Public Sector Solicitor

Softcat; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Softcat in Manchester invites a Public Sector Solicitor to join our in-house legal team. You will review and negotiate public sector customer contracts and supplier agreements, and provide robust advice on data protection provisions.

Hybrid working, with a focus on practical commercial law in a fast-growing tech environment. You will advise on credit arrangements and contribute to training for account managers, while supporting junior colleagues and shaping precedents.

Qualifications

• Experience drafting, preparing, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Advising on data protection provisions and processing/sharing agreements.
• Strong knowledge of contract and tort law.
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to manage own caseload with limited supervision.
• In-house experience or understanding of in-house legal teams.

Responsibilities

• Reviewing and negotiating public sector customer contracts.
• Reviewing and negotiating supplier contracts and distributor agreements.
• Drafting bespoke contracts such as referral agreements when required.
• Advising on AOR and credit arrangements.
• Delivering contract and regulatory training to account managers and partners.
• Providing ad hoc legal advice (e.g., trademark queries, termination of contracts).
• Supporting junior team members and developing precedents and processes.

Skills

Commercial contracts

Data protection

Contract law

Organisational skills

Independent work

In-house understanding

Education

Solicitor qualified in England & Wales (1-3 PQE)

Job description

Would you like to kick start your career in a supportive, collaborative and innovative company?

Do you enjoy working as part of an enthusiastic, passionate, and collaborative team?

Join our Legal team

This an exciting opportunity to join the in-house legal team at Softcat. We are a friendly and supportive team based in Softcat's Manchester office, but we work closely with colleagues across all our offices and across different areas of the business. Success. The Softcat Way. It's an exciting time to be at Softcat, one of the UK's most successful technology solutions businesses. We help customers to use technology to succeed, by putting our employees first. We've reached the £1 billion+ pa revenue milestone, opened our first office outside the UK and picked up a series of industry awards. We've got even bigger plans for the future. So, if you share our drive and ambition, get ready to achieve more from your career.

You will need to have a strong foundation in commercial law and practical experience of providing advice on, and the negotiation of, customer and supplier contracts (including data processing provisions). Experience working in the IT industry would be helpful but applications from candidates with solid commercial experience in other sectors are also welcome.

As Public Sector Solicitor, you'll be responsible for:

• Reviewing and negotiating public sector customer contracts;
• Reviewing and negotiating supplier and distributor contracts;
• Creating bespoke contracts where required e.g. referral agreements;
• Advising on AOR and other credit arrangements;
• Delivering contract and mandatory regulatory training to account managers and the supplier/partner management team;
• Providing ad hoc legal advice e.g. trademark queries and advice on termination of contracts;
• Supporting more junior members of the team;
• Supporting the development of our precedents and process improvements.

We'd love you to have

• Solicitor qualified in England and Wales with 1-3 PQE;
• Experience of working with commercial contracts, including drafting, preparation, review and amendment; conducting negotiations; and advising on the effect of legal provisions;
• Experience of advising on data protection provisions, including data processing/sharing agreements;
• Sound technical understanding of contract and tort law;
• Excellent organisational skills and attention to detail;
• Confidence to work on own caseload with limited supervision and ability to work under pressure; Enthusiasm for what we do and a willingness to take responsibility for ensuring legal knowledge is up-to-date and ongoing professional development;
• In-house experience (through employment or secondment opportunities) or otherwise able to demonstrate a good understanding of the challenges faced by in-house lawyers and how to overcome them.

We also acknowledge that the confidence gap and imposter syndrome are a real thing and can get in the way of us meeting fantastic talent.

Work in a way that works for you

• Hybrid working - 2/3 days in the office and 2/3 days working from home
• Working flexible hours - flexing the times you start and finish during the day
• Flexibility around school pick up and drop offs

Working with us

Wherever you work, we want you to experience the freedom and autonomy to realise your potential. You will feel supported by a team that celebrates individuality, encourages different perspectives, and embraces every background.

If you have a disability or neurodiversity, we can provide support or adjustments that you may need throughout our recruitment process or any mitigating circumstance you wish for us to consider. Any information you share on your application will be treated in confidence. You can find out more about life at Softcat and our commitments to diversity and inclusion at jobs.softcat.com/jobs/our-culture/<

Here at Softcat, we don't prohibit the use of AI (artificial intelligence) in our application process, as we understand how far it can go to creating a truly equitable candidate experience. That being said, as a culture-driven organisation, we believe that the genuine essence of each person is what truly matters, so we highly encourage you to be as authentically you as possible when submitting your application to showcase your true and whole self.