Role: Senior Legal Counsel (Fixed Term Contract)
Location: Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex (Hybrid, typically 3 days on-site / 2 days from home)
Contract: Fixed Term Contract, approx. 9 months with potential to become permanent
Salary: £85,000 pro-rata
Start: ASAP (client is looking to move quickly)
The opportunity
We are working with a well-established engineering and consulting organisation to appoint a Senior Legal Counsel on a 9 month fixed term contract. This is a hands-on role supporting a busy engineering business, advising on complex commercial contracts, tender activity, and broader legal risk.
This position suits someone who can step in with minimal handover, take ownership of existing projects and agreements, and provide practical, commercially focused advice to senior stakeholders.
Key responsibilities
Draft, review and negotiate a range of commercial agreements including:
customer and supplier contracts
consultancy agreements
framework agreements
SLAs
NDAs
Support bid and tender activity, contract negotiations, and dispute management as required
Provide pragmatic legal guidance aligned to internal policies and risk appetite
Promote and support compliance with internal contracting processes
Support corporate governance requirements for UK entities (board support, statutory compliance and filings where needed)
Advise on regulatory and compliance topics relevant to the business, including sectors linked to UK defence and export controls
Manage disputes and claims, and coordinate external counsel where required
Work closely with the General Counsel during a period of change
What we are looking for
Qualified Solicitor (England and Wales)
Strong commercial contracts background, including negotiating complex agreements
In-house experience strongly preferred (engineering or technical environment beneficial)
PQE is flexible, candidates around 5+ years PQE will be considered
Confident working autonomously, able to pick up live matters quickly without hand-holding
Desirable: exposure to defence-related work and export controls
Security checks
Due to the nature of some projects, the client may complete security screening (likely BPSS level).
Process
Stage 1: 45-minute Teams interview with the General Counsel (technical commercial questions)
Stage 2: Informal on-site visit