Legal Contracts Manager – Global Company

Job description / Role

Job title: Legal Contracts Manager, EMEA
Based: Dubai
Reporting to: Head of Business Operations and Contracts Management, EMEA

Our client is a biggest global group of companies includes a number of businesses: EIU (subscription and custom research), advertising, Corporate Network, conferences and research.

The primary purpose of the role is to support the contracts management function and contracts process for the Continental Europe, Middle East and Africa (CEMEA) region, the UK region and EIU Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA). The contracts executive will oversee the creation, review, approval and management of select sales and other commercial contracts for the regions. The ability to be able to balance commercial goals and protect The Group’s legal, financial and brand requirements are the key requirement of the position.

Key responsibilities - Contracts Management

• Ensure the use of The Group’s standard contract templates wherever possible and encourage the sales team to use the standard templates available in Salesforce.com
• Ensure that the internal contracts review and approval process is followed in accordance with prescribed rules
• Work closely with the Sales, Editorial and Finance teams to review, check and approve contracts before they are sent onto the client, making changes and re-drafting relevant sections with the assistance of the Head of Business Operations, as necessary. When using a client’s contract, ensure that the terms are in line with The Group’s standard terms and conditions of doing business and The Group’s interests remain fully protected under the agreement
• Confirm that the prices being offered to clients meet applicable rate card pricing and discounting policy and support the Business Operation Executive, CEMEA with any contract queries/contracts support
• Negotiate select contract terms directly with clients in conjunction with the sales team, either face to face, email or by phone
• Work with the Head of Business Operations and Contracts manager EMEA to set up and agree master contracts with larger repeat clients where possible and appropriate
• Support the wider business with other types of agreements as necessary, such as the review of client documents, the appointment of a sales representative and service provider agreements and translations of agreements (where required), liaising with the Head of Business Operations and Contracts Management EMEA as appropriate
• Provide assistance on tender processes and vendor registration.
• Work with the Head of Business Operations and Contracts Management EMEA to ensure the consistent use of the most up-to-date contract templates and to support group-wide contracting standards. Ensure all current sales templates are available for the Sales team to access in Salesforce.com
• Ensure that that contracts and contract statistics are provided to the Sales and Finance teams and Head of Business Operations and Contracts Management on a regular basis
• General contracts administration
• Providing support to/cover for the regional contracts managers as and when required
• Provide training on the completion of standard form templates, contracts review and approval processes and guidelines to new members of sales staff
• Support to the Head of Operations and Contracts Management EMEA with ad hoc projects

Performance measures
• Accuracy of response (including queries from internal and external clients) and speed of
turnaround of contracts
• Meeting agreed response times on contract review
• Quality of contracts drafting to ensure that The Group’s interests remain fully protected at all times including that any exposure to risk is minimal (in accordance with internal policies)
• Quality of internal and external communication
• Understanding of The Group’s editorial policies and ensuring they are appropriately reflected in contracts

Requirements

Skills and capabilities profile
• Education and training
• Law degree or equivalent legal academic qualification. Postgraduate legal qualification and/or membership of a professional body is a distinct advantage
• Previous work experience
• 1 year + experience in commercial contract review, ideally in a media or publishing company with some international exposure. Regional experience will be a plus
• Experience of working closely with a sales team and commercial departments within the business is a must
• Knowledge
• Ability to review contract terms and draft basic contract clauses with knowledge of client service agreements, electronic publishing and/or sponsorship agreements
• Solid understanding of general commercial, intellectual property, and legal concepts as well as English contract law principles.
• Knowledge of Salesforce.com an advantage
• IT
• Highly proficient in MS Office. Experience of SalesForce.com a distinct advantage
• Languages
• Fluent in spoken and written English. A CEMEA language is an advantage
• Key skills
• Legal and contract knowledge
• Writing and contract drafting skills
• Strong interpersonal skills and problem solving skills, influencing, and presentation skills with experience in negotiating contractual issues directly with clients
• Communicating clearly with internal teams and clients. Excellent organisational skills
• Ability to work under pressure of tight deadlines and competing demands for service from the different external and internal customers
• Personal attributes
• Team player who sees the bigger picture.
• Interpersonal skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. Convincing and credible with both internal and external customers

The Group values diversity. We are committed to equal opportunities and creating an inclusive environment for all our employees. We welcome applicants regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religious beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age.

About the Company

Since 2010, our team has successfully placed some of the world’s finest graduate to mid and C-level talent in organisations across EMEA and APAC, and it all comes down to our niche approach and understanding of the market place, skill sets and trends.

From our offices in Dubai, Riyadh, London and Singapore, we run a sector specific operation. Meaning we specialise in your industry and are able to completely understand your vision, provide market insights and intelligence, and deliver the best talent to fit seamlessly into your operations.