CONTRACTS (TECHNOLOGY) LAWYER â 5 YEARS PQE Glasgow or Birmingham Brief We are currently looking to recruit a Contracts (Technology) Lawyer who will ideally have 5 yearsâ PQE. The role can be based in Birmingham or Glasgow ideally, although other applications in other locations will also be considered. Whilst it is a full-time position, applicants wishing to work part time (4 days per week) are also encouraged to apply. Background The Central Procurement and Contracts (" CPC ") team combines procurement and legal contract expertise working together to support the firm in its sourcing, contracting and management of third party suppliers, both in the UK and other jurisdictions where the firm has a presence. On the contracts side, the team currently comprises a Director of Strategic Sourcing, one Senior Contracts Lawyer, three Contracts Lawyers and two Paralegals. All permanent roles. On the procurement side, CPC has a Head of Procurement, two Category Managers, a Category Buyer and a data analyst. The team is also supported by a dedicated administrative coordinator. All permanent roles. The team operates a centre of excellence approach working with representatives across the various business functions who have responsibility for sourcing and managing suppliers (referred to together as the 'Buying Community' and individual as âBuyersâ) using established policies, procedures and work practices to provide a 'best practice' approach to sourcing, contracting and supply management. The role of the Contracts (Technology) Lawyer is generally to draft, review, negotiate and advise on a wide range of commercial contracts with a technology focus in support of the procurement, contracting and supplier management activities undertaken by CPC and the Buying Community. The business functions provided with procurement and contract support by CPC are IT, info sec, facilities, HR and learning, business development, communications, knowledge, finance the General Counselâs office and Central Management. CPC also assists fee earners with procurement and contracting activities, to the extent that practice groups have sourcing requirements. The Candidate Required Strong academic background 5 yearsâ PQE in an IT / Commercial role is preferable, either in-house or private practice in a substantial, well-established organisation, but we will consider those with less or more experience if otherwise ideally suited for the role Experience dealing with technology, commercial and AI related contracts, including experience of issues relating to intellectual property rights, data protection, confidentiality and information security Experience of contracts relating to licensing, software as a service, platform as a service, managed services and subcontracting would be beneficial We are particularly keen to hear from individuals from a diverse background Key skills and abilities: Technical excellence in contract drafting and amending and ability to apply skills to a wide range of commercial contracts for services and equipment Experience dealing with all legal aspects of commercial agreements. In particular, experience of IT, IP and AI related aspects highly desirable Ability to formulate and draft service requirements and service level agreements based on input from the wider business Commercial awareness and ability to prioritise and make sound judgements on contract issues and level of acceptable risk Enthusiastic and proactive Solution driven - ability to solve problems creatively and effectively Ability to take responsibility and act autonomously â with appropriate supervision 'Team player' with strong (internal) client focussed approach Excellent communication skills, both written and oral Ability to plan, organise and prioritise tasks and projects Confident in dealing with senior and junior staff alike Ability to remain calm, controlled and resilient in a demanding environment Strong Word skills and Good Excel and/or e-procurement/contract database skills advantageous Main Duties and Responsibilities: Contracts Review, draft, amend and negotiate technology contracts from low to high value for all the business operations that CPC supports (as indicated above) handling the legal aspects in an autonomous fashion and seeking input from the senior lawyers in the team where required. Apply a pragmatic, commercial and, in some cases, risk management approach to all contract work, often against tight deadlines. Work with members of CPC and the Buying Community to understand and reflect business and commercial requirements into contracts and recognise key issues and priorities. Procurement Support sourcing activities and projects undertaken by CPC and/or the buying community in relation to contract work eg drafting term sheets and/or contracts for inclusion in Requests for Proposals issued to suppliers, and evaluating suppliersâ responses. Work as a member of project teams established for larger sourcing projects to provide contract support (as above) and advice. Assist with reports required from CPC eg monthly update report to Business Operations Directors. Offering strategic legal advice on technology-related matters, including digital transformation projects, technology procurement, and innovation initiatives. Supporting Business Operations by providing practical legal solutions and facilitating business growth through technology Supplier Management Assist with contract and commercial queries raised by CPC and buying community members and provide ad hoc contract advice as required Input to supplier exit strategies Provide strategic contract advice and guidance to assist with resolution of supplier issues. Customer Management Building and maintaining strong relationships with the Buying Community, understanding their business needs, and providing tailored legal support Assisting with bids and pitch presentations for new clients, demonstrating commercial awareness and technical expertise Process and Administration Be familiar with and proactively guide members of the buying community on use of the firm's procurement gateway and e-procurement tool and compliance with procurement policy Work with other members of CPC and the buying community to ensure that the supplier contract database is kept up to date, and all new contracts are recorded in the database Get involved in the promotion of CPC and its processes and tools within the firm, and the development and maintenance of templates, tools and precedents Dealing with supplier aspects of client tender submissions and client audit questionnaires Working with the CPC team on CPC annual and quarterly objectives aligned with firmwide strategy. Industry Knowledge Understanding of the technology sector, including emerging trends such as artificial intelligence Keeping up-to-date with industry developments to provide relevant and forward-thinking legal advice Deliver contract training to the firmâs Buyers and CPC Team What will we offer you? We are a dynamic, friendly team who work together to produce outstanding results for our internal clients We invest in our team and have access to first class training and third-party on-line resources (the same as are available to the fee earning lawyers) We provide regular legal check-ins, wellbeing discussions and appraisals A fast-paced environment with a wide range of commercial work, a unique opportunity to work directly with procurement specialists as part of the same team, the buyers and technical experts Early responsibility and opportunities to develop internal client relationships. Awards Pinsent Masons won the âEuropeâs Most Innovative Law Firmâ at the Financial Times Innovative Lawyer Awards Europe 2023 and the âBest Talent and Inclusionâ award at The Lawyer Awards 2022. The firm is also named Diversity & Inclusion Firm of the Year 2023 by the Legal 500 Northern Powerhouse Awards. The firm has placed in the Top 10 Top Employers for Working Families for its 7th consecutive year. Please click here to view full list of our global awards and nominations - www.pinsentmasons.com/accolades The CPC team was short listed in: 2023 for the CIPs excellence in procurement awards in the category of â Best Initiative to Build a Diverse Supply Base â 2025 for the Legal 500 awards in the category â Best Environmental/Sustainability Strategyâ, for our Road to Net Zero SME Partnership programme which supports SMEs in our supply chain meet the challenges of net zero transition Please note we only accept applications made via our recruitment portal. Should you require further details, please contact our in-house Lateral Recruitment Advisor Steffy Lam who can discuss the role and requirements. Contact details: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steffy-lam-715241238/ steffy.lampinsentmasons.com At Pinsent Masons we value diversity and inclusion. We are committed to creating a better workplace where all our talent can succeed and feel like they belong. We want to attract, retain and develop people at all levels and encourage applications from all suitably qualified candidates whatever your ethnicity, religion, age, physical or mental disability/ long term condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristics protected by local law in the jurisdictions in which we operate. LI-LRSL