Senior Contracts Manager

The Senior Contracts Manager will join our legal team, collaborating with other team members to provide an effective, efficient and excellent service. The legal team is an intrinsic and valued part of the business, facilitating transactions and managing risks to support the business goals and consistent with our corporate values of: honesty & integrity, open & straightforward, one version of events, agile & responsive, friendly and engaging. The team has use of the latest technology, leading research and precedents & unlimited training.

Role Purpose:

• To be a valued member of the legal team by providing pragmatic legal support to members of the business in their day-to-day trading activities – e.g. the sales, pre-sales, operational, procurement and management teams.
• Collaborate with other team members to ensure an effective and efficient service is provided to the internal client.
• Engage with the business to be aware of its requirements and to be aware of changes in the demands placed upon the team and to respond to them.
• To challenge your own experience and expertise so that you seek to continue to improve your contribution to the business.
• Make use of the team's training, research, precedent, and technology resources to optimise the individual and the team's service delivery.
• To be open to new ways of working and be prepared to propose new methods and processes to the team.

Responsibilities:

• Provide practical, commercial, and concise advice, guidance and support on contract terms, legal issues, and business risks.
• Review and amend terms in a variety of agreements including supplier and customer contracts, software licences, SaaS agreements, agency, and service provision agreements.
• Negotiate with customers and suppliers in line with business requirements and company policies to achieve business objectives and the required allocation of risk.
• Manage and maintain contracts registers and contract management systems.
• Work closely with various departments to on-board new suppliers and customers for the relevant sector of the business.
• Research legal and regulatory issues which arise from time to time.
• Instruct external legal counsel in non-UK jurisdictions or for specific legal expertise and apply the advice to the situation.
• Keep the business legal templates up to date and relevant.
• Make a positive contribution towards the operation of the team by suggesting any improvements you feel may contribute to the more effective or efficient operation of the team.
• Keep your line manager up to date with your workload and any issues that you feel are relevant to the business and your role.
• Understand and follow the processes and procedures adopted by the team and the business from time to time and which are relevant to you.
• Your development as a contract manager and businessperson.

Qualifications:

• Legal training (for example, law degree, LPC, GDL) to demonstrate solid understanding and application of fundamental legal principles, for example: English contract law and negligence.
• In-house experience across commercial agreements, preferably in the IT industry.
• Good knowledge of contract law and some knowledge of cross-border agreements and the additional complications they pose to the parties.
• An ability to operate to deadlines and prioritise workload for the benefit of the business.
• Good business judgement & understands commercial pressures and implications.
• Strong organisational and time management skills.
• High level of attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to communicate appropriately with key stakeholders without using jargon or overly legalistic language to facilitate good understanding of the issues by all parties and enable sound decision making.
• Able to write clear, concise, and understandable communications including legal agreements, associated correspondence and advice.
• Computer literate with strong skills in Office 365 suite.
• Good negotiation skills to help to seek positive business outcomes and maintain positive relations with customers and suppliers.
• Adaptable and able to work flexibly in the context of a medium sized growing business.
• A positive approach to their work and a team-player, working in a collaborative way to share knowledge and workload appropriately and to keep all stakeholders informed and up to date.