Job Description
A leading defence client is seeking a Legal Counsel to join their Space Digital division. In this role, you will act as the dedicated Legal Counsel for our geospatial imagery business within our Space Digital business line, which specialises in providing critical military and civil satellite communications, geospatial imagery and associated services to Governments, Ministries of Defence, and International Agencies. Operating within a highly complex, international environment, you will protect the company’s legal interests, providing independent and pragmatic advice for high-value UK and international public procurement contracts.
Key responsibilities will include;
- Review transaction documents, including Pre-Qualification Questionnaires (PQQs), Invitations to Tender (ITTs), and Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), the European Space Agency (ESA), and the EU.
- Structure, draft, and negotiate commercial and public procurement contracts, including Teaming and Consortium Agreements, Sales and Service Agreements, and software/digital licensing.
- Review detailed contract terms alongside the Commercial and Contracts department to propose and defend bespoke derogations that mitigate corporate risk.
- Identify, assess, and manage legal risks throughout the contract lifecycle, from the initial bidding phase through to final project close-out.
- Prepare legal risk summaries for management approval slide packs, ensuring management has full visibility of the commercial implications of high-risk provisions.
- Ensure the timely escalation of critical legal and compliance issues to support informed corporate decision-making. Maintain efficient, collaborative interfaces across cross-functional teams, including R&D, Programmes, Engineering, Sales, and Procurement.
- Partner with the Procurement team to ensure that all sub-contracts accurately reflect necessary regulatory and prime-contract flow-down clauses.
- Work closely with the Ethics & Compliance, Export Control, and Anti-Trust teams to guarantee that all agreements fully comply with internal policies and national regulations.
- Handle potential litigations, commercial claims, and change-management disputes within the UK and related jurisdictions, minimizing operational and financial exposure.
- Deliver targeted guidance to commercial, sales, and marketing teams to enhance overall internal legal awareness regarding contract baselines and liability risks.
Essential skill set
- Qualified Commercial Solicitor (England & Wales) with extensive post-qualification experience
- Experience (PQE) in-house or within a reputable law firm, with a proven track record navigating complex UK MoD bids and public procurement frameworks.
- Sound knowledge of commercial contract law, public procurement law, Intellectual Property (IP), GDPR/Data Protection, TUPE and competition law principles.
- Exceptional technical drafting capabilities with the ability to translate complex legal clauses into clear, business-focused language for senior management and non-legal stakeholders.
- Full professional fluency in written and spoken English.
- An autonomous, resilient, and collaborative negotiator who can manage multiple procedures simultaneously while remaining solutions-oriented under pressure. Able to travel occasionally to meet project milestones.
Desirable
- Experience with international institutional bodies (such as ESA or EU agencies) is advantageous.
The role is working a 35 hour week and is paying £75.15 Per Hour Umbrella / £56.17 Per Hour PAYE
Morson is acting as an employment business in relation to this role