Projects & Infrastructure Associate

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect:

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers
• Tech, cycle and electric car schemes
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.

The Stephenson Harwood's projects, energy and infrastructure team provides a unique offering of transactional projects and construction expertise. Whilst you may be required take on matter across both these specialisms, the main purpose of this hire is to work with our existing transactional construction and engineering lawyers and assist with the growth in this area.

 The practice group also has a strong focus on energy transition and is advising on nuclear, hydrogen and carbon capture projects as well as energy from waste, district heating, battery storage, solar and onshore wind projects. You can expect to advise clients throughout the lifespan of a project. This includes feasibility, procurement and bidding, variations and on-site project support, refinancings and secondary market acquisitions and disposals.

Our dedicated team of transactional construction and engineering lawyers provide specialist advice on construction and engineering projects across a range of sectors. In addition to acting in the domestic market, the team has an international offering and frequently works alongside colleagues in the Middle East and Asia on developments in those jurisdiction as well as inward investment into the United Kingdom.

The team acts for a diverse client base of institutional investors, project sponsors, private developers, owner/occupiers, government bodies and public authorities, funders, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders involved in high value construction and engineering work. You can further expect to advise on a broad range of commercial real estate developments in several sectors including mixed-use commercial, industrial, hotel & leisure and retail and on infrastructure and engineering projects in sectors such as energy and renewables, decarbonisation, transport including rail and utilities.

You will work closely with, and be supervised and mentored by, 7 partners with varying clients and areas of expertise.

The team works collaboratively with several other practice groups within the firm too e.g. the wider real estate team, real estate finance, rail, corporate and with the construction and real estate disputes teams. Therefore, this role will entail providing expertise on the construction elements of other practice groups' matters and commercial pragmatic advice on construction risks having regard to the fundamentals of the wider project.

Your main responsibilities would include:

• leading matter management on smaller/less complex matters with minimal supervision of a partner;
• working alongside partners and managing associates on more complex matters;
• clear, concise and unambiguous preparation and drafting of relevant documentation;
• conducting legal research using internal and external knowledge management resources;
• liaising with clients under the supervision of a partner or managing associate;
• assisting partners with matter management and financial hygiene of matters;
• supervising more junior associates and trainees;
• developing own informal internal and external network of contacts;
• building excellent working relationships with clients and peers within the firm; and
• attending business development and profile-raising events (client seminars, industry and trade body networking, graduate recruitment activities).

Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.

• UK-qualified lawyer with demonstrable mid-level experience gained with a strong private practice law firm in the UK is likely to be the best fit for the current needs of the team. However foreign qualified candidates with equivalent and/or comparable experience in the domestic market will be considered.
• The candidate should be self-starter who take the initiative.
• Relevant experience drafting and amending suites of construction documents across various standard forms as well as drafting bespoke appointments.
• Strong technical knowledge and experience of working on commercial real estate development, JCT, NEC, FIDIC, MF/1, IChemE and bespoke contractual arrangements as well as non-contentious construction elements of real estate and funding documents such as agreements for lease, Sale and Purchase Agreements, development funding and forward funding agreements, security agreements and other ancillary documents under the supervision of a partner or managing associate.
• Experience and expertise at independently managing non-complex transactional construction files with little supervision.
• Preferable but not critical for the role: Experience in dealing with PFI and PPP projects including greenfield projects, asset management (including variations), sale and acquisition of operational projects and construction and facilities management work.
• Delivering commercial pragmatic advice to clients and colleagues which places the construction risks in the context of the wider transaction.
• Ability to acquire, consolidate and apply fundamental and up-to-date knowledge of the law.
• Accuracy and attention to detail.
• Excellent verbal and numerical communication skills.
• Organised and able to work to strict deadlines with the ability to prioritise realistically including flagging any conflicting urgent deadlines to partners in a contemporaneous fashion.
• Good housekeeping/file management practices.
• Manages and records time promptly and accurately.
• Resilient with the ability to handle set backs and pressure.
• A self-starter, able to work alone and within a small team.
• Ambitious, keen to work in a developing department.
• Cooperative, affable and collaborative in approach and is able to develop excellent working relationships at all levels and roles.
• Ability to operate professionally and proactively at all times.
• Exhibits an understanding of the firm’s position in the market and how it distinguishes its services from its competitors.
• Excellent academic and professional qualifications.

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives.

With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values

Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent.

Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard.

Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking - We say what we mean and do what we say.

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character – the attributes we want to see from all of our people. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.