Job Description

About the role

We are looking for our first in-house construction projects lawyer. You will be part of the airport's legal & compliance team, but will work day-do-day supporting our dynamic and successful projects team.



You will provide construction legal expertise to the projects team to identify, manage and mitigate risk in Edinburgh Airport's capital programme and project activities.



You will partner with the projects team and lead on contract structure, drafting and support across the project portfolio. This role offers hybrid working which can be discussed at interview stage.

About the Recruitment Process

The interview process for this role will be comprised of two stages, one of which will include a presentation. Your first interview will be with our Senior Legal Counsel and a member of our Projects team, and your second interview will include our General Counsel and another senior member of our Projects team.



You can find out more about our interview process and the types of questions we may ask here.

Edinburgh Airport's Capital Projects

Edinburgh Airport is Scotland's busiest airport, expecting to welcome more than 16 million passengers in 2025 - a record for a Scottish airport.


The airport is in a period of sustained and exciting growth and has a capital investment programme to match. You will be a central member of a team that delivers improved passenger experience, increased operational resilience, and supports the airport's carbon reduction activity.



During 2024, the airport invested over 50m across a range of projects in the terminal and on the airfield. These included:


An overhaul of the airport security hall infrastructure, including delivering new 3D imaging technology and faster security lanes; Upgrades to vital airfield and campus infrastructure including taxiways, the Archimedes storm screws, the road network, and the runway; Sustainability projects including a 10 MW solar farm, installation of fixed electrical ground power, and electrifying part of the vehicle fleet; Terminal projects including the redevelopment of check-in areas to improve passenger experience and capacity; Upgrades to retail and commercial offerings including an extension to World Duty Free, and investment in car parking to increase capacity.

The airport's capital programme over the next 5 years is expected to exceed 500m, with a focus on sustainable growth. There are several pivotal capital projects already in progress, such as extensive Terminal and airfield development, with more in the pipeline.


We have a dynamic and successful in-house projects team of around 45 individuals covering project development, tendering and implementation. Each year there are around 140 capital projects in progress. Projects operate through a defined 'tollgate' based governance process with reporting to senior management and the airport's Board.

What you'll be doing

Providing legal advice to the projects team and the wider business as required in respect of its construction activity Acting as a trusted advisor on legal risk mitigation and helping to deliver successful projects Supporting contract negotiations including drafting and reviewing works contracts and professional services contracts Helping the team with proof-of-concept opportunities by advising on risk, opportunity and potential contracting structures Engaging and managing external legal experts for specialist advice where necessary Working with contractors and suppliers during contract delivery to ensure contract management and controlled contract change Advising on relevant legislative and regulatory requirements and horizon scanning for regulatory change Providing advice, information and occasional training to the Projects team

What we're looking for

This role requires the successful candidate to obtain a Counter Terrorist Check, so you must have been living in the UK for the last 3 consecutive years

We understand not everyone will meet all the requirements below, but if you can tick off most of the list we'd love to hear from you.


You have a professional legal qualification and minimum 3+ years PQE You have a strong understanding of construction law and experience of applying that to construction projects You have a working knowledge of industry standard form construction contracts including NEC You have experience of 'two-stage tendering' processes and other procurement strategies You have an understanding of legal risk and mitigation strategies You have experience of advising commercial organisations on managing legal risk You are comfortable assuming a degree of legal risk within reasonable tolerance levels You have excellent communication and interpersonal skills You have experience working collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to deliver results You have strong attention to detail and an analytical approach, with the ability to manage competing priorities You are naturally organised, with experience delivering tasks effectively, efficiently and on-time

What we'll offer you

Career development - access our Talent Management programmes at the right stage in your career Pension scheme- employer contributions can be up to 7% 32 days holiday, based on full time roles, increasing with service Annual discretionary bonus Supporting your health and wellbeing- private healthcare after 1 years' service, access to our Employee Assistance Programme and occupational health services Free car parking on site and when you go on holiday We offer a range of other benefits, find out more here

Why EDI?

We are Edinburgh Airport, where Scotland meets the world. The success of the airport comes down to our people, and you can help us deliver even more big days for our passengers and colleagues. The development of your career is important to us, and we'll support and encourage this every step of the way. As a business we're driven by our values - they're at the core of our culture and everything we do. We're looking for people who will demonstrate these values day-in, day-out. So if this sounds like you, apply now and get ready for your career to take off.



Building a diverse workforce that is inclusive and accessible to all is a priority for our business. As part of this journey, we are proud to be the first UK airport to be endorsed by WORK180. They only recognise great employers for all women. Find out about our policies on our WORK180 employer page.



As a Disability Confident Leader, we are committed to ensuring applicants with a disability can participate fully in our recruitment process. Please let us know in your application form if you require any adjustments, such as parking arrangements or alternative methods of communication.