Legal and Contracts Officer, Nsw

**Location**: Newcastle, NSW

**About the role**:
Reporting to the Legal and Contracts Manager, the Legal and Contracts Officer will provide timely, accurate and practical legal, contractual, commercial and corporate support and internal support services to empower our team, manage risk, and successfully deliver on our project workload.

This will include preparing, interpreting, reviewing, and negotiating consulting and commercial contracts, and advising on compliance with contractual terms and conditions in consultation with Legal and Contracts Manager. The role will also be responsible for coordinating the internal legal review services; maintaining legal registers and records; and providing support for company corporate governance and risk management functions. The role includes the below requirements and tasks:

- Undertake the review of consulting and commercial contracts within agreed timeframes
- Analyse all requirements and provisions in contracts, including terms and conditions, to manage risk and ensure compliance with all laws and regulations and company policies and procedures
- Contribute to contract improvement, training. compliance management and enhanced risk management
- Provide sound legal and commercial advice to senior staff to support contractual agreements for consulting services and commercial arrangements to support corporate aspects of the business
- Enhance the contractual risk management identification and communication to reduce company exposure
- Provide support to the Project Directors and Finance to ensure correct billing and other contractual administration
- Ensure that contracts are in line with corporate goals and objectives
- Contribute to contract negotiations and coordinate all changes in and addendums to existing contracts, ensuring key deadlines are met
- Identify potential and coordinate improvements to existing policies and procedures and tools for the recording information about contracts and the production of risk reports
- Conduct special projects as assigned
- Provide proficient advice in relation to contract documentation relating to the delivery of professional consulting services. This can include (but is not limited to) contract deeds, agreements, non-disclosure agreements, confidential agreements, panel arrangement, and company compliance and governance documents
- As required work with Legal and Contracts Manager to provide advice and support to their business functions to support business operations
- Represent the organisation in an honest, ethical and professional way and set an example for others to follow
- Adhere to and drive adherence to our organisational policies, procedures, and values always, and seek to positively influence the direction of these policies and procedures, as appropriate
- Promote safety as both an individual and team responsibility through positive reinforcement and adhere to the Work Health and Safety Policy and its objectives
- Always maintain professional conduct and behaviour in line with the Code of Conduct and other such associated procedures and policies
- Maintain/utilise all systems and current procedures to ensure all business activities/functions comply with the requirements of the Quality Management System

**About you**:

- Bachelor of Law (LLB)
- Demonstrated experience in a similar role, with significant exposure as a commercial and contract specialist in a project-oriented role
- Knowledge and understanding of the Australian corporate legal, governance and contracts management landscape to support business governance and compliance processes
- Experience in dealing with diverse government and industry stakeholders
- Able to drive outcomes in a fast-paced environment, with strong organisational and analytical skills
- Demonstrated attention to detail with the ability to work effectively under pressure without compromising on quality
- Understanding and/or experience in the environmental and social consulting industry (desirable)
- Ability to work with a range of stakeholders to achieve positive outcomes for Umwelt’s projects and business opportunities
- Ability to contribute to proactive development and further enhancement of systems, processes and deliverables within Umwelt
- Flexibility to travel

Demonstrated behaviours expected of the position include, but are not limited to:

- High degree of professional integrity
- Strategic collaboration
- Ability to work well with others and influence people
- Clear and effective verbal and written communication skills
- Detail focused and analytical
- Proactive and results driven
- Demonstrate flexibility to navigate hurdles and find solutions
- Commitment to the team and business
- Strong work ethic
- Pride in the quality of their work
- Seeks to understand and communicate authentically
- Organised, efficient and self-motivated
- Strong prioritisation and delegation skills
- Willingness to provide constructive and timely feedback
- Empowering and encouraging attitude