Senior Associate - Commercial, IT & Outsourcing
About Gowling WLG
We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There's strength in our global presence - we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that's tailored to our clients' world.
'Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do'' Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.
There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone's different contributions we achieve more.
Working flexibly, working fairly
Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse - and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm - having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.
By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team - while maintaining that all important work-life balance.
Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.
About the Team
This role is to join our Commercial, IT and Outsourcing team to focus on servicing our public sector practice. Our reputation and profile in the Public Sector is growing rapidly and we are recruiting to help deliver a number of significant wins for the team.
In February 2017 we were appointed as one of 12 Tier 1 firms to the Central Government legal services framework, managed by the Crown Commercial Service. This built on the advice we have provided over numerous years for clients such as the Ministry of Defence, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Insolvency Service, and OFQUAL. In September 2018 we were appointed as one of 18 firms on the main panel of the CCS Wider Public Sector framework , building on the work we have done over the last 20 years for local authority, health and social housing clients.
We have over 70 professionals dedicated to servicing the frameworks across a range of specialisms but recent wins for clients such as the MOD, Highways England, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Home Office, Ofwat, Office for National Statistics and TfL/London Underground mean that we need to expand our capability, particularly in the field of public sector outsourcing/projects and procurement lawyers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
We are a diverse team, covering a range of public sector contract types (e.g. IT, outsourcing, health commissioning, and services) across the public sector.
The role involves:
taking instructions, structuring, drafting and negotiating a range of commercial contracts;
corresponding and/or liaising with clients and counter parties;
working alone, subject to appropriate supervision, or as part of a team on matters according to according to their size and complexity or supervising more junior lawyers;
advising on procurement issues;
an active role in business development - building relationships with clients, proactively seeking out business development opportunities and helping secure them, helping writing tenders, participating in tender presentations and attending functions and events;
running meetings;
file management including delegation and supervision of tasks as appropriate;
time recording, costs estimating and billing.
Note that, although we expect candidates to have a good knowledge of the procurement rules, they must be prepared to combine their procurement expertise with leading/advising on the main project/contract.
Key skills and experience
Key Skills and Experience:
A solicitor with experience of advising public bodies (e.g. central government, local government, NDPBs) and/or those in the health or social housing sector on contracts for goods or services. Alternatively, we will consider candidates who have acted for the private sector bidding for work under a public sector procurement.
We are particularly interested in those who have a good knowledge of the public procurement rules and/or state aid, and who have led/advised on/assisted with procurements run under the Open, Restricted, Competitive Dialogue and/or CPN procedures. Experience of public sector model contracts (e.g. Model Services Agreement, PFI/PP, NHS standard terms) would also be welcomed, as would experience in advising on vires, FOIA and/or data protection.
We are looking for someone who is:
team-spirited;
commercial;
robust (in negotiation);
responsible and able to think on feet to assess risks and exercise sound judgement;
an enthusiasm for commercial contracts and the public sector environment;
developing a track record in developing and maintaining client relationships;
keen to be involved in business development, particularly tenders;
solid technical ability in the law and drafting;
ambitious, flexible and positive.
Equal Opportunities
Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.
At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.
We have more than 1,400 legal professionals working around the world. Our offices span across 19 cities in Canada, the UK, Continental Europe, Asia and the Middle East. There's strength in our global presence - we embrace our differing cultures and work together as one team. We also understand the importance of investing in relationships that build knowledge and trust, while we provide legal advice that's tailored to our clients' world.
'Our people and distinct culture are what makes us different. We know this through client and employee feedback and this drives everything we do'' Chris Oglethorpe, HR Director.
There are great opportunities for all our people to flourish. Through training and personal development they can grow in their role. Our people are the cornerstone of our success, across legal, business support and early talent. We care about their happiness and believe in the power of teamwork. We want them to feel empowered and recognise that by supporting, respecting and embracing everyone's different contributions we achieve more.
