Legal Counsel / Contracts Manager

Overview

We are seeking a Legal Counsel/Contracts Manager, who will report to Head of Legal, to be based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The legal team at NEC Software Solutions are responsible for ensuring the integrity of, and maximising the potential of, commercial contracts for the supply of a variety of services and solutions, both to and by the company and its group.

The core functions of the department are: bid management, new customer contracts, governance and compliance, supplier and third-party agreements, risk assessment and mitigation, post-signature contract and dispute management, legal and commercial education, training and awareness.

NEC is an equal opportunities employer with a straightforward and all-embracing policy of equally treating all its employees, workers and job applicants. The legal team is very pro-active and is respected as an integral part of the business process, embedded as a core function. The business culture is professional without being overly formal.

The role includes:

• Preparing and presenting legal advice and drafting discussion points to be utilised when negotiating a variety of commercial contracts with customers, and (where required) suppliers to the company and its group, including software licensing, cloud hosting/SaaS contracts and support arrangements, supply agreements, outsourcing deals and consultancy arrangements;
• Reviewing and responding to bids, reporting on legal and commercial risk and recommending appropriate mitigation strategies within the corporate governance framework whilst balancing the needs of the business objectives;
• Advising and undertaking risk analysis in respect of existing contracts and new contract opportunities;
• Drafting and negotiating contracts, including contract variations;
• Management of contract documentation;
• Review and updating legal and operational templates, including provision of training across the various business units;
• Dealing with day-to-day legal and commercial enquiries from the business;
• Assisting with the preparation of documents for disputes and litigation;
• Preparing legal advice on matters affecting the business in a clear and concise manner as required, and engaging with key stakeholders at appropriate levels;
• Engaging with the sales/project management teams to ensure compliance with business processes and procedures.

Qualifications

NEC is seeking candidates that can demonstrate the following:

• A sound understanding of commercial contracts and core contractual principles, including limitation/exclusion of liability and liquidated damages;
• Commercial acumen;
• An ability to draft legal provisions clearly and precisely to a high standard, paying attention to detail at all times;
• The candidate must be articulate and confident in communicating with a wide range of stakeholders, a natural conduit between the legal team and the business, a trusted advisor with the ability to say no without offence and can protect a position when required;
• The candidate must also be a good team player, being comfortable with and experienced working in a very fast-paced environment;
• An ability to work effectively under pressure whilst managing multiple workstreams simultaneously and balancing priorities as appropriate;
• Be able to work flexibly to meet the demands of the business, which may require working outside of core hours;
• Influence, initiative, persuasion, a versatile thinker with adaptability to change are also key soft skills for this role.

The applicant will

• Ideally have attained a legal qualification (e.g. law degree, SQE, qualified solicitor or legal executive) and/or 2+ years’ contract experience and demonstrable track record of owning and delivering pre and post contract activity (working in a contract/commercial manager role);
• have experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, preferably with a technology, software and/or IPR bias;
• ability to identify and analyse key commercial risks such as KPIs, SLAs, contractual dependencies, and milestones;
• Ideally, have experience with public sector contracts and public procurement;
• demonstrate effective communication skills and people skills;
• Have a proven track record of successfully working within a team;
• have the ability to ensure high professional standards are met and sustained;
• be motivated and keen to learn and develop;
• have strong IT office skills.

Additional Information

We pride ourselves in offering an excellent benefits package, including an above-average pension scheme. When you join the team at NEC Software Solutions, you are provided with the following:

• Private Medical Cover funded by NEC for Employees (with the option to add family members at an additional cost)
• 25 days paid holiday with the option to buy/sell (FTE)
• 4 x basic salary life assurance cover funded by NEC (with the option to increase cover at an additional cost)
• A Group Pension Plan with fantastic employer contributions up to a maximum of 8.5%
• A selection of flexible benefits to suit your individual needs
• All colleagues get free access to LinkedIn Learning. Over 15000 courses covering a huge breadth of subjects. Learn about what you like, when you like, how you like.

Other Information

• Candidates must be able to demonstrate a pre-existing right to work and travel within the UK. Documentary evidence will be required.
• All offers are subject to satisfactory vetting, references and occupational health checks.
• Depending on the nature of the role a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check may also be required.

NEC Software Solutions is an equal opportunities employer, welcoming applications from all communities. If you require any reasonable adjustments or have specific accessibility needs during the recruitment or interview process, please feel free to share these with us. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accommodating experience for all candidates.

Who We Are

We’re NEC Software Solutions (part of global tech giant NEC Corporation). While you read this ad, our software is helping to dispatch ambulances, support families, keep trains on the move, locate missing people and even test the hearing of newborn babies.

Working with us, you’ll be helping our 3,000+ employees push the boundaries of what’s possible and support amazing public services.

We work with governments, hospitals, police forces, housing providers, local authorities and more. The more we do, the more our customers can do for others. And together, we make a world of difference.

We’d love your help. And we’ll support you all the way.