Paralegal This is an exciting opportunity to join National Highways’ experienced in-house legal team as a Paralegal within the Operations and Legislation Legal Team. The team provides legal advice on operational matters arising from the day-to-day management of the strategic road network. This is a varied role where you will apply your legal knowledge across areas including traffic regulation and management, highway law, statutory instruments, network claims, counter fraud, traffic officer powers and supporting colleagues involved in court proceedings. You will also have opportunities to contribute to wider legal matters across the organisation. Working alongside experienced and qualified lawyers, you will gain valuable experience, develop your legal skills and play an important role in supporting the delivery of Road Investment Strategy 3. This is a hybrid role, requiring two days per week in the office, based at the National Highways office in Guildford or Birmingham • Provide specialist paralegal support to a busy in-house legal department, delivering a high standard of professional service and client care. • Support the management of a varied civil litigation caseload, including claimant and defendant matters, and assist external lawyers acting on behalf of National Highways. • Provide legal and drafting support to lawyers within the Operations and Legislation team on a range of operational and highway matters. • Monitor the Legal Services team inbox, triage and allocate requests for legal advice, ensuring queries are directed to the appropriate team members. • Undertake legal research and provide general legal support across the team as required. About you. • Law degree or Graduate Diploma in Law and / or relevant legal experience. • Knowledge of public law or experience of working in a public law environment would also be an advantage. • Excellent client handling skills and experience of working under pressure in a busy office environment • Evidence of excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate across all levels. • Evidence of ability to independently manage your own caseload. About us. Here at National Highways, we manage and improve England’s motorways and major A roads, helping our customers have safer, smoother and more reliable journeys. Our priorities are safety, customers and delivery, and at the core of this, are our values of passion, integrity, safety, teamwork and ownership. Legal Services encompasses both the National Highways legal team and the company secretariat and Information Rights team. Our aim is to provide the organisation with an effective legal service and support the Board, Chief Executive, and its committees on a wide range of issues. We offer strategic legal advice on commercial, planning, operational, highways, employment, regulatory, and property matters, ensuring legal compliance and minimising exposure to risk. External candidates will be offered a starting salary at the lower end of the pay scale, while current employees will be appointed in accordance with our established pay policy. We are committed to creating a diverse environment and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Why you should join us At National Highways we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We’re proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers. So, if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it – then you’ll be a great fit for our organisation. A connected and sustainable working approach has been adopted across National Highways. For some roles, this means being able to work in a hybrid way spending up to 60% of time working from a remote location such as home. Please wait until the interview stage before asking us about flexibility, and we will explore what is possible. Our benefits package • Our total reward package includes basic salary, the potential for a performance related bonus • Contributory pension scheme with employer contribution of up to 10% • Annual Leave starting at 26 days (plus Bank Holidays) rising by 1 day each year up to 31 days (plus Bank Holidays) • Flexible hours and an approach driven by connected and sustainable working which includes hybrid working • Life assurance of 4 times annual salary • Health and wellbeing support, including an Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders. Plus access to a wellbeing app to enhance your self-care 24/7, Occupational health service and flu vaccines • A cycle to work scheme for the purchase of a bicycle and equipment for healthy, low carbon travel • Significant investment in your career development, through learning and development, talent management, coaching, mentoring and on job experience And we are • Family friendly with enhanced maternity leave and pay, paternity leave (15 days), shared parental leave, adoption leave. Plus access to financial support for holiday play schemes and paid special leave (up to 5 days pa), eg for caring responsibilities • Money friendly with access to a discounts platform including over 3000 discounts for supermarkets, eating out, leisure, holidays. Alongside a financial wellbeing programme • Community friendly – offering paid leave to volunteer, 3 days basic/year If you are successful, it is key to know all offers of employment are subject to satisfactory completion of our pre-employment checks which include: • Right to work check * 3 year employment history references • DBS criminal record check • Social media and adverse journalism check • Driving licence check (if applicable) • Fit to work questionnaire (for all), followed by a medical check (if applicable) • Qualifications and/or professional membership check (if applicable) And finally We reserve the right to close before the advertisement expires.