Planning Lawyer

Location: Birmingham

Salary: £47,304 - £54,400

Closing date: 7/07/2019

Your new role

As a planning lawyer with sound experience in planning and highways law you will play a pivotal role in ensuring the strategy for implementing the second Road Investment Strategy is legally sound, encountering diverse and exciting legal challenges along the way.

Although you will predominantly advise across planning and highways law you get involved across a full range of areas including public law, procurement, commercial and contract law, health and safety and litigation, meaning no two days are the same. We are responsible for delivering some of the largest infrastructure projects in England. As a result the work you will be entrusted to complete will have a significant impact on us delivering what we have promised.

This is an excellent opportunity to take the next step in your career.

What you’ll be leading on

• General drafting, negotiating and advising on highways and planning agreements.
• Giving strategic advice on planning and highways applications and considering the implications of planning applications for the Strategic Road Network.
• Providing advice on compulsory purchase, highways law, permitted development, planning conditions and requirements, judicial review, consultation and High Court challenges.
• Working with external lawyers on the delivery of the Road Investment Strategy including advising on Development Consent Orders.
• Delivering highway schemes under the Highways Act 1980
• Assist with general and varied legal queries affecting the Company

To be successful

• Qualified to practise as a Solicitor or Barrister in England and Wales.
• Demonstrable experience of planning and highways law.
• Knowledge and understanding of highways and road traffic legislation. 
• Strong communication skills with the ability to build relationships with stakeholders and influence across all levels of the business.
• Desirable - previous experience of working on complex infrastructure projects

A bit about us

The General Counsel Directorate encompasses the company's legal team and the Company Secretariat function.  They provide an effective legal service to the company, and support the Board, Chief Executive and its committees on a wide range of issues.  The team provide strategic legal advice on commercial, planning, operational and legislative matters, supporting the Road Investment Strategy and ensuring legal compliance and limiting risk exposure.

Want to know more?

Interviews are planned to take place early to mid-late July 2019.

Why you should join us

At Highways England we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this.  We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers. 

So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation.

And finally

We reserve the right to close before the advertised closing date, so we recommend completing your application as soon as possible.