Sr. Commercial Counsel

Thales; Belfast City District; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Private medical insurance

Cycle to work scheme

Annual bonus

Employee discounts

Volunteer day

Stocks and shares

Job summary

Thales is seeking a Senior Commercial Legal Counsel on a 12-month fixed-term contract in Belfast, working hybrid. You will draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial and tech contracts, advise procurement, and shape standardized processes while balancing legal and business considerations.

The role requires a qualified lawyer with at least 5 years’ experience in licensing, software, data privacy, and related terms, plus strong collaboration with internal teams and external partners.

Qualifications

• Qualified practicing lawyer with current practicing certificate.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Experience with licensing, hardware, services, software contracts, and data privacy terms.
• High integrity, excellent organizational skills, and ability to manage multiple projects.
• Strong written and oral communication with internal and external stakeholders.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Team-oriented yet able to work independently with sound business judgment.

Responsibilities

• Draft and negotiate outbound licensing, professional services, channel partner agreements, NDAs, and other tech contracts.
• Identify potential contractual problems and address issues efficiently.
• Support standardized legal processes to streamline operations.
• Provide legal advice to procurement and business units in vendor agreements.
• Advise management on contractual rights and obligations, interpreting terms clearly.
• Maintain, revise, and improve template agreements to ensure compliance.

Skills

Drafting commercial contracts

Negotiation

Legal advice to procurement

Contract interpretation

Stakeholder collaboration

Deadline driven

Independent work

Education

Qualified practicing lawyer with current certificate

Job description

Location: Belfast Arnott House, United Kingdom

Thales is a global technology leader with more than 83,000 employees on five continents. With over 7,500 people in the UK, operating across defence, space, aerospace, and digital security, we help build a future we can all trust. Thales supports the security and stability of our nation by providing extraordinary technology to our customers, as well as delivering social value to the UK with our products and services.

Job Title: Senior Commercial Legal Counsel (FTC 12 months)

Location: Belfast (Hybrid Model)

Department: Thales Cyber Security Products (CSP) Legal Department

Reporting to: Associate General Counsel, EMEA Regional Lead

Why Cyber Security Products (CSP) Legal?

• CSP Legal is a global commercial legal team serving one of the leading global cyber security businesses.
• The products and services are cutting-edge, which will allow you to greatly expand your experience and expertise.
• The team is managed in a transparent and innovative fashion, which results in a collaborative atmosphere.

About the Role:

We are seeking a self-motivated and collaborative senior Legal Counsel to join our dynamic Legal Department at Thales CSP on a 12-month fixed-term contract (FTC) to cover maternity leave. In this role, you will support business operations by identifying and resolving legal issues, balancing legal and commercial considerations, and drafting and negotiating a variety of agreements. The ideal candidate will have experience with domestic and international enterprise software licensing, SaaS, intellectual property, and data privacy matters.

Key Responsibilities:

• Draft and negotiate a broad spectrum of contracts, including outbound licensing, professional services, channel partner agreements, nondisclosure agreements, and other commercial and technology-related contracts.
• Proactively identify potential contractual problems and take initiative to address issues efficiently.
• Support the creation and implementation of standardized legal processes and procedures to streamline operations.
• Provide legal advice and support to procurement and various business units in the negotiation of vendor agreements.
• Advise management on contractual rights and obligations, interpreting terms and conditions clearly and effectively.
• Maintain, revise, and improve template agreements as required to ensure legal and business compliance.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Qualified practicing lawyer with a current practicing certificate.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Familiarity with a wide range of commercial agreements, including licensing, hardware, services, software-related contracts, and data privacy terms.
• High integrity, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Strong written and oral communication skills with significant experience collaborating closely with internal stakeholders and external customers, partners, and suppliers.
• Ability to work effectively under tight deadlines and thrive in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexibility and responsiveness to changing priorities and urgent issues.
• Sound understanding of contract and negotiation principles in both business and legal contexts.
• Team-oriented approach with the ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Demonstrated ability to apply sound business judgment in legal decision-making.

What We Offer:

• A hybrid working model based in Belfast.
• Opportunity to work in a global, innovative technology company.
• Collaborative and supportive work environment.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the UK at the time of hire. This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship or for assuming sponsorship of an employment visa now or in the future.

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At Thales, we ensure equal opportunities, pay and working conditions for all. The benefits we offer include private medical insurance, buying or selling annual leave, cycle to work schemes, employee discounts, paid volunteering day, stocks and shares, annual bonus and much more depending on the role. Read more about our benefits here.

We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued for who they are and the unique strengths they bring. Discover more about our programmes, employee networks, wellbeing policies, and inclusive features here.

If this role isn’t quite right for you, we encourage you to join our talent community where your details will be shared with our recruitment teams for other potential opportunities. Join the Talent Community here.

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