Property Solictor

Role Overview

We are looking for an in house lawyer (4-8 PQE) to join a busy in house property development legal team. This hands on, delivery focused role supports the business across the full development lifecycle-from site acquisition and planning through construction, funding, sales/lettings and asset management.

Location: Altrincham and the Isle of Man. One vacancy.

Responsibilities Development / Real Estate

• Run and support site acquisitions and disposals (freehold and leasehold), including title review, due diligence, conditions precedent management and completions.
• Review and negotiate conditional contracts, options, overage agreements, development agreements and associated ancillary documentation.
• Support lettings/sales workstreams including agreements for lease, variations, licences and general landlord and tenant issues.
• Provide pragmatic advice on property risk (title defects, easements/rights, restrictive covenants, access, utilities, environmental) and escalation of higher risk issues.
• Support plot sales workstreams including site set up, preparation and settling precedent sales documents and general support for the in house plot sales team.

Planning

• Coordinate legal input on planning conditions and obligations, liaise with external counsel where required and ensure risks and dependencies are understood by the project team.

Commercial

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts relevant to a developer (professional services, agency/broker, marketing, NDAs).
• Provide governance/execution support: approvals, execution formalities and document management.

External Counsel & Operational Excellence

• Instruct, manage and challenge external counsel; control cost and ensure quality and responsiveness.
• Triage and prioritise incoming work, set realistic timelines and proactively communicate status and next steps.
• Contribute to continuous improvement: templates, playbooks, checklists and ways of working.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor (or equivalent) with 2-5 years PQE.
• Strong experience in real estate transactions with meaningful exposure to property development work (private practice and/or in house).
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills with sound commercial judgment.
• Ability to manage a high volume of matters under time pressure with good organisation and attention to detail.
• Strong stakeholder management; able to influence non lawyers and give clear, pragmatic advice.
• Exposure to BTR, residential development, regeneration/mixed use or portfolio asset management.
• Prior in house experience.

Benefits

• Competitive basic salary
• Car allowance
• Discretionary bonus scheme
• 33 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme - EAP
• Health Hero digital doctor - 24 hr virtual help and appointments
• Health Assured Wisdom App
• Competitive parental leave
• 3x salary life assurance (option to increase to 4x)
• Cycle to work scheme
• Employer matched pension scheme of up to 5%
• Flexible benefits including shopping vouchers, airport parking and reduced gym membership