In-House Solicitor – Development & Projects

Job description

Elgin Values Core behavioural responsibilities for all employees Agility We Lead with Agility Integrity We Act with Integrity Excellence We Empower Excellence Care We Value Care Job Description Want to use your legal expertise to help shape a more sustainable energy future? We’re looking for an experienced In-House Solicitor to join Elgin and act as the legal partner to Elgin’s development and transactions teams on all real estate, land and development related legal matters across the business. Working closely with Development Managers and Project Leads, the role will provide strategic legal advice, risk management and transaction support across Elgin’s development portfolio. The Project Lead will lead the commercial negotiations and stakeholder relationship. Legal Counsel will lead on legal negotiation and structure, risk allocation, drafting strategy and contractual protections. The successful candidate will manage the structuring, drafting and negotiation of land agreements (with external counsel where required) for development, construction and operation of utility-scale solar and storage projects. The role combines strategic legal leadership with hands-on delivery, including management of external legal advisers, oversight of legal budgets, development of junior legal team members and continuous improvement of Elgin’s legal processes. As Elgin grows, it is likely that the role will also evolve and change with the business. What you will do: Real Estate, Development & Land Strategy Act as the principal legal partner to Development Managers and Project Leads on all land and development-related legal matters across Elgin’s portfolio. Support Development Managers and Project Leads in negotiations with landowners, tenants, councils, statutory bodies and other third parties by providing legal advice, negotiation strategy, drafting support and risk management. Lead the legal workstreams relating to land arrangements across Elgin’s development portfolio in UK and Ireland, supporting project teams in the negotiation and execution of project-critical agreements. Draft, review and negotiate legal documentation required to secure and maintain project rights, including: Heads of Terms, option agreements, agreements for lease, leases and contracts for sale; Easements, wayleaves, access agreements, cable route agreements and licences; Deeds of covenant, compound licences, substation agreements and other development-related land agreements. Develop practical legal solutions to overcome land, title, access and third-party rights issues that could impact project progression. Support landlord and tenant negotiations, agricultural tenancy matters, access rights, inheritance issues and land-related disputes where they arise. Development & Project Legal Support Act as a trusted legal advisor to development teams throughout the project lifecycle, from project origination through planning, financing, construction and operation. Lead on planning-related legal matters, planning obligations and infrastructure agreements. Provide legal support in relation to highway works, utility infrastructure, grid connection agreements and other project-critical development matters. Support project teams through legal workstream reviews, development stage gates, investment committee approvals, project progression milestones and input at project team meetings. Lead on title issues, searches, land constraints, third-party rights, access arrangements and site assembly risks. Advise on permitting, licensing and regulatory approvals required for project construction and operation. Due Diligence, M&A & Transactions Lead real estate legal due diligence for development projects, acquisitions, disposals and portfolio transactions. Review title, planning constraints, land rights, access and cable arrangements and identify material legal risks and mitigation strategies. Provide specialist real estate support on project acquisitions, portfolio acquisitions and strategic transactions. Support corporate and transactions teams on the real estate aspects of M&A transactions, restructurings, joint ventures and disposals. Coordinate and manage external legal due diligence providers where required. Review and advise on development-related commercial agreements including NDAs, consultant appointments, framework agreements and supplier contracts. Provide legal support to development funding, project finance and refinancing activities External Counsel & Legal Risk Management Manage external legal advisers across the UK and Ireland and other jurisdictions as required. Oversee legal spend relating to real estate matters and support legal budget management. Maintain and update legal precedents, templates, guidance notes and negotiation frameworks across the legal team. Support the continual improvement of the legal function through development of playbooks, standardisation and process optimisation initiatives. Leadership & Business Improvement Act as the Real Estate Legal lead on business improvement and transformation initiatives. Contribute to departmental planning, legal reporting and objectives delivery. Support compliance, governance and data protection workstreams where required, including GDPR-related legal matters and data sharing arrangements. Cross-Functional Collaboration Build strong working relationships with Development, Planning, Grid, Construction, Procurement, Transactions, Finance, and Operations teams. Work collaboratively across all functions to ensure legal advice supports project delivery and value creation objectives. Support senior stakeholders by providing clear, practical and commercially balanced legal guidance. Contribute to a positive, collaborative and high-performing culture within the legal and development functions. Your profile What you will need: Qualified solicitor in England & Wales and/or Ireland, with ideally 5+ years’ post-qualification experience gained within a leading law firm and/or in-house environment. Significant experience advising on complex real estate transactions, land assembly and development projects. Proven experience drafting and negotiating options, leases, easements, wayleaves, access rights, land purchases and other development-related property agreements. Experience supporting development teams in the delivery of infrastructure, energy or renewable energy projects. Strong commercial negotiation and drafting skills, with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach. Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across internal teams, landowners, advisers and external stakeholders. Ability to balance legal and commercial risk with project delivery objectives. Highly organised, proactive and self-motivated, with excellent attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple complex workstreams simultaneously. Comfortable working independently in a fast-paced and entrepreneurial environment, while working closely with the Senior Legal Counsel and Head of Development. Strong problem-solving skills and a practical approach to providing clear, commercially focused legal advice. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. A genuine interest in supporting business growth, developing people and improving processes. Desirable experience: Experience in the renewable energy, battery storage or wider infrastructure sectors. Experience advising on planning matters or statutory infrastructure projects. Experience supporting M&A and project finance transactions. Experience working across both the UK and Irish markets. Knowledge of GDPR/data protection, cyber risk, technology procurement, software licensing/IP and AI governance.