Senior Legal Counsel

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland.

Senior Legal Counsel Commercial (Hybrid/Flexibly located within Scotland)

Its not every job where you make a difference for the people of Scotland. But its whats behind every job here. The work we do keeps Scotlands water flowing from reservoir to tap and from sewer to treatment plant.

Our operations span the length and breadth of Scotland which generates a wealth of commercial compliance property and regulatory work that keeps our Legal team this role as Senior Legal Counsel Commercial youll be a key player in a team that provides specialist knowledge and expertise that helps us deliver Scotlands most important natural resource: water.

What youll do

Youll play a significant role in delivering a comprehensive legal service to Scottish Water spanning legislative and regulatory compliance and the provision of advice across a broad range of practice areas. The goal of course is that Scottish Water remains legally compliant and effectively manages risk across the business.

In this role you will have a focus on delivering commercial legal services. This means you will be part of the team responsible for delivering a broad range of legal advice in areas such as commercial contracts energy construction procurement PFI data protection and FOI all with the aim of supporting Scottish Water in the delivery of its strategic ambitions.

But delivering legal services is not enough. We want to transform so the role will also involve a focus on continual improvement in terms of customer service cost-efficiency quality and collaboration both across Scottish Water and with our external legal providers and stakeholders. We want to embed preventative lawyering as a central pillar of how we operate and you will play a significant role in making those things a reality.

What youll bring

Youll be a Scottish-qualified solicitor with a current practising certificate.

Youll have in-depth knowledge of a wide range of legal and regulatory matters with a practical and collaborative approach. You will be experienced in providing commercial legal advice in some but not necessarily all of the following areas:- commercial contracts energy construction procurement PFI data protection FOI and competition law. Ideally youll have gained some of your experience providing advice in the water industry or another regulated industry.

A skilled communicator youll have a knack for Knowing-Your-Audience. Whether youre crafting written documentation presenting to a group or facilitating a discussion you know how to effectively get your message across and you dont get bogged down in legalese when speaking to a non-legal audience.

And in all your dealings with colleagues customers and external parties youll embody the Scottish Water Character by being Bold Responsible Inspiring and Caring both as a colleague and as a Leader.

Looking out for you

While the work we do is important we know its not the only thing that matters. Thats why we make sure you have everything you need to find a good work-life balance.

This role will occasionally require you to work outside of normal working hours. But youll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays) - you can even buy five more if you need a little extra time and a truly flexible approach to work/life balance. You can also take time off to volunteer in your community.

When it comes to major life events we have family-friendly policies around adoption maternity and parental leave. And for the everyday We embrace flexible working.

For your future theres our defined benefit pension (the know-what-youll-get-when-you-retire kind) and generous life assurance.

As for some nice extras You can expect an annual company bonus. There is also access to SW Splash handy rewards that can save you money on holidays bills and shopping.

The post is full time based on 35 hours per week with flexible working hours. Applications from those wishing to apply for any working patterns or flexible working arrangements are welcome.

The not-so-small print

This role will be a Grade 8. If youre new to Scottish Water youll join us on a starting salary of 52671. Performance-driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of 72218.

If youre interested in this role or know someone else who might be - well be accepting applications until midnight on the 24th August 2025

Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional and will be confirmed on completion of our pre-employment screening e.g. referencing criminal record checks license checks etc. Screening is conducted on our behalf by a third party and must be completed before your start date. Dont worry - well only start these checks once youve accepted an offer.

A few final things worth knowing

Research shows that some people avoid applying for jobs unless they can meet every single criteria. If youre interested in this job but dont tick all the boxes apply anyway! We hardly ever hire people who can do every part of a job from Day One. Everyone has a learning curve. So dont rule yourself out!

Let us know if there are any changes we can make to our recruitment process to help you perform at your best. Lots of our people have disabilities or neurodiverse conditions (including some of our recruiters!). Were also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events like menopause. Were very used to making adjustments so please dont be afraid to ask.

As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland its important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you dont already live here youll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Finally (finally!) candidates who havent submitted an application in the last 12 months will have their records removed from our recruitment database. You wont need to do anything. Your data will be automatically deleted.

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