The role will work closely with the bid team, providing legal and contractual input on tenders, panels, frameworks and call-off arrangements. It will also help shape the firm’s approach to data privacy, technology, AI and data processing by formulating and embedding appropriate practices, controls and contractual safeguards.

This is a hands-on advisory role requiring sound legal judgement, credibility with fee-earners and the ability to translate legal risk into pragmatic commercial guidance, advising fee-earners on when to accept proportionate risk, when to negotiate and when to escalate for additional consideration.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish legal review processes and controls, including thresholds for value, risk, liability, insurance, data, subcontracting, public sector terms and sign-off;
• Embed the use of AI, automation and legal technology to improve contract review, legal workflows, knowledge sharing and reporting;
• Improve contract management practices, reviewing internally where appropriate and reducing avoidable reliance on external counsel;
• Manage external counsel, determining when specialist advice is needed and ensuring support is proportionate, responsive and good value;
• Educate fee-earners on key contractual safeguards, including liability, scope, payment, indemnities, reliance, data and subcontracting controls;
• Advise on public sector tenders, panels, frameworks and call-offs, bringing legal insight earlier into bid, pricing and negotiation processes;
• Design, own and maintain the firm’s contract playbook, standard positions, fallback wording, template clauses, escalation criteria and core legal templates, including engagement terms, appointments, reliance letters, NDAs and subcontractor terms;
• Ensure contract positions align with PI insurance, risk appetite and claims defensibility;
• Shape data privacy strategy with the Head Risk, including governance, awareness and policy framework;
• Advise on technology, AI and data contracting, including data use, confidentiality, processing locations and subcontracted providers;
• Report recurring contract risks, external counsel usage, savings opportunities and process improvements;
• Work with Finance, Risk & Compliance, IT, HR, bids and fee-earners to ensure joined-up and commercial support to the business;
• Exercise independent legal judgement, helping teams decide when to proceed, negotiate, escalate or reject terms; and
• Support the Head of Risk in firmwide special projects from time-to-time, acting as the representative of the Risk and Compliance function when required.

Qualifications and Skills

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (LPC / SQE)
• Commercial contract experience, ideally in a professional services setting
• Experience advising internal stakeholders in a commercial, pragmatic and risk-based manner
• Experience in real estate, consultancy or public sector contracting would be helpful but is not essential
• Excellent communicator, both written and verbal, with the ability to explain legal risk clearly to fee-earners and senior stakeholders
• Commercially astute and comfortable balancing legal protection with client service and practical deliverability
• Confident managing external legal advisers and assessing whether outsourced support is necessary, proportionate and good value
• The energy and judgement to improve processes, create useful contract guidance and be a trusted advisor across the business
• A collaborative, approachable style and the desire to engage directly with fee-earners, bid teams and business services colleagues

We recognise that the right candidate may be seeking a flexible working arrangement. Applications are welcomed from candidates seeking a 0.6 or 0.8 FTE part-time role, and from those based in London, Manchester, Edinburgh or elsewhere in the UK, provided they can maintain an effective presence with colleagues and stakeholders as required.