Legal Counsel – Planning, Environment, Health and Safety

AWE plc is seeking a Legal Counsel for Planning, Environment, Health and Safety, located in Aldermaston, UK. The role requires over 5 years of planning law experience and an interest in environmental and nuclear law. Responsibilities include managing legal caseloads, providing regulatory advice, and supporting internal investigations. The position offers hybrid working options, allowing a mix of home and onsite office presence, with a salary range of £80,000 to £90,000.
If you’d like to be considered for this opportunity we encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment as if applications are high the role will close before the closing date given. Legal Counsel – Planning and Regulatory This is a unique in-house opportunity for a planning lawyer to join our high performing Legal Team at AWE Nuclear Security Technologies during a once in a lifetime capital investment programme. We are looking for a Legal Counsel with significant experience of planning law (+5 years PQE) and ideally some experience or a real interest in environmental, health and safety and nuclear law. A nuclear or defence background would be preferable but not essential. In-house supervision and regulatory legal training will be provided by the current Legal Team. Location: AWE is a multi-site business operating at Aldermaston, Burghfield, Green Park (Reading) and London. We offer hybrid working, a combination of home and onsite office presence. Salary range: £80,000 up to £90,000 for a suitably experienced Legal Counsel with expertise in the areas required for this role. You will be joining the business as the UK government enables us to make a significant investment in our infrastructure through our Infrastructure Programme Delivery team (IPD). This includes two major areas – the Future Materials Campus (FMC), a series of facilities needed to maintain the UK’s Continuous at Sea Deterrent for years to come, and Future Infrastructure Programme (FIP), which covers upgrades to our non-fissile facilities. We are building a talented team to make the most of these opportunities. Moving to a programmatic way of working is a new approach for AWE and we need someone who is keen to support us as we transform. A typical day could include: Handling a broad legal caseload, including planning law advice and working with our internal and external planning teams, reviewing planning applications and environmental statements and drafting, negotiating and reviewing section 106 agreements and highway agreements, supporting with any planning application consultee responses, appeals, public inquiries and judicial reviews. Providing legal advice and support on environmental and health and safety compliance and other regulatory matters, including legal support with our internal investigations and communications with regulators and any enforcement or litigation. Supporting strategic legal advice to AWE teams and executives on planning, environmental, health and safety and nuclear laws and regulations. Proven ability to manage legal risks and collaborate with internal and external stakeholders. Analysing legislative and case law developments and considering their effect on the Company. Application of legal oversight to complex situations at appropriate levels. We need you to have: Qualification as a solicitor or barrister in England and Wales. Strong experience in town and country planning and consenting law. Some experience and/or an interest in and willingness to learn environmental, health and safety and nuclear law. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application. Some reasons why we think you’ll love it here: 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work. 270 hours holiday Market leading defined contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions) A truly meaningful role where your hard work supports and delivers with direct positive impact on our mission to keep the nation safe and secure. The 'Working at AWE' page on our website is where you can find full details in the 'AWE Benefits Guide'. Important things you need to know: Interviews will be two stage, both 60 minutes on TEAMs. If successful, you will be required to achieve UKSV Developed Vetting which is funded by AWE. We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during your recruitment journey. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations. Please contact sunflower.montague@awe.co.uk for more info. #LI-SM Next steps: Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application. Important things you need to know: We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes. You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process. Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process. Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions. Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us. If you’re looking for a role with excitement, intrigue and something that really makes a difference then now is the time to join AWE. We are at the start of a once in a generation – possibly two generations – programme to design and produce a replacement warhead for the UK’s continuous at sea deterrent. We will do this while continuing to deliver the Trident programme as well as managing ambitious state-of-the-art capital and construction projects – some of which have never been done before. Find out more on our website. Can’t find a role today? We don’t want to lose you. You can: Introduce yourself to us using the link on the top right hand side of this page. Sign up to job alerts; Create an account using the sign in link at the top of the page and select job alerts at the top of the page once you have signed in. Service Leavers, Veterans and Reservists We are an Armed Forces Covenant Gold Award Employer. Visit the Service Leavers page to find out more. Early Careers To register your interest in our Apprentice, Graduate and undergraduate, please visit Early Careers.