Principal Solicitor

Job Description

Job title: Principal Solicitor
Team: Legal Team
Location: Based in our Glasgow office, with everyday flexibility working options
Grade: 6
Salary: £52,527 – £60,812 (salary on appointment will normally be at the bottom of the range)
Hours:35 hours per week
Status: Full-time, permanent
Vacancy ref: R00703
Closing date: 3 June 2026

The role

Our principal solicitors play a central role in how our organisation manages legal risk. This is a varied role, working across a range of legal specialisms including public law and governance, subsidy, real estate, company and commercial law, corporate finance, data protection, procurement and litigation. As a Principal Solicitor, you’ll provide strategic advice on changes to the law and how they apply to our organisation. You’ll identify legal risks in day-to-day operations and help solve complex problems so we can deliver impactful and often innovative projects.

Responsibilities

• Advising and delivering on a broad mix of legal matters – identifying and assessing legal risks, providing advice to colleagues across the organisation on existing and emerging legal requirements, and helping deliver significant transactions
• Problem solving will be a central part of the role
• Instructing and managing work of external law firms, including associated legal budgets
• Identifying opportunities to improve how legal services are delivered across the organisation and helping to put those improvements into practice

Who we’re looking for

Essential requirements for this role:

• You must be a fully qualified solicitor with a current practising certificate and relevant post qualification experience.
• Ideally, this will include experience in one or more of the following areas: public law, governance, subsidy, real estate, company and commercial law, corporate finance, procurement, data protection or litigation.
• The ability to identify and advise on a wide range of legal risks at both project and organisational level
• Confidence in taking a high degree of responsibility as part of a structured and supportive legal team
• Strong communication and influencing skills, and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of people both inside and outside the organisation
• Responsibility for the effective delivery of routine transactions, while also working with external law firms and legal colleagues on more complex projects
• The ability to prioritise work efficiently
• Keen intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning about new areas of law and business, reflecting the breadth of the role and the nature of the organisation

Ideally, but not essentially, you’ll also have:

• Political awareness and a good understanding of the public regulatory framework. If this is new to you, we’ll support you to build your knowledge and experience in this area.

At Scottish Enterprise, we’re proud to celebrate difference. Diversity of experience and thought is vital to the success of our vision for the future of every community across Scotland. As an equal opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from a wide range of individuals, irrespective of age, disability, gender reassignment, gender identity and expression, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

We commit to providing any reasonable adjustments required, not only during the application and assessment process but throughout your employment with us.

We have the following networks that are open to all colleagues to help drive inclusion: Disability Positive, Gender Balanced, Multi-Cultural, Multi-Generational and Pride (LGBTQ+).