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Company Description
Come join us and make a difference in the world!
Discover more at www.necsws.com
Job Overview
We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel/Contracts Manager, who will report to Head of Legal, based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The legal team at NECSWS ensures integrity and maximises commercial contract potential for a variety of service and solution supplies.
Responsibilities
* Prepare and present legal advice and drafting discussion points for negotiation of commercial contracts with customers and suppliers, including software licensing, cloud hosting & SaaS, supply agreements, outsourcing deals, and consultancy arrangements.
* Review and respond to bids, report on legal and commercial risk, and recommend mitigation strategies within the corporate governance framework while balancing business objectives.
* Advising and undertaking risk analysis for existing contracts and new contract opportunities.
* Draft and negotiate contracts, including contract variations.
* Manage contract documentation and review and update legal and operational templates, providing training across business units.
* Deal with day‑to‑day legal and commercial enquiries from the business.
* Gather and review documentation relating to disputes, assist with preparing documents for disputes and litigation.
* Prepare legal advice on matters affecting the business in a clear and concise manner and engage with key stakeholders at all appropriate levels.
* Liaise with external counsel and insurance brokers to ensure disputes are handled without prejudice to the insurance position.
* Engage with sales/project management teams to ensure compliance with business processes and procedures.
Qualifications
* A sound understanding of commercial contracts and core contractual principles, including limitation/exclusion of liability and liquidated damages.
* Commercial acumen and the ability to draft legal provisions clearly and precisely at a high standard.
* Articulate and confident communication skills with a wide range of stakeholders at all levels, acting as a trusted advisor who can say no without offence.
* Ability to work autonomously, assimilate large amounts of information quickly, and draw conclusions/make decisions appropriately.
* Team player, comfortable and experienced in a fast‑paced environment.
* Experience supervising and mentoring junior team members is advantageous.
* Effective under pressure and managing multiple workstreams simultaneously, balancing priorities.
* Flexible to meet business demands, which may require working outside core hours.
* Influence, initiative, persuasion, and adaptability to change.
Applicant Profile
* Ideally have attained a legal qualification (law degree, SQE, qualified solicitor or legal executive) and/or 2+ years’ contract experience with a demonstrable track record of owning and delivering pre‑ post‑contract activity.
* 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.
* Experience with public sector contracts and public procurement is desirable.
* Strong communication and people skills, proven track record of working within a team, and motivation to learn and develop.
* Strong IT office skills.
Benefits
* 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.
* A Group Pension Plan with employer contributions up to 8.5%.
* Flexible benefits to suit individual needs.
* Free access to LinkedIn Learning with over 15,000 courses.
Additional Information
* Candidates must demonstrate a pre‑existing right to work within the UK and provide documentary evidence.
* All offers are subject to satisfactory vetting, references, and occupational health checks.
* Depending on the role, a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check may also be required.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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 recruitment or interview processes, we are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accommodating experience for all candidates.
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