Senior Property Advisor (Solicitor) (Maternity Cover)
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Job Description
In today's world it's important to work for a company that has clear purpose, giving back to communities and supporting what is truly important in the world.
When considering a career move it's vital to work for a business that is aligned to your values and goals, a place where you can belong. See what WSP stands for in 2024 and beyond...
Find out more about our business by clicking on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: https://www.wsp.com
Responsibilities
- Completing all real estate legal work within England and Wales, including:
- New Leases (and all searches, enquiries and post-completion formalities);
- Agreements for Lease often conditional on Landlord's Works;
- Leasehold Options and Rights of First Refusal;
- Renewal Leases;
- Licences for Works;
- Rent Review Memorandums;
- Dilapidations Agreements;
- Serving break notices and managing break procedure;
- Deeds of Surrender;
- Wayleaves;
- Serviced Accommodation and Storage Agreements;
- Other associated lease documents;
- Instructing local solicitors for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland for more complex real estate legal work and liaising with the rest of the Corporate Real Estate (CRE) team to ensure such solicitors receive all necessary instructions;
- Completing basic real estate legal work within Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland, effectively where we are renewing a low value agreement and simply need to ensure it is renewed on the same terms;
- Instructing local solicitors for Africa (primarily South Africa) for more complex real estate legal work and liaising with the rest of the Corporate Real Estate (CRE) team to ensure such solicitors receive all necessary instructions;
- Completing basic real estate legal work within Africa, effectively where we are renewing a low value agreement and simply need to ensure it is renewed on the same terms;
- Landlord and Tenant liaison:
- Assisting the CRE team with real estate issues across the portfolio, including approaching landlord with regards to potential works and approaching landlords to resolve issues being experienced across our estate;
- Approaching landlords to request terms for lower value renewals;
- Corporate Support Work:
- Assisting the corporate WSP legal team with regards to acquisitions or other corporate transactions involving the UK and Africa (and assisting to instruct local solicitors if not an English/Welsh acquisition);
- Compiling all key lease documents and a spreadsheet of all key information relating to acquisition properties;
- Producing lease reports on all acquisition leases;
- Dealing with assignments of leases where needed to integrate acquisition leases into WSP;
- Database management (UK and Africa):
- Maintaining a folder of current lease documents and producing lease reports for all leases so the team have useful information easily to hand;
- Maintaining a spreadsheet of all main property data;
- Responsibility for keeping track of all upcoming lease dates and ensuring the remainder of the CRE team are informed of these well in advance, and reminded as needed, so appropriate decisions can be made and actions taken;
- Data Protection:
- Overseeing data protection processes from CRE perspective (not from a technical sense, simply for basic queries and/or to sign post issues to the commercial legal team as needed);
- Keeping the CRE Data Protection Policy updated (annual task);
- Green Leases
- Incorporating green clauses in new leases (and renewal leases not currently incorporating green lease clauses) wherever possible;
- Raising environmental enquiries on all new leasehold properties and liaising with the WSP Facilities Management (FM) and Environmental Teams with regards to these;
- Liaising with WSP global stakeholders with regards to green lease standard requirements across WSP's estate globally;
- WSP Standard Lease Requirements:
- Incorporating WSP Standard Requirements, Standard Heads of Terms and green clauses in leases as far as possible;
- Raising WSP Standard Enquiries on new lease matters;
- Liaising with all parts of the CRE team, including Projects, FM, Accounting and Environmental on lease matters to ensure that any requirements are adequately dealt with;
- Ensuring the WSP Delegation of Authority policy is fully complied with in respect of all legal real estate matters;
- Real Estate Queries:
- Assisting WSP accounts team with auditors' and other financial queries;
- Assisting with CRE budget;
- Assisting with Business Continuity plans;
- Providing advice on all legal property matters for the CRE team and WSP colleagues more widely.
Qualifications
- Qualified Solicitor practising in England and Wales specialising in commercial property/real estate;
- Significant exposure to and experience of high value leasehold transactions;
- Ability to work independently in terms of legal work and without input from other real estate solicitors as there are no other real estate solicitors within WSP in the UK;
- Organisation and attention to detail imperative given the responsibility for ensuring all key lease dates are kept on top of;
- Commercial mindset to spot opportunities arising from real estate matters, including upcoming dates and acquisition opportunities;
- Good communication and team member skills to ensure good communication across the full CRE team and wider within WSP.
About Us
We are WSP - Join us and make your career future ready!
In today's world it's important to work for a company that has clear purpose, giving back to communities and supporting what is truly important in the world.
When considering a career move its vital to work for a business that is aligned to your values and goals, a place where you can belong.
To find out more about our business click on the following link and discover what awaits you at WSP: Who We Are | WSP
WHAT'S IN IT FOR YOU
Work-life balance?
WSP recognises that work is only one part of your life and making time for other things is important - whether that's for your families, friends, or yourself.
Our hybrid working policy allows the flexibility to work from the comfort of your own home as well as collaborating in our contemporary offices across the UK.
Inclusivity & Diversity?
We want our people to achieve rewarding careers, bringing their whole selves to work. We celebrate integrity and treat people with respect, supporting each other and embracing diversity to create a culture of inclusion and belonging at WSP.
Our employee resource groups VIBE (LGBTQ+ employees), CREED (Championing Racial Equality and Ethnic Diversity) and our Gender Balance Group, in tandem with WSP's Neurodiverse Community Group, WSP Connect Group (visible and non-visible disabilities) help us promote the right environment for you to reach your full potential.
Health & Wellbeing?
We are committed to supporting our people, giving you the tools to make improvements to your health and wellbeing through our Thrive programme.
Med24 gives you and your family unrestricted telephone access to an NHS doctor where you can call day or night or have a face-to-face video consultation.
Flex your time?
For improved work life balance, WSP offers the "WSP Hour" which enables you to take one hour per day to do as you wish and make up the time earlier or later that day. We also offer part time and flexible working arrangements plus the option to flex your bank holiday entitlement to suit you.
Your development?
We appreciate that development and training is important to you and that's why we have a supportive environment that invests in your development, whether that's chartership, training or mentoring.
APPLY NOW AND BE THE FUTURE OF WSP!
#WeAreWSP
Here at WSP we positively encourage applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, religion or belief, marital status, pregnancy or maternity/paternity. As a Disability Confident leader, we will interview all disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria, please let us know if you require any workplace adjustments in support of your application.
Please note WSP reserves the right to close the vacancy before the advertised closing date.