Contract Advisor - Risk & Compliance

TLT LLP; Greater Manchester; On-site; GBP 40,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

TLT LLP, a leading UK law firm, invites applications for a Contracts Advisor to join the in-house Risk and Compliance team in Manchester. You will review and advise on client contracts across the firm, shaping commercial and regulatory outcomes.

You will work with partners and senior stakeholders, maintain precedent documents, and provide practical, risk-based guidance to support strong client relationships while protecting the firm’s interests and ensuring regulatory compliance.

Qualifications

• Experience in contract review and advisory work in law firms, professional services, or in-house regulated environments.
• Experience with regulatory obligations embedded in client or supplier terms and contracts.
• Experience negotiating client engagement terms and supplier contracts; familiarity with standard terms in law firm-client relationships.
• Strong commercial acumen and problem-solving skills with practical, business-focused advice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication across stakeholder levels.

Responsibilities

• Review and draft client engagement terms and firm terms of business.
• Review supplier contracts and terms of service with stakeholders.
• Provide clear, commercial, and risk-based guidance on contractual and compliance queries.
• Maintain and improve precedent documents, guidance materials, and contract playbooks.
• Spot risks in client agreements and navigate approvals processes.

Skills

Contract review

Regulatory compliance

Commercial acumen

Advisory capability

Stakeholder communication

Organisational skills

AI tools familiarity

Independent work

Negotiation

Tools

Microsoft Teams

SharePoint

Job description

TLT is a leading UK law firm known for its progressive, commercially driven approach. We are looking for a Contracts Advisor to join our in-house Risk and Compliance team, where you will play a central role in reviewing and advising on client contracts across the firm. This is a varied and high‑profile position offering exposure to a broad range of commercial and regulatory matters, working closely with partners and senior stakeholders to protect the firm's interests while supporting strong, commercially effective client relationships. The role focuses primarily on client terms, with occasional support on supplier terms and compliance queries.

The Risk and Compliance team advises on regulatory and operational risk across the firm, ensuring compliance with our regulatory and professional obligations. The team is commercially minded and includes experienced lawyers and technical specialists who apply practical thinking to a wide range of regulatory and ethical requirements.

Main Responsibilities

• Taking ownership of the review and drafting of client engagement terms - from outside counsel guidelines and panel terms to the firm's own standard terms of business and engagement letters. You will work within the firm's established contract playbook, applying sound judgement to safeguard the firm's legal and commercial interests on every deal.
• Partnering with Procurement to review supplier contracts and terms of service, engaging with stakeholders across the business to assess suitability and flag risks before commitments are made.
• Acting as a go-to advisor for partners and internal stakeholders on contractual and compliance queries, delivering clear, commercial and risk-based guidance that enables the business to move forward with confidence.
• Building trusted relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, becoming a recognised point of contact on client contract matters and a valued voice in commercial discussions.
• Shaping and maintaining the firm's suite of precedent documents, guidance materials, contract playbooks and the firmwide database of client terms - ensuring these resources remain current, practical and fit for purpose.
• Spotting legal, regulatory and commercial risks within client agreements, advising on deviations from the firm's standard position, and navigating the approvals process to ensure the right people are engaged at the right time.
• Staying ahead of regulatory developments and evolving market practice, and channelling those insights into team guidance materials to keep the firm's approach sharp and up to date.

The Ideal Candidate

• You will be a commercially astute, proactive and collaborative professional with a genuine interest in the intersection of contracts and regulatory compliance, bringing the following experience and skills:
• Relevant experience in contract review and advisory work, whether gained within a law firm, professional services environment, or an in-house role within a regulated industry (e.g. financial services, insurance, energy or healthcare).
• Demonstrable experience advising on contracts with a regulatory dimension, whether in a legal, compliance, risk or commercial capacity. This could include experience with regulatory obligations embedded in client or supplier terms, outside counsel guidelines, or contracts governed by sector‑specific regulatory frameworks.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating client engagement terms and/or supplier contracts, with familiarity with standard terms used in law firm‑client relationships. Experience with contract playbooks is desirable.
• Strong commercial acumen and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to present clear, well‑reasoned arguments and deliver practical, business‑focused advice.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to engage effectively with stakeholders at all levels across the firm.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple workstreams, working proactively and at pace to meet deadlines.
• Proficiency in Microsoft applications (including Teams and SharePoint), with an enthusiasm for leveraging generative AI tools and emerging technology to enhance contract review and management processes.
• A proactive and adaptable approach, with the ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a team.