Senior Legal Counsel (Environmental)

We are seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel (Environmental) to support the General Counsel and Director of Legal (Environmental) with the management and mitigation of environmental legal risk across the business, supporting environmental legal compliance and good governance.

You will be involved in the management and oversight of material environmental legal matters, projects and litigation and the provision of legal advice to manage environmental compliance and reputational risk across the business.

This role will also interface with the Environmental Oversight Officer, who is responsible and accountable for the line of sight between the Board and the Executive Committee over environmental compliance matters.

What you will be doing as Senior Legal Counsel (Environmental)

• Responsible for managing complex and material environmental enforcement proceedings and litigation and regulatory issues either in house or in conjunction with external legal providers, extending to high court litigation and/or disputes and regulatory investigations.
• Ensure the quality of advice and service
• Setting and working within budgetary constraints.
• Ensure appropriate and adequate reporting of material matters at an Executive and Board level.
• Responsible for managing, supporting and promoting good corporate governance, as far as this relates to environmental legal compliance
• Interface with regulators on matters relating to environmental compliance
• Report to the Director of Legal (Environmental) or other parts of the business on all aspects of environmental legal compliance, material projects/matters and litigation risk
• Responsible for the management of external Legal Service Provider and panel law firms when providing environmental legal support, and for a significant external legal spend.

Location - Hybrid, Reading
36 Hours a week

What you should bring to the role?
To thrive in this role, the essential criteria you’ll need are:

• You will be a Qualified Solicitor or Barrister in England & Wales (or qualified overseas solicitor in a recognised jurisdiction) with extensive post-qualification experience with expertise of providing environmental legal advice within a regulated environment and within agreed budgetary and timing constraints. 
• Experience of working in a fast-paced environment working on complex matters and/or projects.
• Good/advanced IT aptitude; be proficient in Office products.
• Experience of or proven aptitude to effectively manage and work well within a team (whether internal or external) and significant experience in the management and supervision of external legal providers from a performance/budgetary perspective is desirable.
• A resilient self-starter and team player with the confidence to operate in a rapidly changing and fast paced environment at management level, with regular Executive level exposure.

Must able to demonstrate:-

• Commercial acumen and awareness of internal and external impacts;
• Ability to prioritise changing demands and demonstrate resilience under pressure;
• Willingness to accept responsibility and to ensure Legal Service Provider and panel law firm delivery of key outputs and projects;
• Strong decision-making based on analysis, risk assessment and sound judgement;
• Subject matter expertise in environmental law;
• An understanding of the relationship between corporate governance and environmental compliance risk;
• Ability to manage issues in short and medium term, and ability to relate to longer term goals;
• Ability to work closely with external law firms and be trusted to become a senior, integral part of the team;
• Ability to interface with regulatory agencies, Ofwat and the Environment Agency
• Strong ability to engage and influence teams (both within and outside the Legal Department);
• Sound, senior experience working on in-house matters in a regulated environment, enforcement, major projects, developments, property, and/or transactional experience; and
• Experience of risk management and legal compliance reporting, including managing and reporting material and commercial risks.

What's in it for you?
This is a challenging, high profile opportunity, joining a company going through a positive turnaround plan, working within a dedicated, talented and supportive team. 

• Competitive salary
• Car Allowance - £5,800.
• Private Health Insurance.
• Performance-related pay plan: directly linked to both company and individual performance
• Annual Leave: 26 days holiday per year, increasing to 30 with the length of service. (Plus bank holidays)
• Contributory pension – Defined Contribution - Maximum of 12% -2x employee contribution.
• Personal Medical Assessments – Open to all once a year.
• Wider benefits scheme including our benefits hub, which is packed full of offers and information to save you money and support your wellbeing.

Find out more about our benefits and perks

Who are we?
We’re the UK’s largest water and wastewater company, with more than 16 million customers relying on us every day to supply water for their taps and toilets. We want to build a better future for all, helping our customers, communities, people, and the planet to thrive. It’s a big job and we’ve got a long way to go, so we need help from passionate and skilled people, committed to making a difference and getting us to where we want to be in the years and decades to come.

Learn more about our purpose and values

Working at Thames Water
Thames Water is a unique, rewarding, and diverse place to work, where every day you can make a difference, yet no day is the same. As part of our family, you’ll enjoy meaningful career opportunities, flexible working arrangements and excellent benefits.
If you’re looking for a sustainable and successful career where you can make a daily difference to millions of people’s lives while helping to protect the world of water for future generations, we’ll be here to support you every step of the way. Together, we can build a better future for our customers, our region, and our planet.

Real purpose, real support, real opportunities. Come and join the Thames Water family. Why choose us? Learn more.

We’re committed to being a great, diverse, and inclusive place to work. We welcome applications from everyone and want to ensure you feel supported throughout the recruitment process. If you need any adjustments, whether that’s extra time, accessible formats, or anything else just let us know, we’re here to help and support.

When a crisis happens, we all rally around to support our customers. As part of Team Thames, you’ll have the opportunity to sign up to support our customers on the frontline as an ambassador. Full training will be given for what is undoubtedly an incredibly rewarding experience. It’s also a great opportunity to learn more about our business and meet colleagues.

Disclaimer: due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may close the advert earlier than the advertised date, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.