Legal Counsel

Vodafone; Newbury; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a skilled legal professional to join their dynamic team in Newbury. This role offers the chance to draft and negotiate a variety of commercial contracts while providing vital legal support across diverse sectors, including government and multinational corporations. With a hybrid working model, you will enjoy flexibility in your work environment, while contributing to a culture that values diversity and inclusion. If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a collaborative setting, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Up to 28 days holiday entitlement

Employee discounts

Retail vouchers

Pension plan

Share schemes

Paid leave for charity projects

Qualifications

• Solicitor with 5-10+ years of post-qualification legal experience.
• Solid grounding in commercial law and good negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate commercial contracts for Vodafone UK.
• Provide legal advice and support for bids and tenders.
• Review legal developments impacting contracts and provide training.

Skills

Commercial judgement

Negotiation skills

Legal knowledge

Decision-making skills

Creative problem-solving

Education

University honours degree

Job description

At Vodafone, we’re working hard to build a better future. A more connected, inclusive and sustainable world. As a dynamic global community, it's our human spirit, together with technology, that empowers us to achieve this.

We challenge and innovate in order to connect people, businesses, and communities across the world. Delighting our customers and earning their loyalty drive us, and we experiment, learn fast and get it done, together.

With us, you can truly be yourself and belong, share inspiration, embrace new opportunities, thrive, and make a real difference.

Location: Newbury, Hybrid working
Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits
Working Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week – Mon to Fri or Part time considered

At Vodafone UK we believe that through collaboration and connection with our colleagues we can achieve great things. Our hybrid 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. We don't require you to be in on specific days; instead, we ask people to come into the office 2-3 days each week, on average 8 days a month. Our “Office in a Box” home working kit will provide you with everything you need, no matter where you are.

Who We 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.

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.

What you'll do

• Draft and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts and provide legal support for bids/tenders for the Business Unit of Vodafone UK.
• Handle public sector and private sector contracts/bids/tenders, working with Vodafone terms, customer-proposed terms, and under public sector frameworks.
• Support a varied customer portfolio including defence & security, critical national infrastructure, government, major corporates, multinational/international entities, and regional/SME accounts.
• Provide legal advice, assistance, and support (on both a proactive and reactive basis) to relevant business areas/key stakeholders.
• Be the first point of contact for customer issues/disputes related to business contracts and work closely with the dispute resolution team.
• Act as a specific point of contact for a business area for any escalations and issues, assisting with appropriate training needs.
• Review a wide range of sources for new and proposed legal developments impacting relevant areas of responsibility.
• Keep contract templates and internal briefing notes up-to-date and provide ongoing training.
• Help find better ways of working to transform and simplify the contracting journey.
• Actively contribute and drive forward Business Deals legal team transformation/projects.

Who you are

• Sound commercial judgement.
• Able to advise internal customers confidently and effectively.
• Good decision-making skills and ability to identify and communicate key risks.
• Able to think outside the box and come up with creative solutions while minimising risk.
• University honours degree (second class or better).
• Solicitor with 5 – 10+ years post-qualification legal experience in the commercial field.
• Solid grounding in commercial law and a good level of general legal knowledge.
• 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. 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.

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.

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, please refer to the Accessibility section of our Careers website for guidance.

Vodafone is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the very best people by offering a motivating and inclusive workplace where talent is truly recognised and rewarded.