Commercial Legal Counsel

Venn Group; Oxford; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Venn Group is supporting an Oxford‑based, local authority‑owned organisation to appoint a Commercial Legal Counsel. You will own a broad range of commercial and contractual matters, drafting and negotiating agreements, guiding risk and shaping the in‑house legal function.

The role involves close collaboration with the Company Secretary and senior stakeholders. The position covers commercial contracts, construction/engineering work, contract governance and strategic partnerships, with

Qualifications

• At least four years' post‑qualification experience in commercial law.
• Experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.

Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts across the organisation.
• Advise on legal and commercial risk; support dispute resolution where needed.
• Develop and standardise contract templates and governance processes.
• Advise senior leaders and collaborate with procurement, operations and other teams.
• Reduce reliance on external advisers and build in‑house legal capability.

Skills

Contract drafting

Negotiation

Legal risk assessment

Stakeholder communication

Tools

NEC contracts

JCT contracts

Job description

Commercial Legal Counsel

Salary: £70,000–£80,000 per annum
Location: Oxford, with hybrid working / homeworking

Are you an experienced commercial lawyer looking for an opportunity to take ownership of complex legal work, influence commercial decision-making and help shape an organisation's in-house legal capability?

A well-established, local authority-owned organisation delivering essential public services and commercial solutions is looking for a Commercial Legal Counsel to join its Corporate Services team in a newly created role, supporting its continued growth and increasingly diverse commercial activities.

This is an opportunity to play a central role in developing the in-house legal function, working directly with the Company Secretary and providing practical, commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of services.

You'll take responsibility for drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts, advising on legal and commercial risk, and developing consistent contractual frameworks that support the organisation's operational and commercial objectives.

Your work will span a broad range of areas, including:

• Commercial contracts and agreements: Drafting and negotiating customer, supplier, framework and partnership agreements across the organisation.

• Construction and engineering: Supporting projects involving NEC and JCT contracts, subcontractor agreements and infrastructure-related work.

• Contract governance and standardisation: Developing contract templates, terms and conditions, approval processes and a central legal knowledge base.

• Commercial growth and strategic partnerships: Advising on bids, tenders, new business opportunities and commercial negotiations.

• Legal risk and dispute management: Providing pragmatic advice on contractual risks, supporting dispute resolution and overseeing external legal advisers.

• Strategic legal support: Working closely with senior leaders, procurement, commercial and operational teams to strengthen legal capability and support effective decision-making.

You'll also play an important role in reducing reliance on external legal advisers, improving internal processes and ensuring legal support is responsive to the needs of a growing and commercially active organisation.

What makes this opportunity interesting?

• A newly created position with genuine influence. Join at an important stage of the organisation's development, with the opportunity to shape how commercial legal services are delivered.

• A broad and varied commercial workload. Work across commercial waste services, highways and engineering, facilities management, property maintenance and construction-related activities.

• Direct exposure to senior leadership. Report directly to the Company Secretary, providing legal advice on important commercial decisions and strategic projects.

• Build and improve in-house legal capability. Take ownership of commercial legal matters, develop contractual frameworks and help establish more efficient and consistent legal processes.

• Combine commercial and public service objectives. Support an organisation delivering essential services to communities while pursuing sustainable commercial growth.

• Flexible working arrangements. Based in Oxford, with very flexible hybrid working.

Who might this suit?

An experienced commercial solicitor with at least four years' post-qualification experience, gained in private practice, in-house or through a combination of both.

You'll have strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts, alongside the confidence to advise senior stakeholders on complex legal and commercial matters.

Experience within construction, engineering, infrastructure, facilities management or highways would be advantageous, as would familiarity with NEC and JCT contracts, although these are not essential requirements.

Above all, this opportunity would suit a commercially minded, proactive lawyer who enjoys taking ownership of their work, building relationships across a business and providing practical legal solutions that support wider organisational objectives.