Legal Counsel/Contracts Manager (Software)

TL;DR

Legal Counsel/Contracts Manager (Software): Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts for the supply of software services and solutions with an accent on SaaS, cloud hosting, and risk mitigation. Focus on managing the full contract lifecycle, conducting risk analysis for bids, and providing legal guidance to internal stakeholders.

Location: Must be based in Alderley Edge, Cheshire; Pre-existing right to work and travel within the UK is required

Company

hirify.global (part of NEC Corporation) develops software that supports critical public services including healthcare, transport, and local government.

What you will do

• Draft and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts, including software licensing, cloud hosting, SaaS, and outsourcing deals.
• Review bids and recommend risk mitigation strategies within the corporate governance framework to balance business objectives.
• Provide legal and commercial advice to key stakeholders across all levels of the business.
• Manage contract documentation and regularly update legal and operational templates.
• Assist in gathering documentation and preparing for potential disputes and litigation.
• Collaborate with sales and project management teams to ensure compliance with internal processes.

Requirements

• Legal qualification (law degree, SQE, qualified solicitor or legal executive) and/or 2+ years of contract experience.
• Proven track record of drafting and negotiating commercial contracts, preferably with a technology, software, or IPR bias.
• Ability to identify and analyze commercial risks such as KPIs, SLAs, contractual dependencies, and milestones.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work autonomously in a fast-paced environment.
• Pre-existing right to work and travel within the UK.

Nice to have

• Experience in supervising and mentoring junior team members.
• Experience with public sector contracts and public procurement.

Culture & Benefits

• Private Medical Cover funded by the company (option to add family members).
• 25 days paid holiday with the option to buy or sell.
• Group Pension Plan with employer contributions up to 8.5%.
• Life assurance cover (4x basic salary) funded by NEC.
• Free access to LinkedIn Learning and a personal learning budget.
• Annual team and company away-days, plus dedicated "Give back" days.