Legal Claims Executive

About the Role

Legal Claims Executive – Balfour Beatty – Connect Plus Services (CPS)

Location: Dartford, Leatherhead or South Mimms

We have an exciting opportunity for a Legal Claims Executive to join our Connect Plus Services (CPS) team, supporting the M25 London Orbital Motorway project.

CPS is a joint venture between Balfour Beatty, Atkins and Egis, responsible for operating and maintaining the M25, Europe’s busiest motorway. Delivering over £100m of annual investment, alongside planned and reactive maintenance, this is a complex and high-profile network requiring robust and efficient planning.

If you are building a career in highways, this role offers exposure to one of the UK’s most challenging and dynamic infrastructure environments.

What You’ll Be Doing

Lead the management, investigation and resolution of Red Claims, ensuring accurate liability decisions, effective cost control, and high-quality coordination with legal partners and internal stakeholders to protect the business and support efficient claims recovery.

You will act as the lead for Red Claims (claims made against the Highway Operator), managing claims received and adapting processes within a changing environment. This includes conducting investigations to determine liability, assessing claims, presenting reasonable settlement offers where appropriate, repudiating claims where no liability rests with the Operator, limiting business cost exposure, processing payments to claimants and responding to Appeals and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.

You will also prepare Green Claim packs for referral to external legal suppliers, liaise with legal partners regarding documentation and costs, and work with internal stakeholders to make informed settlement decisions based on prospects of success.

In addition, you will support the Green Claims Team to ensure best-in-class cost recovery and claims management, acting as the key liaison with external legal service providers.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the management of Red Claims, ensuring timely and accurate handling of all claims.
• Conduct detailed investigations into causation to determine liability on behalf of the business.
• Assess claims and, where appropriate, prepare and present reasonable settlement offers for damages.
• Repudiate claims where no liability rests with the Operator, ensuring decisions are evidence-based and compliant with policy.
• Minimise financial exposure to the business through effective negotiation, risk assessment and cost-control measures.
• Raise and process payments to claimants in line with agreed procedures.
• Prepare formal responses to Appeals and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests.
• Compile and submit Green Claim packs for referral to external legal suppliers.
• Liaise with external legal partners to resolve documentation queries, clarify evidence and manage associated costs.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to evaluate settlement options and make informed decisions.
• Support the Green Claims Team by contributing to best-in-class cost recovery processes and acting as the primary liaison for legal supplier services.
• Manage claims to ensure they are continually progressed and actioned accordingly.
• Manage relationships with solicitors, ensuring claims are processed effectively.
• Provide leadership on legal claims, including attendance at hearings where required.
• Lead on uninsured loss claims.
• Assist other projects with Green and Red Claims.
• Prepare claims documentation and correspondence for litigation.
• Negotiate the settlement of claims with insurers and members of the public.
• Work to achieve targets and objectives set by the line manager.
• Comply with all claims processes, policies, controls and regulatory frameworks.
• Identify and put forward improvement proposals, implementing LEAN principles where appropriate.

Who We’re Looking For

• Experience working in a credit control, administration or claims management environment, preferably within highways services, insurance or a related sector.
• Good verbal and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer and administrative skills.
• A diploma in a relevant field is preferred but not essential (e.g. CII, CILA, CICM or equivalent legal training/background providing an understanding of claim liability).