Principal Commercial Solicitor

Join us as a Principal Commercial Solicitor at Thirteen Group!

Role Overview:

Thirteen Group is on the lookout for a Principal Commercial Solicitor tojoin our Legal team.

We’re looking for an expert to provide commercial legal leadership across procurement, contracts and strategic supplier arrangements, as the trusted adviser to senior leaders.

You’ll influence high-value commercial activity, help shape our approach to complex contractual arrangements and ensure we continue to operate with strong governance, transparency and commercial focus.

This is a hybrid role, offering a balance of home and office working. You’ll be expected to spend 2-3 days per week working from our fantastic Hudson Quay office in Middlesbrough, with the remainder of your time working from home. As business and team needs can vary, you’ll need to be adaptable and may be required to spend additional time in the office when needed.

Thirteen Benefits:

• Salary – £65,357 per annum
• Annual leave – starting at 28 days and rising to 31 days after three years, a day off for your birthday, plus bank holidays.
• Pension – up to 17% contributions (flexible contribution rates of up to 7% colleague and up to 10% employer).
• Simply Health – save money on common health expenses and get access to health and wellbeing support services.
• T’dar – our Discount and Reward platform giving you huge savings on everyday brands.
• Opportunities to buy and sell annual leave

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide expert advice on complex commercial, procurement and contractual legal matters, helping senior leaders make informed decisions. You’ll clearly articulate risk, opportunities and governance considerations.
• Lead on the legal strategy for high-value contracts, supplier relationships and technology agreements, influencing stakeholders to achieve strong commercial outcomes.
• Draft, review and negotiate complex contracts that protect delivery, value for money, and Thirteen’s interests.
• Resolve complex contractual issues by balancing legal, commercial and operational requirements, advising on contract variations, extensions, disputes and termination matters.
• Support procurement and commercial activity by advising on procurement routes, tender documents, governance requirements and commercial structures.
• Assess legal and commercial risk across significant or sensitive contractual matters, and direct dispute, audit and formal proceedings.

About You:

• You’ll have solicitor status and substantial experience advising on commercial contracts, procurement and organisational governance.
• A proven ability to negotiate complex contracts with sound judgement and attention to risk.
• With a strong knowledge of commercial and procurement principles, you’ll apply them in a practical way to support compliant and effective business delivery.
• Experience advising senior stakeholders on legal issues and the ability to interpret legal risk, delegated authority, and approval requirements for complex decisions.
• Confident drafting commercial contracts and procurement documentation with clarity and precision.
• You’ll be confident building trusted relationships at all levels, using clear legal reasoning, constructive challenge and practical advice to influence commercial decisions and achieve positive outcomes.

Why Thirteen

At Thirteen, we work together to provide quality homes, build stronger communities, and support people to live well.As the largest housing association in the North East and among the top 25 nationally, we manage over 36,000 homes, with over 1,600 colleagues providing services for around 100,000 customers.

Our vision is to be the most trusted housing association, with happy customers. In fact, we put customers at the heart of everything we do.

• Join a team that’s local at heart but welcomes talent from everywhere.
• Be part of an organisation that values diversity and inclusivity.
• Be a part of a company that offers tailored support services, going beyond just housing solutions.

Interested?

For more details, please refer to the attached documents.

If you’d like to talk more about the role, please contact Helen Thompson, Head of Legal and Home Ownership on 07814 583169 for an informal discussion.

Are You Ready for a Rewarding Challenge?

Join us at Thirteen Group and be a part of our vision to improve lives every day. and start your journey towards making a meaningful impact in our community!

As part of our hiring process, if you’re successful we’ll need to verify your right to work in the UK. Unfortunately, we are not a Skilled Worker Sponsoring Employer at this time.

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