Job Description

About the Port of Dover

The Port of Dover is a dynamic, fast‑paced and commercially driven organisation, constantly evolving to support one of the UK’s most vital transport hubs. With growth comes opportunity – and complexity. We’re now looking for a proactive and commercially minded Legal Advisor on a temporary basis to support our business as we continue to develop.

This is a fixed term contract and will be for approx. 6 – 9 months

The Role

As Legal Advisor, you will provide timely, accurate and pragmatic legal advice across the organisation, including our subsidiaries. You’ll work closely with colleagues at all levels, ensuring legal risk is identified early and managed effectively, while raising the profile and visibility of the legal function throughout the Port.

This is a varied and hands‑on role, offering exposure to contracts, property, procurement, liability, data protection and wider corporate matters — ideal for a qualified lawyer looking to make a real impact in an operational environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide clear, commercially focused legal advice across multiple business areas
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts
• Advise on regulated procurement matters
• Support the Data Protection Officer / Company Secretary in respect of privacy and data protection matters
• Manage legal liability claims within insurance excess, including property damage and minor personal injury claims
• Progress recovery of bad debts, including small claims and enforcement action
• Ensure risks around legal liability are mitigated through appropriate disclaimers and indemnities
• Support wider corporate and ad‑hoc projects as required

The Ideal Candidate
Knowledge & Experience

• Legally qualified (Solicitor or equivalent)
• Minimum of 2 years’ relevant post‑qualification experience
• Solid understanding of contract law, liability and property law

Skills & Capabilities

• Clear, concise and confident written and verbal communication
• Strong legal research skills with a pragmatic, commercial mindset

Personal Attributes

• Calm and resilient under pressure, with the ability to manage competing priorities
• Strong relationship builder, able to work effectively across all levels of the organisation
• Highly organised with excellent time‑management skills
• Collaborative, solution‑focused and professional in approach
• Acts as a role model for integrity, respect and professionalism

Why Join Us?

You’ll be joining an organisation with a unique national significance, offering a varied legal workload, real responsibility and the opportunity to contribute to strategic and operational decision‑making in a complex, high‑profile environment.

Hours of work 37.5 per week Monday - Friday

Salary Up to £55k DOE

Benefits

• 5 weeks annual leave + bank holidays (pro rata)

• Generous contributory pension scheme

• Employee assistance programme

• 3rd party discounts

• Benefits and reward platform
• Free Parking
• Employee volunteering scheme

All offers of employment are subject to us obtaining satisfactory references (covering all education, training, employment and unemployment in the preceding 5 years) and there will be a pre-employment medical including a Drug and Alcohol test. We need to satisfy your Right to Work in the UK.

Please be aware that all employees will be subject to background security checks in order to obtain a Dock Pass.

We value the unique differences that each of our colleagues bring to work every day and are committed to creating an environment where everyone is looking after each other and respected, included and able to perform at their best.

All applications are reviewed by our team — we do not use AI for screening.

Closing date: 22 May 2026 at 5pm