Counsel / Contracts Specialist

Optimizely; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Optimizely in London is seeking a skilled attorney to support the Legal team's software sales and contracts function. The role offers two tracks: Counsel and Contracts Specialist, with title/scope tailored to experience.

Track A (Counsel) focuses on broad advisory work and negotiations; Track B (Contracts Specialist) emphasizes drafting and negotiating SaaS and related agreements, with a regional emphasis for EMEA.

Qualifications

• Track A - Counsel or Track B - Contracts Specialist roles in Global Legal team.
• Track A requires 2+ years at top-tier law firm or in-house; Track B requires SaaS contract experience.

Responsibilities

• Provide broad legal advisory support and lead contract negotiations across an assigned region or line of business.
• Draft, review, and negotiate SaaS and related commercial agreements; build out contracts function and processes.
• Collaborate with Finance, Product, Engineering, Go-to-Market, Sales, Customer Success, and Marketing.

Skills

Drafting skills

Negotiation skills

GDPR knowledge

Software IP understanding

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

J.D. or LLB

Admitted to practice in applicable country

Bachelor's degree

Tools

MS Office (Word & Excel)

Salesforce

DocuSign

Job description

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We're not here to add to the noise. We're here to cut through it- with AI that actually works for marketers.

From AI-powered content creation to world-class CMS and the industry's most trusted experimentation platform, Optimizely is the tool modern marketers actually want to use. AI-Ready. Set. Go.

10,000+ brands including H&M, PayPal, and Zoom already get it. So do Gartner, Forrester, and IDC, who consistently recognize us as leaders in MarTech.

But here's the thing about building great products: it takes great people. Our 1,600+ Optimizers across 12 global offices are curious, collaborative, and refreshingly human. We don't do corporate speak. We do real conversations, big ideas, and genuinely care for the work we make together.

If you want to be part of a team that's shaping the future of marketing technology - and actually enjoys doing it - you're in the right place.

Find us on Instagram: @optimizely

Introduction

The Optimizely Legal team's mission is to serve as a trusted business partner in support of Optimizely's software sales revenue, while sharing responsibility for leading the Company's risk management. We apply both legal acumen and business judgment to deliver sound, practical decisions across every function in the organization.

This role sits within Legal and can be shaped around two tracks, depending on the successful candidate's background and experience. As Counsel, you would provide broad legal advisory support to internal clients and lead contract negotiations across an assigned region or line of business. As a Contracts Specialist, you would focus on drafting, negotiating, and managing SaaS and related commercial agreements, and on building out the contracts function and its processes.

We are hiring for the right person, and will calibrate the title, level, and scope of the role to the successful candidate's experience - whether that is an experienced attorney ready to take on Counsel responsibilities, a more junior lawyer developing into that role, or a contracts professional with deep SaaS agreement expertise.

Regardless of track, you will collaborate with internal clients across Finance, Product, Engineering, Go-to-Market, Sales and Deal Operations, Customer Success, Partner Organization, and Marketing & Communications. You will develop strong working relationships with your Legal colleagues, contribute to the Company's strategic vision, and work under the direction of your Regional Manager and in support of the General Counsel's vision for the Team.

Job Responsibilities

Across either track, you will:

• Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales, Product, Finance, and other internal stakeholders to support the negotiation and closing of customer and partner agreements
• Contribute to Legal's ongoing process, tooling, and simplification initiatives
• Communicate clearly and professionally, escalating issues appropriately and providing timely, constructive feedback
• Support responses to RFPs/RFQs, offering appropriate alternative contract language where needed
• Balance competing priorities and tight deadlines, working both independently and as part of a team
• Embrace and promote Optimizely's recognized behaviors

Track-specific responsibilities:

Track A - Counsel

• Serve as dedicated lead legal counsel on customer contracts within an assigned region or line of business, applying legal skill and Team strategy to deliver high-quality outcomes and support Sales in closing efficiently
• Develop regional data privacy proficiency to support DPA negotiations
• Build a functional understanding of Optimizely's product suite, the roles of CISO/Compliance, and basic RevRec principles
• Lead an assigned non-revenue area of legal support, representing Legal internally and externally on that subject matter
• Handle customer contract negotiations largely independently, exercising judgment on when to elevate points to close a deal
• Participate in and lead training sessions for Sales
• Contribute to, and where assigned lead, Legal's strategic and cross-functional projects

Track B - Contracts Specialist

• Draft, review, and negotiate SaaS agreements, professional services agreements, partner agreements, and contract addenda
• Identify terms that deviate from corporate standards, recommend modifications, and engage stakeholders across Sales, Professional Services, and Legal
• Advise Sales management on contractual rights, obligations, and clarification of terms and conditions
• Act as liaison between internal and external customers to drive the contract review and approval process to conclusion
• Develop processes and analytics to track instances of non-compliance and reduce future incidents
• Assist in building out the contracts function - tools, processes, legal language library, reference materials, and playbooks
• Prepare and administer routine and specialized contract-related correspondence, and assist with other contracts management duties as they arise

Knowledge and Experience

Track A - Counsel

• At least 2 years of experience at a top-tier law firm or in-house legal department (prior tech experience a strong plus)
• Broad general knowledge of commercial, corporate, and IP law
• Strong legal skills and judgment to assess legal risk alongside related considerations (finance, compliance, and others)
• Demonstrated strong drafting skills, with a plain-language, customer-first approach
• Demonstrated strong negotiation skills, with a consultative, non-adversarial approach
• An understanding of GDPR and applicable regional privacy laws
• Demonstrated understanding of software IP issues
• Practical working knowledge across cross-functional areas (Finance, Product, IT, Security, Compliance, and others)
• Developing expertise in one or two specific legal areas
• A passion for working in an emerging technology software sales company

Track B - Contracts Specialist

• Strong analytical and interpersonal skills, with the ability to work effectively under general supervision
• Strong understanding of contract provisions and risks, and the legal areas and laws that impact them
• Ability to analyze significant or unique contract requirements to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and corporate policy
• Proficiency in MS Office, especially Word and Excel; experience with Salesforce.com and DocuSign preferred
• Intellectual curiosity about customers, products/technology, and contract provisions
• Prior SaaS transactional experience as a paralegal is a plus
• For EMEA: bilingual German and/or Swedish required, Spanish or French a plus.

Education

Track A - Counsel

• J.D. or LLB, or European equivalent
• Admitted to practice, and currently licensed, in an applicable country

Track B - Contracts Specialist

• Bachelor's degree (or equivalent)

Optimizely is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Optimizely is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or other legally protected status.