Senior Legal Counsel - Employment Law

<b> Overview / Responsibilities </b><br><br>Wood is currently recruiting a Senior Legal Counsel, specialising in Employment Law. The Senior Legal Counsel will be responsible for leading the delivery of precise, commercial, timely and cost effective legal counsel within the relevant areas of responsibility in respect of any matter which requires it and in respect of any matter which has potential or actual legal or reputational implications. The role holder will ensure priorities are aligned with the relevant short and long term strategic priorities and enable the success of the relevant geographical region and/or service bundle(s) through effective management of legal risk and cost. <br><br><b>Key Responsibilities</b> <br><ul><li> Input to and understanding of the legal function agenda, strategy, policies and programs in the context of the relevant business unit/service bundle(s) to enhance business performance and results </li><li> Clarifying business priorities and ensuring alignment of legal services, supporting junior members of the team in the delivery of legal counsel as appropriate </li><li> Ensure the effective, timely and cost-effective delivery of legal counsel, support, governance and compliance in the relevant geographic regions, including project management of external legal service provider engagement and related budgets </li><li> Perform complex legal analysis and problem solving, research, counsel and guidance, including effective communication of same </li><li> Inputs/prepares for litigation/disputes; works with outside counsel to develop the claim/defence, or leads disputes to resolution, including instruction and supervision of outside counsel </li><li> Maintains and inputs into matter and cost management databases </li><li> Develop understanding of legal risks and cost, including anticipating potential risk and developing risk mitigation strategies </li><li> Provide oversight of functional legal risk and management, proactively identifying and effectively managing legal risk and compliance </li><li> Successfully communicates and delivers strategic legal and compliance initiatives as and when required </li><li> Project management of strategic transactions (M&A, joint ventures) and litigation/disputes </li><li> Manage current and new vendor relationships, identifying appropriate partners who can add value, with a focus on continuous improvement </li><li> Proactively shares knowledge and experience with other members of the legal team to assist in overall development and progression of the team </li><li> Supports the creation of a cohesive team and organisational culture based on values and excellence in delivery which fosters innovation and collaboration, continuous improvement and change </li><li> Captures lessons learned and contributes to progressive learning programmes within the legal team and the relevant area of responsibility </li><li> Consistently exhibits Wood's behaviours and leads by personal example, encouraging all employees to conduct their activities in accordance with all applicable laws and Wood's standards and policies </li></ul> <br><br><b> Skills / Qualifications </b><br><br><ul><li> Education and qualification as a lawyer, solicitor, barrister or equivalent qualification and a valid/current law license </li></ul><br> Knowledge, skills and experience: <br><ul><li> Significant post-qualified (license) experience in an in house or private practice environment </li><li> Strong commercial acumen and highly developed legal and analytical skills (e.g., negotiation, drafting, relevant legal knowledge) </li><li> Time management, use of IT systems and tools. </li><li> Leading legal operations practices </li><li> BU/service bundle risk profile and risk appetite </li><li> Group performance and how it can deliver and add value to its customers </li><li> Corporate governance and decision making </li><li> Changing regulatory environment </li><li> Current and future industry trends </li><li> Legal systems in jurisdictions in which the BU/service bundle(s) operates. </li><li> Complex legal analysis and problem solving </li><li> Implementing effective legal training regime </li><li> Multiple legal practice areas to support the relevant service bundle(s), for example, corporate, commercial, dispute resolution, investigations, real estate, compliance and IP. </li></ul><br> Ability to: <br><ul><li> Consistently deliver to stakeholders </li><li> Push the boundaries to create smarter, more sustainable solutions </li><li> Generate trust and credibility with audiences through continuous, open and consistent communication </li><li> Champion and drive innovation and change initiatives, focused on improving quality and effectiveness </li><li> Work effectively across different cultures, driving a global mind-set </li><li> Foster and contribute towards a customer-focused climate that delivers on expectations and strengthens relationships </li><li> Disseminate complex legal issues in a clear, concise and pragmatic manner </li><li> Meet deadlines and provide professional level of service at all times </li><li> Measure performance of external counsel against budgets </li><li> Work collaboratively with and influence key business unit/service bundle/functional leadership teams </li></ul><br> Personal attributes: <br><ul><li> Consistently model and lead on Wood's values, working with integrity, respecting and valuing others and our communities </li><li> Energy and compassion </li><li> Balance of humility and self confidence </li><li> Good interpersonal skills, ability to communicate well at all levels of the organization and with staff at remote locations </li><li> Strong problem solving and creative skills and the ability to exercise sound judgment and make decisions based on accurate and timely analyses </li><li> High level of integrity and dependability with a strong sense of urgency and results-orientation </li><li> Anticipates the environment, is forward thinking and able to see the 'big picture' </li><li> Creative in the achievement of stretching objectives; does not accept failure easily </li><li> Flexibility to adapt quickly to new challenges and environments </li><li> English language fluency </li><li> Demonstrated committment to continous learning and development </li></ul> <br><br><b> Company Overview </b><br><br>Wood is a global leader in engineering and consultancy across energy and the built environment, helping to unlock solutions to some of the world's most critical challenges. We provide consulting, projects and operations solutions in more than 60 countries, employing around 40,000 people. www.woodplc.com <br><br><b> Diversity Statement </b><br><br>We are an equal opportunity employer that recognises the value of a diverse workforce. All suitably qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment on the basis of objective criteria and without regard to the following (which is a non-exhaustive list): race, colour, age, religion, gender, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, protected veteran status, or other characteristics in accordance with the relevant governing laws.