Senior Legal Contracts Specialist

We are seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to join our team in Sydney. This role will suit someone looking to make the move in-house and provide legal services and expertise to our Australia and New Zealand Division.

• Undertake extensive contract reviews and negotiations on proposed contracts and tenders with clients and sub-consultants for small, mid and large-scale projects;
• Review and advise on other agreements and related issues such as subcontracts, teaming agreements, memoranda of understanding, joint ventures, leases, insurance coverage and probity arrangements;
• Provide legal advice on liability and risk identification, allocation and management including developing commercial solutions to legal risks;
• Provide independent legal advice on contractual issues and claims or potential claims by or against SMEC to project managers and regional management;
• Work in collaboration with the Director - Commercial and Legal Services, Group Director - Insurance and Compliance Director;
• Liaise with Group Director - Insurance on questions of insurance coverage and contractual undertakings relating to insurance providing an efficient, competent and professional service that is tailored to the business needs and requirements to ensure transparency to management of risk undertaken;
• Advising and assisting debt collection activities;
• Providing advice on matters arising in the performance and administration of contracts;
• Assisting with delivery of contracts training across the business;
• Providing input and assistance when standard documentation and user guides are reviewed and developed;
• Promote compliance with group-wide legal and risk policies and procedures within the business;
• Identification and reporting of non-compliances across the business;
• Participating with Divisional management and SMEC Corporate teams in policy and procedure development as requested;
• Identifying areas of improvement for the Division's legal and commercial practices and liaise with Business Unit Directors, Market Directors, National Managers and State Sector/Local Sector Managers to develop solutions for clients;
• Working to foster positive working relationships with external clients while still acting to protect SMEC's interests;
• Identifying internal client needs and seeks to address their reasonable requirements;
• Maintaining regular contact and dialogue with key clients;

Suitable applicants will be/have:

• Bachelor's Degree in law;
• Post graduate qualification in a relevant area desirable;
• Current Legal Practicing Certificate;
• Member of a State Law Society;
• 5+ years PAE legal experience including commercial law, construction law, services contracts, leases and debt collection;
• Strong front end and negotiation skills;
• High level of written and verbal skills;
• Pragmatic, practical and solution focused approach;
• Ability to prioritise and manage tasks to meet critical deadlines and work under pressure;
• High level of legal knowledge contract law;
• Excellent time management skills with the ability to efficiently plan workloads and meet deadlines;
• Solid understanding of relevant Australian Standards and other common industry consultancy contracts;
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills;
• Skilled in undertaking a co-operative and flexible work style to work in a team environment;

We offer a dynamic and inclusive work environment where your fresh ideas and enthusiasm will be welcomed and rewarded. We value teamwork, progressive thinking and creative ideas and are committed to providing platforms to enable our people to engage in the business deliver value to clients and develop their careers.