Legal Counsel General Business Manager

​Duties:  

• Within the Legal and Compliance in-house function, the Supply Chain legal team plays a key role in helping to ensure continuity of supply and resolving supply related matters globally.

• This temporary maternity cover role, reporting to the Head of Legal for Supply Chain and working with senior team members, will provide the opportunity for a mid-level to senior lawyer to work with a wide range of stakeholders to support procurement activity and dispute resolution of a truly international nature.

• It is a critical, exciting and challenging role requiring an enthusiastic lawyer to support decisions about legal risks which affect the business. It is expected that the right candidate will become a trusted adviser to the business and able to provide quick and commercial legal advice.

Key Accountabilities and Responsibilities:

• Responsible for supporting and protecting the legal interests of the company in the area of Supply Chain, with a focus on commercial contracts and dispute resolution.

• Advising on global commercial disputes of high value and complexity.

• Supporting stakeholders on dispute resolution and claim recovery workstreams.

• Negotiating and influencing internal and external parties to reach optimum resolutions.

• Development and roll-out of appropriate training, policies and guidelines to the business to support awareness and continuous improvement.

• To the extent litigation support of a specialised nature cannot be undertaken in-house, instructing and ensuring delivery of external legal counsel globally and managing associated budgets.

• Drafting and amending agreements and precedent documents.

• Conducting legal research.

• Keeping up to date with legislative and industry changes and ensuring that legal advice is aligned with the same.

• Undertaking any other work as directed by their line manager in connection with their job as may be requested.  

Skills: The successful applicant should be highly effective across the following criteria:

Essential

• Qualified to practice law in England & Wales with strong experience in general commercial contracts and dispute resolution involving UK and international parties.

• Knowledge of claims through mediation, arbitration and court proceedings.

• High commercial acumen with confidence to challenge and question where needed.

• Ability to quickly analyse and assimilate legal advice covering multiple jurisdictions, consider impact to business and provide succinct, creative and pragmatic solutions and advice.

• Identifying key legal and commercial risks and making decisions which have significant and critical impact to the business.

• Managing a high workload, whilst meeting critical deadlines.

• Experience gained at a strong private practice firm and/or in-house.

• Excellent communication, time management and organisation skills.

Desirable:

• Dispute resolution experience in non-UK jurisdictions.

• Experience of product liability disputes.

• Experience working as an in-house lawyer.

• Experience working with automotive, manufacturing and engineering focused clients.

• Experience of working with global businesses and handling high value, complex disputes.

Education:            

• Qualified to practice law in England & Wales

• Degree qualified or equivalent experience.