Project Legal Counsel

Role Overview

The Project Legal Counsel acts as the dedicated legal reference for a major CTS data centre project,

providing legal and contractual support throughout the project lifecycle.

Embedded within the project and Commercial & Contract Management organization, the role

develops an in-depth understanding of the project's contractual framework and supports the project

leadership team in managing legal and contractual matters arising during execution.

Working closely with the Project Director, Commercial & Contracts team and relevant Group

functions, the Project Legal Counsel helps protect CTS's contractual position while enabling

pragmatic and timely project delivery.

This is a highly operational legal role requiring a strong understanding of large-scale EPC and

construction projects, the ability to interpret complex contractual arrangements and the

commercial judgement to translate legal requirements into practical advice for project teams.

Key Responsibilities

Project Legal & Contractual Support

 Act as the primary legal reference for the assigned project and develop a comprehensive

understanding of the main contract and associated contractual framework.

 Advise the Project Director, Commercial & Contracts team and project leadership on legal

and contractual matters arising throughout project execution.

 Interpret contractual rights, obligations, liabilities and risk allocation and translate them into

clear, actionable guidance for operational teams.

 Support the implementation of contractual requirements throughout the project lifecycle.

 Review significant project correspondence and contractual communications where legal

input is required.

 Provide legal support on contractual notices, reservations of rights and other formal project

communications.

 Identify emerging legal and contractual risks and support the project team in defining

appropriate mitigation strategies.

Contract Management & Project Execution

 Work closely with Commercial & Contract Management to ensure consistent interpretation

and application of the project's contractual framework.

 Support the management of variations, extensions of time, delay matters, change orders

and other contractual events from a legal perspective.

 Advise on contractual interfaces between the client, CTS, subcontractors, consultants,

suppliers and other project stakeholders.

 Support procurement and project teams in reviewing and negotiating project-specific

subcontracts, consultancy agreements, supply agreements and other downstream

contractual arrangements.

 Help ensure appropriate flow-down of obligations and risk from the main contract into

relevant downstream agreements.

 Support resolution of contractual issues arising during design, procurement, manufacturing,

construction, commissioning and handover.

 Maintain awareness of key contractual milestones, obligations and potential exposures

throughout project delivery.

Claims, Disputes & Risk

 Support the preparation, review and legal assessment of project claims and counterclaims.

 Advise the project and Commercial teams on contractual entitlement, legal exposure and

dispute strategy.

 Support negotiations aimed at resolving contractual disagreements before they develop into

formal disputes.

 Coordinate with Group Legal & Compliance and external counsel where specialist legal

advice or formal dispute proceedings are required.

 Support mediation, adjudication, arbitration, litigation or other dispute-resolution processes

as required.

 Ensure appropriate documentation and evidence are maintained to protect CTS's

contractual position.

 Identify recurring contractual risks and contribute lessons learned to future projects and

contracting approaches.

Governance & Stakeholder Coordination

 Partner closely with the Project Director and Chief Commercial & Contracts Officer,

balancing strong contractual protection with the operational realities of project delivery.

 Liaise with Group Legal & Compliance on matters requiring Group-level legal oversight,

specialist expertise or governance.

 Coordinate with Design & Engineering, Supply Chain & Procurement, Finance, Insurance and

Other Relevant Functions On Project-specific Legal Matters.

 Ensure project decisions remain aligned with applicable CTS governance, delegated

authorities and contractual requirements.

 Escalate significant legal exposures, disputes or contractual risks in a timely and concise

manner.

 Contribute to project risk reviews and relevant commercial/project governance forums.

Experience & Qualifications

 Qualified lawyer with a law degree and relevant professional qualification.

 Typically 7+ years of relevant legal experience, with significant exposure to major

construction, infrastructure, EPC or complex engineering projects.

 Strong experience working directly with project teams during contract execution rather than

exclusively within a corporate legal environment.

 Strong understanding of complex construction and EPC contractual structures.

 Working knowledge of FIDIC or comparable international construction contract

frameworks is highly desirable.

 Experience with variation/change management, claims, extensions of time and contractual

notices.

 Exposure to arbitration and other dispute-resolution processes within construction,

infrastructure or EPC environments.

 Experience reviewing and negotiating subcontract, supply, consultancy and other project-

related agreements.

 Data centre or mission-critical infrastructure experience is highly advantageous.

 Experience working on large, international, multi-stakeholder projects.

 Fluent English essential; additional languages relevant to the project location are

advantageous.

Skills & Personal Attributes

 Strong legal acumen combined with a commercial and project-oriented mindset.

 Able to interpret complex contracts and translate legal concepts into practical

recommendations for operational teams.

 Comfortable working close to project delivery and making pragmatic, risk-based

recommendations.

 Strong understanding of the balance between protecting CTS's contractual position and

enabling successful project execution.

 Excellent judgement and ability to distinguish material risks from issues that can be

managed operationally.

 Strong negotiation and influencing capabilities.

 Able to manage urgent matters and competing priorities in a demanding project

environment.

 Confident working with Project Directors, Commercial leaders, engineers, procurement

teams and senior client representatives.

 Highly organized with strong documentation and follow-through discipline.

 Able to operate autonomously while knowing when matters require escalation to Group

Legal & Compliance or Executive leadership.

 Strong written and verbal communication skills.

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role means the project leadership team has immediate access to pragmatic, high-

quality legal advice from someone who understands the contract, the project and the operational

context.

Contractual risks are identified early, CTS's rights and entitlements are appropriately protected,

project correspondence and decisions are legally robust, and potential disputes are actively

managed before they escalate.

The Project Legal Counsel ultimately helps CTS deliver major projects while protecting the

contractual and legal position of the Group