Legal Contract Manager

We are seeking an experienced Legal Counsel/Contracts Manager, who will report to Head of Legal, to be based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The legal team at NECSWS 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. 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; 
Gathering and reviewing documentation relating to actual/potential disputes, Assisting with the preparingation 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 all levels of the business; 
Liaising with external counsel and insurance brokers where required, ensuring that disputes are handled without prejudice to our insurance position; 
Engaging with the sales/project management teams to ensure compliance with business processes and procedures. 
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 at all levels, 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;
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;
have strong IT office skills.

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
~ Candidates must be able to demonstrate a pre-existing right to work and travel within the UK. 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. 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. We help them pay financial support faster, speed up treatments for patients and respond to emergencies in the right way. We’d love your help. And we’ll support you all the way.