From flood defence to habitat creation, the diverse nature of the Environment Agency’s functions provides a wide range of interesting and challenging property legal work. Here, you will have the opportunity to make your mark in a high profile national body. In addition, our organisational culture enables a good work-life balance and great professional development.

Joining as a Lawyer in the Property team, you will work closely with our Estates surveyors distributed across our 14 Areas. You will make a key contribution to our work by providing risk-based legal advice on a wide range of property issues. The work will be challenging, and will include a wide range of property work , for example the disposal and acquisition of freehold and leasehold interests (registered and unregistered property), drafting of licences and leases to manage our assets, commercial lease renewals, and some agricultural property work. You will need to be able to think creatively and to provide solutions as our work is often not routine, and will require you to consider the bigger picture, including relevant areas of environmental or public law.

The team  

The Property team is made up of lawyers and support staff located in Bristol, Exeter, Peterborough, Solihull and Reading. Lawyers work closely within the team and across Legal Services as a whole. Our focus is to provide an excellent standard of support for clients to meet operational needs and deliver environmental outcomes.

Experience/skills required  

As a fully qualified Solicitor, Barrister, Chartered Legal Executive or Licensed Conveyancer and entitled to practise in England and Wales, you’ll be educated to degree level and have experience of working in a property legal team, negotiating, drafting and advising on property transactions or projects relating to property matters.

Confident and credible, you will have first-class communication skills, strong analytical skills and the ability to pick up new work quickly. You will be customer-focused with good organisational skills and able to work independently with minimal supervision or within the team if required. With a detail-conscious, highly organised approach to work, you’ll thrive on challenge and prioritise well which will enable you to manage your own caseload effectively.

A background in agricultural property, commercial property or public sector property work is desirable but not essential as training can be given.

Contact and additional information  

We are recruiting one post on either a full-time or part-time basis. We welcome applications from candidates seeking flexible working patterns, including job share. Please highlight any information regarding preferred flexible working arrangements on your application.

The post will be based in Reading. You may be required to travel to other offices as work demands.

The Environment Agency offers a generous career average defined-benefit pension scheme and a commitment to continuing professional development. We will support and encourage you to develop and expand your expertise in appropriate areas.

For further information please contact Alison Parker (alison.parker@environment-agency.gov.uk) or Helene Dowson (helene.dowson@environment-agency.gov.uk)