Senior Legal Counsel, Property

Our Purpose

Working in Partnership for a happier world - our shared Purpose that guides us in everything we do and inspires 3 important principles; happier people, happier business, happier world. The John Lewis Partnership is a truly unique business, one that seeks to make a positive difference to the lives of everyone.

At a glance Working pattern/ flexible working- Hybrid Working: Our team is based in Central London and we embrace hybrid working. The Legal team works together in the office at least once a week on a Thursday. As a business with locations across the UK, there may also be requirements to travel to locations outside of London from time to time.Contract type: This is a permanent positionSalary: Expected salary £94,800 - £102,000 About the role

Reporting to Head of Legal, the John Lewis Partnership is looking for two Senior Legal Counsel to join the team on a permanent basis.
Role 1 will focus on the acquisition and opening of new Waitrose convenience stores.
Role 2 will focus on the Build To Rent business, with both roles assisting on other matters as and when required.
These are fast-paced roles in a busy in-house legal team, dealing with a huge range of property advice and legal issues. Our in-house team advises across the breadth of property matters so you will need to be willing to step outside your comfort zone and tackle a range of issues.

Both roles will suit someone who...

will love this opportunity, and rise to it with genuine enthusiasm and positivity.
The rollout of new Waitrose stores is a discrete project that will likely take up a significant proportion of your time, but you will also be part of the wider team picking up a variety of work across the JLP property portfolio.
Similarly, the BTR role requires someone who is comfortable working with the team and external lawyers on planning, forward funding and asset management.
You need to be an experienced lawyer with a great track record of providing business-focused legal advice. You'll have a laser focus on delivering better business outcomes, will own the decisions you make with the business, and will be available to and contactable by the business.
You'll deliver timely and pragmatic advice delivered in a clear and easy-to-understand format, and within budget. You'll need to be willing to roll your sleeves up and help out where help is needed even if this pushes you outside your comfort zone. You'll be an excellent communicator, who can explain complex legal issues clearly and simply.
We are looking for people who will think commercially and support the business with a mind to both the law and the commercial needs of the organisation. You will be a great team player and able to work collaboratively across several teams.
Organisational skills and a self-starting mentality are paramount as the candidates need to be able to work proactively and independently. They must also be able to work through significant volumes of information to quickly identify key risks and to close issues swiftly, as well as being able to prioritise and manage a variable and pressurised workload.
The Partnership is a unique business and it is essential that the candidates have an interest in and the ability to advise within the context of its Constitution and democratic structure. Dealing with stakeholders of a varying level up to Executive Director, candidates need to be highly proficient in building strong relationships and managing stakeholders effectively. Relationships across the legal team are also critical, with a strong relationship needed with other members of the legal team.

What you'll be doing

Acting as a trusted adviser to the business, providing property advice that actively contributes to and supports the strategic direction of the Partnership.
To act as an integral part of the teams that you support, influencing decisions and outcomes with confidence.
To provide generalist and specialist legal advice and support and challenge to the business, ensuring risks are fully understood thereby enhancing confidence in decision-making and facilitating good business outcomes.

Essential skills you'll need Property lawyer, qualified to practise as a solicitor in England and Wales with at least 6 years PQE.Experience of retail property work required.Experience of planning and construction law is highly desirable.Experience of corporate occupiers, Build to Rent, and corporate real estate is also helpful.Basic understanding of competition law and how it relates to land agreements.Responsive to the needs of the business, with the ability to work efficiently and independently with minimal supervision.Skilled at turning complex legal advice into simple easy to understand narrative.Pragmatic, commercial, and solution-oriented approach.Able to confidently manage relationships with internal stakeholders and with external counsel.Willing to work across a broad range of projects and step outside of comfort zone/legal specialism. Benefits of the Partnership and the role

- Hybrid Working.
- Full-time working holiday entitlement of 25 days holiday, plus public and bank holidays.
- Excellent work-life balance, including a focus on well-being and flexible working and our marketing leading equal parenthood leave Policy.
- Defined Contribution pension scheme where your contributions will be matched by the Partnership (up to 8% of pay) and, after three years' service, you'll receive an additional Partnership contribution of 4% of pay, regardless of whether you pay in or not.
- You'll get Partnership discount in-store and online once you complete Probation. That's 25% off in John Lewis & Partners (12% off electrical products) and 20% in Waitrose & Partners. You'll also be able to nominate someone you live with to share your discount.
- Simple cycle-to-work support scheme.
- We're really proud of our exclusive hotels based in some of Britain's most beautiful areas and once you've been with us for three months, you're welcome to explore them.
- Learn more about our extensive range of exciting benefits that you could enjoy when you join us, visit - https://www.jlpjobs.com/about/benefits/
- Health Care cover.
- Car Allowance.

Important Information - Application and Interview Process

The application form consists of a CV upload followed by application questions. Please ensure you refresh the page each time you complete a task to ensure you complete everything that you need to in time. Once you've submitted an application the next steps of the process, if successful, are likely to include a two-stage interview.
You'll be asked about any adjustments you might need to support the recruitment process. Let us know, and we'll be sure to discuss it with you.
We occasionally close vacancies early in the event we receive a high volume of applications, therefore, we recommend you apply early.
Please be aware that due to the nature and activities of this role, all successful candidates will have a DBS check carried out on them through a 3rd party registered body. For more details on DBS checks and what these entail, please visit the Government website.

To view the full job outline External applicants- please view the job outline attached to the advert.
Internal applicants- please use your internal email address to view this folder:-

Senior Legal Counsel JD.
At the John Lewis Partnership, we embrace our differences. We want you to be you. Because, well, we know you're at your best when you're free to be yourself. Being a truly inclusive employer to us means creating an environment which celebrates your contribution, regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, social background, religion or belief. It's why we've set our own aim to become the UK's most inclusive business - for our Partners (employees) and our customers. We firmly believe that our future success lies in diversity of thought from all Partners and it's integral in our mission to build a happier world. We welcome applications from everyone interested in working for us. And, once you're a Partner, your differences will make all the difference. Find out more about D&I in the Partnership here - https://www.jlpjobs.com/about/diversityandinclusion/.

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