Senior Counsel
SKILLS
FULL DESCRIPTION
Summary
As Senior Commercial Counsel, you will lead a team, providing agile legal support across client and supplier contracts. The role requires a dynamic, collaborative, and solution-oriented legal professional to provide pragmatic advice and contribute to the legal function's success.
- Lead and develop a high-performing commercial legal team.
- Oversee and drive commercial legal service delivery, with a focus on client and supplier contracts, quality negotiation, and risk management.
- Be a trusted legal partner to the business.
- Continuously improve legal processes, documentation, and templates for scalability and efficiency.
- Maintain clear reporting of commercial legal risks in line with Group frameworks.
- Manage external counsel effectively.
Overview
This is a newly created, high-impact role within the Group Global Legal team at Oliver James, based in Manchester. As Senior Commercial Counsel, you will lead and develop a team of talented legal professionals with a core focus on delivering agile, commercial legal support across our client and supplier contracts, driving smart, scalable solutions for our fast-moving global business.
You will work closely with the Chief Legal Officer and key stakeholders across the Group to deliver practical, commercially-oriented legal advice, and contribute to the development of a legal function that is integral to business success.
We are looking for someone who is dynamic, collaborative, and solution-orientated – not black-letter – lawyer. A pragmatic trusted advisor with sound judgement and a passion for enabling growth.
We were shortlisted for 2024 in-house legal team of the year at the Manchester Legal Awards and are already building on that success in 2025.
What We’re Looking For
- Qualified legal professional with significant post-qualification experience in commercial law
- Extensive experience negotiating and advising on complex commercial contracts, ideally across multiple jurisdictions, including the USA
- Proven ability to lead and inspire legal professionals (qualified and non-qualified), fostering a culture of excellence, accountability, and support
- Strong commercial acumen, with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives
- A team player who thrives in a collaborative, values-driven environment
- Experience supporting on corporate legal matters (M&A, governance) is helpful but not the main focus
- Genuine interest in digitisation, legal operations, and innovation in service delivery
- Outstanding communicator-able to cut through complexity and provide concise, actionable advice
- Culturally aligned, with a down-to-earth, can-do attitude and a focus on team contribution
Key Responsibilities
- Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing commercial legal team, ensuring professional growth and clear delivery standards
- Oversee and drive commercial legal service delivery, with a focus on client and supplier contracts, quality negotiation, and risk management
- Be a trusted legal partner to the business, building strong relationships and delivering pragmatic, solution-oriented advice
- Continuously improve legal processes, documentation, and templates for scalability and efficiency
- Maintain clear reporting of commercial legal risks in line with Group frameworks
- Manage external counsel effectively to ensure value and alignment with internal goals
- Support the Chief Legal Officer on legal and Group projects as needed
- Champion a legal team culture that is collaborative, dynamic, and focused on enabling the business
Why Join Oliver James?
At Oliver James, we don’t just want a technically excellent lawyer-we want someone who will be a cultural asset to our team: someone who is forward-thinking, practical, and eager to make a difference. You’ll be part of a growing, ambitious legal function that works at the heart of the business and plays a visible role in its continued success.