Senior Legal Counsel

About the role

National Grid touches the lives of almost everyone in the UK, with an energy network that stretches across the Atlantic. We’re an international team, and our work underpins the lives of millions of people. Feet forwards, head up, and eyes bright, we’re working hard to create value for people today – and shape the future of energy tomorrow. National Grid Ventures operates a broad mix of energy assets and businesses in the UK and US. We provide competitive products and services for our customers to help accelerate the development of our clean energy future.

There’s never been a better time to work in energy. It’s a time of opportunity and transformation as we strive to provide a greener, cleaner energy system for the country. We’re looking for people with the skills and enthusiasm to help deliver for our customers today and build an energy network that’s fit for the future. In return we can offer you the chance to make a real impact at work.

We are recruiting a qualified solicitor or barrister with significant experience in commercial and/or construction law, particularly in an energy industry context.

The UK is on a journey to reach net zero by 2050. National Grid Ventures (NGV) sits at the heart of helping the country to make this transformational change through the development of first of their kind projects and the operation of NetZero Projects. To deliver on its ambition, we need people with talent, the drive, and the passion to help us tackle climate change.

We have a need for a senior lawyer in the NGV Legal team to provide the advice needed to support our portfolio of operational electricity interconnectors 

Interconnectors | National Grid

Location: Ventures House, Warwick or Strand, London.  We operate a Hybrid Working approach with a mix of home and office working to suit the needs of the business and our employees, using technology to ensure we always feel connected.

Job Purpose

To deliver first-class and cost-effective legal support to the businesses. To ensure that the business can meet its commercial, regulatory and contractual objectives.

The role will be varied and challenging, requiring the candidate to deliver robust, timely and commercial legal advice (either personally or in partnership with external legal advisors).

The role will sit within and report to the National Grid Ventures legal team, but the candidate will be a core part of and will be embedded in the interconnectors team as a key business partner.

Working alongside other stakeholders to provide legal support on a wide-ranging portfolio of legal work relating to NGV’s interconnectors. Such work will include:

·       a mix of commercial contract negotiations and drafting across a matrix of contracts which support NGV interconnector projects (these may include construction agreements utilising industry standard forms);

·       negotiating strategic incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures and relationship agreements;

·       regulatory and compliance advice in the context of a portfolio of licensed and regulated energy infrastructure assets;

Alongside strong legal skills, we are looking for a dynamic 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 National Grid Interconnectors and the wider National Grid group operate.

You will be a natural and instinctive communicator, able to listen effectively and advise at all levels while using your experience and expertise to develop other members of the Legal team and colleagues in the wider business.

You must be able to take the lead on the energy/commercial law aspects of projects and “business as usual” matters, with the ability to influence through a broad range of contacts.

Key Accountabilities

• Responsible for delivering first class legal advice and steering, developing and delivering appropriate commercially focused legal strategy for a wide variety of contractual and commercial arrangements including contractual arrangements for projects, construction asset procurement, incorporated and unincorporated joint ventures and other relationship agreements, outsourcing, IT, IP and other contracts.
• Advising the relevant business teams and the procurement team on the Utilities Contract Regulations in the context of the procurement of goods and/or services (training will be given where necessary).
• Mitigating legal and commercial risks and agree and implement action plans to address issues to ensure timely delivery of changes or corrective actions.
• Representing NGV Legal at internal meetings where legal support is required including highlighting priority areas requiring the mitigation of legal and commercial risk and agreeing plans to address issues to ensure timely delivery of changes or corrective actions.
• Drafting briefing notes to internal stakeholders (including the relevant Board and Steering Committees) where appropriate.
• Identify and assist with the implementation of continuous improvement to deliver on-going improvements in business performance.
• Manage external counsel to deliver timely drafting and other advice that accurately and effectively implements agreed commercial principles or business strategy to a high standard, within budget and demonstrably driving value for money. This will include building strong working relationships with external counsel.
• Work with other members of NGV Legal and deliver specific expert support in the conduct of commercial disputes and to facilitate external lawyers to deliver timely support to a high standard.
• Deliver insightful and easy to understand presentations and training on relevant commercial/regulatory topics or other topics to drive continuous improvement within both the NGV Legal team and the relevant business units.
• Contribute to ad hoc internal projects within National Grid Legal.
• Use your experience to develop and supervise other members of NGV Legal team on commercial/energy matters.

About you

LI-MR1 #LI-HYBRID 

•   Qualified solicitor or barrister with significant experience in commercial law, acquired in private practice and/or within an in-house legal team (likely to have at least 6 years PQE, although all levels of PQE will be considered if you can show the requisite experience). 
•    Ideally you will have experience of providing commercial advice in the energy or another regulated sector or a willingness to learn (regulatory training will be given where necessary). 
•    Ideally you will have experience of Construction Law and ideally use of NEC and other standard forms. 
•    Excellent communicator, also able to listen effectively in a team or business environment and build strong relationships. 
•    It would be desirable for you to have knowledge of regulatory and commercial frameworks as applicable to the UK and EU energy markets including UK industry codes, energy licences, electricity trading arrangements etc.  However training and knowledge in these areas can be developed within role if necessary.
•    Capable of using experience and expertise to develop and train other members of the Legal team.
•    Capable of taking the lead on the development of legal strategy and a credible voice in contributing to overall commercial/operational 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.
•    Experience and strong track record in project or relationship management.

What you'll get

A competitive salary – dependent on experience. 
As well as your base salary, you will receive a company car or allowance, a bonus of up to 40% of your salary for stretch performance 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. 

The closing date for this vacancy is 1st December 2025; however, we encourage candidates to submit their applications as early as possible and not to wait until the published closing date. National Grid reserves the right to remove this advert or close it for further applications at any point during the recruitment process