Contracts Counsel

Howden is a global insurance group with employee ownership at its heart. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 24,000 employees spanning over 56 countries. People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

We're looking for a commercial contracts counsel with extensive experience in working on ICT contracts across the contract lifecycle - someone who enjoys getting into the detail, thrives on negotiating, reviewing, and drafting agreements, and is comfortable working directly with business stakeholders. You’ll be joining a collaborative team and will have the opportunity to work across a wide variety of contracts that underpin Howden’s operations and growth.

What you’ll be doing:

• Draft, review, negotiate, and manage a wide range of commercial agreements, with a particular but non-exclusive focus on ICT contracts
• Support supplier onboarding and end-to-end contract lifecycle processes
• Develop and maintain contract templates, toolkits, and playbooks
• Advise on vendor relationships, contract renewals, and service agreements
• Deliver practical and business-friendly guidance to internal teams
• Collaborate with legal and commercial teams across the UK and internationally
• Support integration and commercial contracting activity post-acquisition
• Respond to ad hoc queries relating to contracts, commercial risk, and governance

What qualifications we’re looking for:

• Strong track record in commercial contracts - whether from legal, commercial, or procurement background
• The ability to demonstrate experience in working on a broad range of ICT contracts such as SaaS, EULA, Professional Services, Data Centres, Telecommunications, Infrastructure, ICT Escrow and more
• Comfortable reviewing and negotiating complex contractual provisions
• Experience in advising on and redlining the regulatory aspects of commercial contracts (for example FCA, DORA, DPA/GDPR etc)
• Experience in professional or financial services is a plus, though not essential
• Excellent communicator with the ability to work independently and manage deadlines
• A UK-qualified solicitor is welcome, but this is not essential — we’re open to experienced Contract Managers or Legal Specialists with relevant expertise

What do we offer in return?

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

Reasonable adjustments:

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours or hybrid working. If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.