Senior Legal Counsel (Commercial) in Peterborough

A very well-established PLC organisation is looking to recruit a Senior Commercial Lawyer on a 6-month Fixed Term Contract. This is a newly created role. The business is going through some really exciting and progressive change which you will be right at the heart of.

You will report directly to the General Counsel for UK&I, and as Senior Commercial Lawyer, you will play a key role in supporting a complex, fast‑paced business by providing pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice across the full contract lifecycle. The role has a strong emphasis on advising on client engagements, partnering closely with senior stakeholders to enable growth while managing legal and reputational risk.

This is a senior, trusted advisor role requiring sound judgment, strong commercial instincts and excellent stakeholder management skills, where you will be heavily supporting on bids, tenders and strategic client relationships.

Key Responsibilities:

• Client & Revenue‑Generating Contracts: Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including master services agreements, statements of work, framework agreements, terms of business and client-specific contractual arrangements. Advise on risk allocation, liability, indemnities, pricing mechanisms, scope of services and delivery models and professional services engagements. Support bid, tender and RFP processes, providing timely legal input to enable commercial decision-making.
• Supplier, Procurement & Outsourcing: Advise on supplier and third-party service agreements that support the delivery of project services. Partner with Procurement and Technology teams to ensure contracts appropriately manage operational, financial and regulatory risk.
• Business Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a trusted legal advisor to senior leaders and client-facing teams, developing a strong understanding of service offerings, revenue models and commercial priorities. Provide clear, practical and solutions-focused advice that balances legal risk with commercial objectives. Build strong relationships across the business, embedding Legal as a proactive and value-adding partner.
• Risk Management, Governance & Compliance: Identify, assess and manage legal and regulatory risks. Support the development and maintenance of contract templates, playbooks and best practice guidance for client-facing teams. Monitor relevant legal and regulatory developments and advise on their impact on service delivery and client engagements.
• Legal Function Development: Contribute to the continuous improvement of legal processes, contracting efficiency and knowledge sharing across the Legal team. Support and mentor more junior lawyers as appropriate. Deliver training to business stakeholders on contracting, risk awareness and legal developments relevant to project services.

Skills, Experience & Qualifications:

• Qualified solicitor (England & Wales or Commonwealth) with 5-8 years post‑qualification experience (guideline only, more experienced profiles will be considered).
• Strong experience advising on commercial contracts within a professional services, consultancy, technology or similar services-led environment.
• Demonstrable ability to manage complex contractual negotiations with senior internal and external stakeholders.
• Commercially astute, with the confidence to give clear, pragmatic advice in a fast moving business.
• Demonstrable ability to understand complex data protection issues.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• Comfortable working autonomously and prioritising competing demands.

Desirable:

• In‑house experience within a large or matrixed professional services organisation.
• Familiarity with confidentiality, IP and regulatory considerations commonly arising in professional services engagements.
• Experience supporting bids, tenders and strategic client relationships.

Key Competencies:

• Strong commercial judgment.
• Pragmatic, solutions‑focused mindset.
• Credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent problem‑solving skills.
• Collaborative, calm and resilient under pressure.

This is an exciting role where you can make a genuine difference to a newly created project services function, within a global organisation, where you will work very closely with successful sales Directors. You will be a part of a great, collaborative and impressive team, the role will be of a hybrid nature, and you will be paid competitively.

If you are interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn’t quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.