Legal Counsel – Deals

Posted on 15th September 2023
Type Full Time
Specialism Commercial
Location Newbury or London
Deadline 2nd October 2023

Job Description

Location: Newbury or London + (Hybrid)
Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits
Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week – Mon to Fri

Hybrid

At Vodafone UK we believe that through collaboration and connection we can achieve great things. Our blended working approach allows our people to work both in the office and at home, providing the flexibility and resources you need to succeed in your role. Our “Office in a Box” home working kit will provide you with everything you need, no matter where you are.

At Vodafone UK, diversity isn’t just a buzzword, it is core to who we are as a company. We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work and are committed to driving inclusion for all; creating a workplace that is fully representative of the communities and customers we serve.

Corporate:

Join us at the heart of Vodafone UK in Corporate, one of the central support functions that underpin our business and keep us moving forward. We provide centralised support, expertise and guidance across our UK and Group operations, continuing to build on our success and trailblazing the way to our next stage of digital growth.

Who We Are

We’re a global technology communications company that empowers people and businesses to stay connected and thrive in a digital world. With a focus on innovation, sustainability and earning customer loyalty, we leverage cutting-edge technology to offer products and services that enhance communication and improve lives.

At Vodafone UK, diversity isn’t just a buzzword, it is core to who we are as a company. We’re proud to be certified as a Great Place to Work and are committed to driving inclusion for all; creating a workplace that is fully representative of the communities and customers we serve.

Role purpose:

Commercial lawyer within the UK legal team advising Vodafone UK on a range of commercial contracts within the Business Legal team.

What you’ll do

• Drafting and negotiating a wide range of commercial contracts, and legal support of bids / tenders, for the Business Unit of Vodafone UK:
– public sector and private sector contracts / bids / tenders, working with Vodafone terms, customer-proposed terms, and under public sector frameworks;
-supporting a varied customer portfolio including defence & security, critical national infrastructure, government, major corporates and multinational / international entities, regional and SME accounts, as well as indirect partners / partnerships & alliances;
-covering Vodafone’s extensive product portfolio of mobile, fixed, UC, IOT and cloud & hosting solutions.

• Providing legal advice, assistance and support (on both a proactive and reactive basis) to:
-relevant business areas / key stakeholders in writing, orally, by presentations and in meetings;
-other members of the UK legal team and the Legal, Security and Compliance team on relevant legal issues and on cross-collaboration initiatives and projects.

• Where appropriate, seeking and monitoring advice given by external solicitors on pertinent topics, issues, risks and contracts and ensuring it is appropriately disseminated to internal stakeholders and senior management.

• In the case of disputes, being first port of call for customer issues / disputes where these relate to business contracts and working closely with the dispute resolution team to determine position and strategy, advise the relevant internal customers and achieve resolution.

• As appropriate, act as a specific point of contact for a business area for any escalations and issues, working to ascertain key business priorities across any quarter and financial year, and assist with appropriate training needs;

• Reviewing a wide range of sources of information for new and proposed legal developments which impact relevant areas of responsibility. Raising new and emerging issues with the UK legal team and the UK business as appropriate, including providing advice and comment in writing and/or in presentations/workshops.

• Keeping contract templates and internal briefing notes up-to-date and providing ongoing training so that the business can operate as efficiently as possible and in a way that manages key legal risks.

• Helping to find better ways of working to transform and simplify the contracting journey, for both business stakeholders and within the Business Deals Legal team.

• Actively contribute and drive forward Business Deals legal team transformation / ways of working projects and initiatives, and proactively seek out opportunities for change / improvement within the team.

Who you’ll be;

• Sound commercial judgement.
• Able to advise internal customers confidently and effectively.
• Good decision making skills and ability to identify and communicate key risks to internal customers and UK legal management team.
• Able to think outside the box and to come up with creative solutions whilst minimising risk.
• Solicitor with good, post-qualification legal experience in the commercial field.
• Solid grounding in commercial law and a good level of general legal knowledge.
• Proficient drafting skills.
• Good negotiation and influencing skills.
• Able to take ownership of projects and drive them to successful completion.
• Able to act under limited supervision when appropriate.

Worried that you don’t meet all the desired criteria exactly? At Vodafone we are passionate about Inclusion for All and creating a workplace where everyone can thrive, whatever their personal or professional background. If you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align exactly with every part of the job description, we encourage you to apply as you may be the right candidate for this role or another role, and our recruitment team can help you see how your skills fit in.

What we offer

We believe that taking care of our employees is the key to their success. That is why we offer an excellent remuneration and bonus package with up to 28 days holiday entitlement, in addition to bank holidays and paid leave for charity projects. We offer an extensive benefits package that can be tailored to suit you and your family, including employee discounts, retail vouchers, pension plan and share schemes. We take pride in our commitment to supporting you at every stage of your career by providing top of the range learning and development tools, market leading parental leave policies and an innovative Reconnect programme for people who have taken a career break.

Together we can

Vodafone UK are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet the regulators standards.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey, for example, extended time or breaks in between online assessments, a sign language interpreter, or assistive technology, please refer to the Accessibility section of our Careers website (https://careers.vodafone.com/uk/applying-to-vodafone/) for guidance.