Principal Associate - Commercial Projects in Cambridge

We are looking to hire an experienced Commercial Projects Solicitor to join our growing, national team and to be involved in high‑profile projects. If this sounds like you and you’re looking for a new opportunity, click to find out more.

The role involves welcoming an ambitious lawyer to our busy and friendly projects team where you will work on a range of projects and commercial contracts with an opportunity to help out on some procurement work, if that appeals to you. Our team is constantly involved in high‑value and high‑profile projects. You will be acting across a range of sectors for Government departments, contracting authorities and our private sector clients on a variety of complex commercial contracts, often with national importance. The Ministry of Defence is a key client, and you will be supporting that client on major procurements. You will be given early responsibility to run projects and your own matters. You need to be a confident self‑starter and happy to take your own initiative. This role could be based out of any of our regional offices, excluding London.

The person:

• Significant commercial law experience, with a minimum of 7 years PQE
• Experience working with government departments or for private sector companies contracting with government
• Strong drafting skills (preferably with experience of the Model Services Contract)
• The ability to give clear, simple and pragmatic advice and being entirely comfortable working collaboratively with clients
• Public procurement experience is a plus but not a requirement
• Possessing Security Clearance is a plus but not a requirement

The activities:

• Leading on major projects and assisting to develop innovative, cutting‑edge contract structures
• Advising on PFI expiry/variation and future public‑private partnerships
• Structuring, drafting and negotiating high‑value commercial contracts (including financial and technical schedules)
• Mentoring and supervising members of the team and supporting training for clients
• Leading and participating in business development initiatives and marketing events, including client training, preparation of tenders, attending pitches and attending client hospitality events
• Undertaking and coordinating project management to ensure a seamless service
• The option of working on procurement issues/developing procurement skills

The team:

You will be working with a number of partners, including Jens Henniker Heaton, Stuart Thompson and Andrew Ray, who are all based in our Cambridge office; and Nick Helm who is based in our Manchester office. Cambridge would be a preferred base, noting that with 7 offices in England we can be flexible on location, but this will not be a London based role.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

The Benefits:

As you’d expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits.

Pre‑employment screening:

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre‑employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three‑year employment history and a self‑declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre‑screening employment process are available upon request.

The firm:

Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don’t offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,250 plus people and over 750 lawyers share one vision – achieving more for clients. By joining Mills & Reeve, you’ll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that’s not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values its people. Our mantra is “Achieve more. Together.”, which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase! We’re also ranked in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and were recently awarded Platinum Investors in People.

And finally:

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We’re committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these. To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website.