Contracts Manager

Overview

As a Contracts Manager, you will provide essential legal support to the business’s operational, sales, pre-sales, procurement, and management teams. Your role will be to ensure the business operates within a solid legal framework while achieving commercial objectives, collaborating with colleagues to deliver efficient, pragmatic, and business-oriented legal services.

Responsibilities

• Provide practical, commercial and concise advice, guidance and support on contract terms, legal issues and business risks.
• Review and amend terms in a variety of agreements including supplier and customer contracts, software licences, SaaS agreements, agency, reseller and service provision agreements.
• Negotiate with customers and suppliers in line with business requirements and company policies to achieve business objectives and the required allocation of risk.
• Manage and maintain contracts registers and contract management systems.
• Work closely with various departments to on-board new suppliers and customers for the relevant sector of the business.
• Research legal and regulatory issues which arise from time to time.
• Engage, instruct and monitor external counsel to an agreed budget where workload, experience or expertise require especially in non-UK jurisdictions.
• Keeping the business legal templates up to date and relevant.
• Make a positive contribution towards the operation of the team by suggesting any improvements you feel may contribute to the more effective or efficient operation of the team.
• Keeping your line manager up to date with your workload and any issues that you feel are relevant to the business and your role.
• Understand and follow the processes and procedures adopted by the team and the business from time to time and which are relevant to you.

Qualifications

• Legal training (for-example, law degree, LPC, GDL) to demonstrate solid understanding and application of fundamental legal principles, for example: English contract law and negligence.
• Minimum 3 years' experience in a contract management /commercial contracts role within the technology sector or systems integration environment.
• Experience in successfully negotiating and managing commercial contracts within the technology sector.
• Experience working within a legal function whilst effectively collaborating with Sales, Procurement, Compliance and operational team and other business stakeholders to drive commercial outcomes.
• Good knowledge of contract law and some knowledge of cross-border agreements and the additional complications they pose to the parties.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, able to communicate appropriately with key stakeholders without using jargon or overly legalistic language to facilitate good understanding of the issues by all parties and enable sound decision making.
• Able to write clear, concise, and understandable communications including legal agreements, associated correspondence and advice.
• Computer literate with strong skills in Office 365 suite.

• Strong organisation and time management skills
• High level of attention to detail
• Good business judgement and understands commercial pressures and implications.
• An ability to operate to deadlines and prioritise workload for the benefit of the business.
• Demonstrates the highest standards of professionalism, integrity and ethical conduct
• Commitment to confidentiality and data protection principles
• Analytical mindset with methodical approach to problem-solving and contract review
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to distil complex legal concepts into clear, concise guidance
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance legal risk against business objectives
• Intellectually curious with a willingness to challenge conventional thinking and drive innovation
• Patient, polite, supportive, tolerant and understanding
• Resilient, solution-focused attitude with a proactive approach to overcoming challenges
• Collaborative team player who builds strong relationships across organisational boundaries
• Strong stakeholder management skills, working across pre-sales, sales, legal, finance, technical practice, design teams, and operations.