Contract Type: Permanent
Persona: Agile worker
Location: Reporting office Stratford, London, E15 when required (N.B. Due to COVID19 most of L&Q are currently homeworking)

Interviews will be held on: w/c 29th March 2021
Salary: Competitive (DOE)
Closing date for completed applications: 21st March 2021 N.B. We have the right to close and interview early, so please apply early.
                     
JOB DESCRIPTION
 

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a solicitor to join an in-house legal team at L&Q, one of the largest housing associations in the country and a significant developer of new homes across the capital and the South East.

We are looking for a NQ - 5QPE lawyer to join our high quality and customer focused in-house legal team which services our very successful Development and Sales department and the organisation generally, including Land & Planning, Asset Management, JV and Regeneration, Finance, Strategy and Policy. The role is broad in scope and the successful candidate will have the opportunity to get involved in an excellent range of work including property development, commercial contracts, acquisitions and disposals, landlord and tenant, planning agreements and drafting policy and procedure.

The ideal candidate will have past experience dealing with property law, development work and energy and/ or construction contracts. Experience of dealing with planning and landlord and tenant, matters would be welcomed although this is not essential. The role would suit an ambitious candidate either looking to make a move from an existing in-house role or to move away from private practice into an in-house role within a substantial yet dynamic and growing organisation. The role will enable the candidate to simultaneously gain exposure to excellent quality legal work in the development and real estate sector but also the unique opportunity to work for a not-for-profit housing association, within a friendly and supportive team.

The successful candidate will be:  Qualified as a Solicitor in England and Wales; experienced in carrying out property and development transactions running a varied caseload and utilising strong prioritisation and organisational skills to manage high work volumes and deadlines;  an excellent communicator and have great written skills; knowledgeable about legislation and case law and procedure applicable to property and development work; able to undertake a variety of legal research and present this is in a client-friendly manner. .

Desired Skills and Experience

Sector/specialist knowledge & experience: Demonstrable experience of dealing with property law matters and commercial contracts;  strong drafting and negotiating skills with experience in a wide range of documents including a cross-section of the following:

-          sale and purchase agreements;

-          development agreements;

-          energy supply and concession agreements;

-          leases;

-          construction contracts and collateral warranties;

-          commercial contracts;

-          deeds of easement wayleaves, utilities agreements and substation leases;

-          section 106 planning agreements; and wayleaves;

-          s38/ s278 agreements;

-          knowledge of the RP sector, Homes England/GLA funding agreements and property charging.

Finance & commercial experience: Strong numeracy skills and ability to use Excel spreadsheets to communicate business information. Have an ability to provide strategic and commercial advice evidenced by a previous customer-facing role, as well as the ability to meet targets.

Communication & influencing skills: Ability to inspire confidence in colleagues.  Strong stakeholder management skills. Be resolute in enabling matters to reach successful outcomes. Ability to communicate complex legal issues in a commercially sound and straightforward way, both orally and in writing.

Organisation & planning skills: High level of organisation skills and the ability to prioritise workload appropriately. Have an ability to project manage complex legal matters.
 
Academic & professional qualifications: Qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales.

IT knowledge & skills: Ability to use Microsoft Office packages.

If you are interested in this role and have the experience required, then apply without delay!
  

COVID 19: The safety of our staff and our candidates is of the utmost importance. Every effort will be taken to ensure that safe ways of working are adopted throughout the Recruitment and Selection process. We are introducing extra precautions in line with UK Government Guidelines. Our recruitment processes will follow social distancing and COVID-19 Secure requirements. This will include the use of various technologies to support the interview process. Should candidates have any questions regarding this, or if you require additional support please let us know at the interview planning stage.
 

At the foundation of everything that we do are our corporate values and associated behaviours. Our organisational behavioural framework outlines the core expectations of all employees, which should be demonstrated at all times when representing L&Q.   More information about L&Q’s values can be found on our website and a copy of our behavioural framework can be provided on request.
 

Our commitments:

At L&Q, people are at the heart of our business and our success depends on employing the best people and getting the best from them.  This is why we are committed to developing our people. It's only by investing in a well-trained and motivated workforce that we can continue to prosper and sustain business success.

In addition to our support and training, the successful candidate will have access to our full suite of benefits including 26 days holiday rising to 31 days with length of service, annual bonus subject to group performance, excellent Pension scheme,  an employee assistance programme and non-contributory life assurance.

We are committed to supporting your work-life balance and recognise the changing demands and circumstances in life.  Please let us know during the recruitment process if you’re interested in part time working or job sharing.  In addition, should your circumstances change once you have joined L&Q, you can also request flexible working arrangements, e.g. a change to working hours - if it’s feasible then we’ll make it happen.

We are recognised externally for our commitment to inclusion.  We are a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident (Committed) employer and have signed the Time to Change Employer Pledge to demonstrate our commitment to end mental health discrimination in the workplace.

We expect all of our employees to support our environmental policy and social responsibility work. We are an employer committed to environmental and social responsibility.

L&Q is a regulated charitable housing association and one of the UK’s most successful independent social businesses. The L&Q Group houses around 250,000 people in more than 97,000 homes, primarily across London and the South East.

As a charitable organisation, our role goes beyond providing homes and housing services. We are a long-term partner in the neighbourhoods where we work. We hope to build aspiration, opportunity and confidence in our communities through our £250 million L&Q Foundation and our skills academy. 

In response to the housing and affordability crisis, we will build 100,000 new homes over ten years. Of these, 60,000 homes will be built or funded by L&Q, whilst a further 40,000 will come through partnerships. Crucially, at least 50% of these new homes will be genuinely affordable, with a target of 60% in London.

Our vision is that everyone has a quality home they can afford, and we combine our social purpose with commercial drive to create homes and neighbourhoods everyone can be proud of.