Trainee Legal Assistant/legal Assistant in Kent

A hands-on commercial paralegal role supporting contract management and compliance across an international franchise network spanning 60+ countries. Working closely with the Global Manager for Contract Compliance & Risk, you’ll manage a broad mix of legal and operational matters—covering franchise agreements, commercial contracts, and multi-jurisdictional compliance. This is a business-facing role combining traditional legal work with stakeholder interaction, offering strong exposure to international operations and commercial decision-making. Please note you must be prepared to travel to the Kings Hill Office in Kent at least 3 days per week.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review and support negotiation of franchise agreements and commercial contracts (including NDAs).
• Manage the full contract lifecycle: renewals, variations, terminations and record accuracy.
• Ensure contracts align with company standards, risk appetite, and local legal requirements.
• Investigate potential breaches of franchise agreements and support appropriate action.
• Maintain and update franchise disclosure documents across jurisdictions.
• Act as first point of contact for internal legal queries; triage and manage requests.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to provide practical, commercially focused legal support.
• Maintain contract data and documentation within internal systems.
• Support supplier contract management and track key obligations/dates.
• Assist with training on contractual and compliance matters.
• Contribute to wider business projects requiring legal/compliance input.
• Use internal systems (CRM, DocuSign, Dynamics) to manage workflows.
• Coordinate translation of legal documents where required.

Experience & Skills

• ~2–4 years’ experience in a paralegal, legal, or contracts-focused role (commercial/in-house preferred).
• ~ Strong experience drafting and reviewing commercial contracts (e.g. NDAs).
• ~ Excellent attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• ~ Good understanding of commercial risk with a practical, solution-focused mindset.
• ~ Confident working with stakeholders in a business-facing role.
• ~ Able to manage day-to-day responsibilities independently and escalate when needed.
• ~ Strong organisational and communication skills.
• ~ Experience with international or multi-jurisdictional contracts is advantageous.
• ~ Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable with CRM/contract systems.

Highly desirable:

• Fluency in an additional European language (e.g. French, Spanish, German, Italian or Dutch).
• Experience working across international markets or multilingual environments.

Why This Role

This role offers the opportunity to go beyond a traditional paralegal position, gaining direct exposure to international commercial operations. You’ll take ownership of your work, develop a broad understanding of contracts and compliance, and contribute to a fast-paced, global business environment.

Salary

£31,000 – £35,000 (depending on experience)

Location & Working Pattern

Kings Hill, Kent (Hybrid) - Office-based: Tuesday–Thursday - Remote: Monday & Friday - Hours: 8:30am – 5:00pm (with flexibility as needed)

Reporting Line

Reporting to the Global Manager for Contract Compliance & Risk, working within a collaborative international team across legal, compliance, and commercial functions.