Working flexibly, working fairly
Agile working offers people more freedom and flexibility in where, when, and how they work. As technology advances and our workforce becomes more diverse - and with clients often working to a 24/7 rhythm - having extra flexibility is key to helping us balance work and other commitments sensibly and productively.
By supporting people to choose where and when they get their work done, we help them to make a full and fair contribution to their team - while maintaining that all important work-life balance.
Where possible and depending on business needs, we will consider all flexible working options such as part-time working, job sharing, working from home and staggered hours. If in considering a role with Gowling WLG you favour flexibility in your working arrangements, please discuss this with the recruitment team in the early stages of the application process.
About the Team
This role is to join our Commercial, IT and Outsourcing team to focus on servicing our public sector practice. Our reputation and profile in the Public Sector is growing rapidly and we are recruiting to help deliver a number of significant wins for the team.
In February 2017 we were appointed as one of 12 Tier 1 firms to the Central Government legal services framework, managed by the Crown Commercial Service. This built on the advice we have provided over numerous years for clients such as the Ministry of Defence, Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), Insolvency Service, and OFQUAL. In September 2018 we were appointed as one of 18 firms on the main panel of the CCS Wider Public Sector framework , building on the work we have done over the last 20 years for local authority, health and social housing clients.
We have over 70 professionals dedicated to servicing the frameworks across a range of specialisms but recent wins for clients such as the MOD, Highways England, Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, Home Office, Ofwat, Office for National Statistics and TfL/London Underground mean that we need to expand our capability, particularly in the field of public sector outsourcing/projects and procurement lawyers.
Main Duties and Responsibilities
Main Duties and Responsibilities:
We are a diverse team, covering a range of public sector contract types (e.g. IT, outsourcing, health commissioning, and services) across the public sector.
The role involves:
taking instructions, structuring, drafting and negotiating a range of commercial contracts;
corresponding and/or liaising with clients and counter parties;
working alone, subject to appropriate supervision, or as part of a team on matters according to according to their size and complexity or supervising more junior lawyers;
advising on procurement issues;
an active role in business development - building relationships with clients, proactively seeking out business development opportunities and helping secure them, helping writing tenders, participating in tender presentations and attending functions and events;
running meetings;
file management including delegation and supervision of tasks as appropriate;
time recording, costs estimating and billing.
Note that, although we expect candidates to have a good knowledge of the procurement rules, they must be prepared to combine their procurement expertise with leading/advising on the main project/contract.
Key skills and experience
Key Skills and Experience:
A solicitor with experience of advising public bodies (e.g. central government, local government, NDPBs) and/or those in the health or social housing sector on contracts for goods or services. Alternatively, we will consider candidates who have acted for the private sector bidding for work under a public sector procurement.
We are particularly interested in those who have a good knowledge of the public procurement rules and/or state aid, and who have led/advised on/assisted with procurements run under the Open, Restricted, Competitive Dialogue and/or CPN procedures. Experience of public sector model contracts (e.g. Model Services Agreement, PFI/PP, NHS standard terms) would also be welcomed, as would experience in advising on vires, FOIA and/or data protection.
We are looking for someone who is:
team-spirited;
commercial;
robust (in negotiation);
responsible and able to think on feet to assess risks and exercise sound judgement;
an enthusiasm for commercial contracts and the public sector environment;
developing a track record in developing and maintaining client relationships;
keen to be involved in business development, particularly tenders;
solid technical ability in the law and drafting;
ambitious, flexible and positive.
Equal Opportunities
Gowling WLG is committed both to promoting equality and diversity in the firm and to Equal Opportunities in employment. The firm believes in equality of opportunity regardless of race or racial group (including colour, nationality, ethnicity, national origins), religion or belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender re-assignment and gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, and pregnancy, maternity and paternity. This also includes any incidents of perceptive or associative discrimination and harassment.
At Gowling WLG we seek to attract and retain talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds and cultures, to create an exciting and rewarding place to work. Our aim is to fulfil everyone's potential and together to achieve personal and business goals.