Procurement Lawyer

Application Deadline: 12 April 2026

Department: CEO Office

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Milton Keynes

Reporting To: Head of Legal

Description

A little bit about us:

East West Rail is a nationally significant railway project which aims to deliver much-needed transport connections for the vibrant communities between Oxford, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Cambridge, which blend beautiful landscapes and a rich cultural heritage with globally renowned centres of education, business, technology and an increasingly dynamic business scene. Together these communities contribute around GBP 111 billion to the national economy each year.

However, the lack of good East-West transport connections makes it harder for residents to make the most of everything the region has to offer. From faster commutes to days out with friends and family, EWR will make it easier to reach the things that matter most, bringing a range of benefits to communities between Oxford and Cambridge, and across the UK more broadly.

EWR is also one of the UK's largest infrastructure projects, which the government committed to delivering in full in the Autumn 2024 Budget, and again in the 2025 Spending Review as part of its ambition to unlock the potential of the Oxford to Cambridge Growth Corridor.

EWR is being championed by the Government as a key driver to economic growth leading to a potential GBP 78 Billion boost to the UK economy: supporting new towns, housing, and regeneration.

Role Summary:

As EWR enters a period of very high-value procurement, this role will provide specialist legal advice, guidance and direction on all aspects of public procurement law and practice across the business.

The role will focus on ensuring that procurement activity is legally compliant, robust and defensible, including advising on procurement structures, direct awards, justifications, evaluation approaches and the management of legal risk throughout the procurement lifecycle.

The role will act as a trusted legal partner to Commercial and Procurement teams, supporting the delivery of complex infrastructure procurements while protecting the organisation from challenge and ensuring compliance with applicable procurement legislation.

Team Dimensions:

EWR Legal is a lean, collaborative and high performing legal team embedded across the company. We operate a matrix structure, partnering with all teams across the programme.

While your primary focus will be procurement, you will have exposure across a variety of practice areas, giving you a rare blend of depth and breadth. You will work directly with the Head of Legal. This is a hands-on role where your advice genuinely shapes outcomes.

You will be expected to operate with a high degree of autonomy, handling complex matters independently and exercising sound legal and commercial judgement in a fast-paced, high-profile infrastructure environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Advise on all aspects of public procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015, Utilities Contracts Regulations, Procurement Act 2023, and related guidance and frameworks.
• Advise on the design and delivery of complex, high-value procurements, including infrastructure, construction, professional services and technology procurements, ensuring compliance with applicable procurement law and internal governance requirements.
• Advise on procurement routes, direct awards, exemptions and justifications, ensuring that decisions are robust, compliant and capable of withstanding scrutiny and challenge.
• Advise on procurement documentation, including notices, specifications, ITTs, evaluation methodologies and scoring frameworks, clarification responses, award letters and standstill communications.
• Provide legal advice on evaluation processes and governance, ensuring transparency, equal treatment and defensibility of procurement decisions.
• Advise on and support the management of procurement challenges and disputes, if relevant.
• Work closely with Commercial and project teams to identify, assess and mitigate legal and commercial risk across the programme.
• Support the negotiation and drafting of commercial contracts, including construction and infrastructure agreements and procurement-related framework arrangements.
• Contribute to the continuous improvement of legal and procurement processes, supporting the development of practical, scalable approaches to risk management and decision-making.
• Provide broader in-house legal support across the business as required, including advising on commercial, regulatory and governance matters, and contributing to the effective management of legal risk across the organisation.
• Build strong, trusted relationships with stakeholders across the organisation, providing clear, pragmatic and solution-focused advice.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

• Qualified as a Solicitor of the Courts of England & Wales, with at least 3 years' PQE.
• Experience advising on UK public procurement law, including the Public Contracts Regulations 2015 and the Procurement Act 2023, with a strong understanding of how the regime operates in practice.
• Demonstrable experience advising on complex, high-value procurements, ideally within infrastructure, construction, utilities, transport or other regulated/public sector environments.
• Experience drafting and advising on procurement documentation and procurement processes.
• Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to balance legal risk with delivery objectives in a high-pressure environment.
• Excellent analytical skills, with the ability to identify key legal risks quickly and develop pragmatic, defensible solutions.
• Ability to provide legal advice clearly, concisely and in plain English.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence decision-making at all levels of the organisation.
• Demonstrable negotiation and influencing skills to support sound decision-making.
• Ability to operate with a high degree of autonomy, managing competing priorities and exercising sound judgement with limited supervision
• A collegiate and collaborative approach to working within a multi-disciplinary team.

Benefits

• Competitive salary that reflects your skills and experience
• Up to 12% employer pension contribution to support your future
• 36 days annual leave (including bank holidays) plus the option to buy up to 2 extra days
• 2 volunteering days, a chance for you to give back to the community
• Enhanced family-friendly policies to support you and your loved ones
• Life assurance (4x your annual salary) for peace of mind
• Employee Assistance Programme for confidential support when you need it
• Access to Perkbox for a wide range of discounts and wellbeing benefits
• Recognition programme, including on-the-spot and annual awards
• Advanced learning and development opportunities to help you grow.

Diversity and Inclusion:

At East West Railway Company, we're committed to building an inclusive railway for all. We believe that to do that, we must nurture a diverse team that represents the UK communities that we impact. Our approach is simple - to create an environment where everyone is welcome and able to be themselves. We celebrate diversity and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all backgrounds and experiences.