effectively, collaborate with UK Legal colleagues and business, procurement, commercial, project delivery, regulatory and operational teams, and provide clear, pragmatic, risk-based advice to stakeholders at all levels.

The role provides strategic legal advice across complex contracting, projects, regulated procurement, supply chain, capital delivery and infrastructure matters, helping the business translate strategy and investment decisions into safe, timely and value-focused outcomes. A core deliverable of the role is driving legal innovation and identifying digital and structural solutions to enable the team to deliver more efficient, scalable and commercially aligned legal services to internal stakeholders.

Working closely with the CCD Associate General Counsel, and senior stakeholders, the role leads the development and delivery of legal strategies for National Grid’s commercial and capital delivery portfolios, championing innovative, digital and efficient approaches to legal service delivery.

What You'll Do

• Provide excellent, pragmatic legal advice, developing legal strategies for a broad range of commercial arrangements, including procurement, supply chain, technology, innovation and general commercial matters.
• Work alongside the CCD Associate General Counsel to deliver the CCD Legal team objectives and support the wider UK General Counsel function.
• Provide strategic advice to National Grid teams to navigate procurement legislation, regulated procurement requirements and competition law to achieve business outcomes.
• Advise on procurement strategy, tender processes, framework arrangements, direct awards, exemptions, contract modifications and procurement governance in accordance with applicable procurement legislation and National Grid policies.
• Devise and implement the strategy for advice and support to the Procurement team, ensuring optimal ways of working and alignment between the Procurement and CCD Legal teams.
• Support major commercial, capital delivery and infrastructure programmes, including advising on contracting strategy, delivery risk and supplier performance and termination.
• Lead on commercial and procurement legal aspects of projects and matters, influencing, effectively communicating with and advising senior stakeholders across National Grid.
• Draft, negotiate and advise on a wide range of commercial contracts and procurement documents, including complex supply chain, services, technology, innovation, construction and infrastructure arrangements.
• Provide advice on innovation contracts, including SIF and NIA contracts, mitigating legal, commercial, procurement and delivery risks. § Support legal governance and assurance by identifying material legal, procurement and commercial risks, escalating issues appropriately and promoting consistent, proportionate decision-making. § Collaborate with the procurement, commercial, project delivery, finance, regulation, compliance and operational teams to deliver business outcomes while protecting National Grid’s legal and commercial position. 
• Represent UK Legal at internal meetings where legal support is required. 
• Identify and implement continuous improvements in business performance, including proactively identifying, managing and mitigating procurement, commercial and contractual legal risks and developing playbooks, standard-form documents, decision frameworks and process guides to encourage internal stakeholders to self-serve on routine matters. 
• Manage external counsel to deliver timely and accurate advice within budget.
• Support the GC function in driving digital transformation, including developing and implementing digital and technology plans, legal technology tools, automation and AI-enabled solutions that enhance legal service delivery and support business partnering across National Grid’s internal teams. 
• Act as an innovation lead within the CCD Legal team, identifying opportunities to deploy digital tools, data-driven insights and new ways of working that improve the quality, speed and consistency of legal support provided to procurement, commercial, project delivery and operational stakeholders.

What You'll Have

• Strong understanding of commercial and procurement law and practice within the energy, utilities, infrastructure or other regulated sectors.
• Strong knowledge of regulated procurement processes, frameworks, contract modifications, direct awards, exemptions and procurement risk.
• Strong commercial contract drafting, negotiation and advisory experience, ideally including complex supply chain, services, technology, innovation, construction or infrastructure arrangements, with an interest in deploying legal technology and digital solutions to improve legal service delivery.
• Ability to manage legal risk, balance legal and commercial considerations and provide strategic, practical and risk-based legal advice.
• Able to work at a strategic level with colleagues while managing day-to-day activity and competing priorities.
• Able to make decisions without a complete picture, provide clarity for others and operate confidently in areas of ambiguity.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders and acting as a trusted business partner in complex commercial, procurement, project delivery or regulated matters.
• Experience advising on contract management issues, including supplier performance, disputes, variations, exit planning and termination.
• Experience working with external counsel and managing external legal support within budget while maintaining quality and value for money.
• Qualified solicitor with strong experience in procurement and commercial law, acquired in private practice and/or within an in-house legal team, ideally including experience in the energy, utilities, infrastructure, instruction or another regulated sector.
• Likely to have at least 7 years’ PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered where the candidate can demonstrate the requisite technical experience, judgement, stakeholder-management skills and ability to operate at a senior level.

More Information