The posting
We're building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse, providing critical technology that strengthens national security and resilience.
We specialise in turning advances in sensing, AI, and communications into operational capability for the edge, where connectivity may be degraded or denied. Our work focuses on accelerating the deployment of technology, improving decision-making for frontline teams, and protecting people and critical assets in demanding environments.
Headquartered in Bristol, Rowden employs around 200 people and operates over 20,000 square feet of engineering and manufacturing facilities. We have a growing international footprint and are one of Europe's fastest-growing engineering businesses.
About the role
We are looking for a Senior Counsel to lead our commercial contracting and legal operations, focussing on our current and future projects in defence, CNI and similar sectors. You will join a two-person legal team comprising a General Counsel and Legal Counsel, supporting a fast-growing business with over 200 staff across multiple sites.
The role supports our three business lines (Mission Systems Engineering, Sensing & Comms and Edge Device Management), spanning everything from large systems integration programmes to commercialising our hardware and software products in the UK and abroad.
On the commercial side, you will be legal lead for our customer contracts, partner and supply chain arrangements, and the regulated procurement questions behind them.
On legal operations, you'll build the processes and tools that keep the legal team efficient as the business scales, including embedding a contract lifecycle management (CLM) system, using enterprise AI and building templates and playbooks.
This is a fast-growth environment. You will work autonomously, partner closely with our commercial teams and use your judgement on when to decide or escalate. You will support, and be supported by, our Legal Counsel day-to-day.
Beyond this focus, you will also support on other legal projects as needed.
Commercial nous, problem solving, pragmatism and risk management skills are essential for this role.
Candidates must be eligible for SC clearance.
More information about security clearance is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels
Salary
For senior roles, compensation is tailored to the scope of the role and the specific experience a candidate brings. Because that can vary significantly, we do not always publish a fixed salary band. We will, however, discuss compensation openly at the first stage of the process and can share an indicative range before either side invests significant time.
Key areas of responsibility
Government & Public Sector Contracts
- Lead the review, negotiation and execution of contracts with UK government and public sector customers, including frameworks, call-offs and direct awards (including QDCs).
- Partner with Revenue Operations and capture managers from opportunity qualification to signature, giving fast, risk-calibrated advice on bids, customer terms and go/no-go decisions.
- Handle post-award matters such as variations, extensions and conflicts of interest.
Product and Software Commercialisation
- Own the contracting framework for commercialising our hardware, software and enterprise offerings (e.g. subscription agreements, software licences, EULAs, software development agreements and standard conditions of sale).
- Negotiate bespoke agreements for large and strategic customers with clear positions on IP, liability, warranties, support, SLAs, data and security.
- Build and maintain templates, playbooks and fallback positions so sales teams can close standard deals without Legal and only genuine exceptions are escalated.
- Work with Product, Engineering and Finance to keep contract terms aligned with how products are built, priced, delivered and supported.
Teaming Agreements, Subcontracts and Critical Suppliers
- Draft and negotiate teaming agreements, subcontracts and similar partner arrangements, ensuring customer obligations flow down.
- Own contracting with critical suppliers, ensuring terms support our upstream commitments.
- Manage regulatory compliance in supplier and customer relationships (e.g. screening and sanctions).
Regulated Procurement Advice
- Act as in-house expert on UK public procurement law, including the Procurement Act 2023 (PA23) and QDC regime, covering procedures, transparency, exclusion and contract modifications.
- Track regulatory change and translate it into practical guidance, templates and playbooks.
Legal Operations and Process Improvement
- Embed a newly introduced CLM system into the business.
- Build approval matrices and delegated authorities, and embed the playbooks and templates in the CLM.
- Make contracting faster and more scalable through automation and enterprise AI tools (e.g. Claude) for drafting, review and contract management.
- Report on key metrics such as turnaround times, bottlenecks and contract value.
- Train commercial teams on contracting best practice, such as defining clear deliverables, setting measurable acceptance criteria and managing changes to scope, price and timescales.
Team and Wider Contribution
- Support our Legal Counsel, sharing knowledge and helping them develop.
- Escalate significant risks to the GC with a clear recommendation and manage external counsel cost-effectively.
- Support the GC on the commercial aspects of future M&A and other corporate transactions as required.
- Support non-UK contracting until local legal resource is in place, working with external counsel where appropriate.
- Cover other legal areas (e.g. export controls, security, data protection, NSIA, employment, corporate), working with specialists and external counsel.
Key skills, experience and behaviours
Essential
- Qualified solicitor in England & Wales (or equivalent), with 5-7 years' PQE.
- Significant practical experience of public sector contracting and regulated procurement, including the PA23's effect on bids, awards, frameworks, call-offs and contract changes.
- Experience negotiating complex commercial agreements (services, technology, supply, subcontracts, teaming) and running multiple matters in parallel.
- Strong understanding of IP in commercialisation, licensing and ownership.
- Experience of technology and product commercialisation contracting (e.g. SaaS, licensing, EULAs, software development, terms of sale), including building templates and playbooks for non-lawyers.
- Proven ability to get things done fast: pragmatic, commercial and decisive, working independently with sound judgement on when to escalate.
- Excellent communication and business partnering skills, with credibility among senior commercial colleagues.
- Proficient in, or genuinely enthusiastic about, using enterprise AI tools (e.g. Claude) to draft and manage contracts.
- Knowledge of legal operations tools (e.g. e-signature, workflow and matter management).
- Thrives in a fast-growth environment where priorities shift and processes are still being built.
Desirable
- Experience in defence and/or CNI, including MOD contracting (DEFCONs, DEFFORMs, security conditions).
- Experience contracting for hardware and embedded products.
- Hands-on experience implementing a CLM system or other legal technology.
- Experience of security or NSIA considerations in contracting.
- Knowledge of export controls and international exports in commercial contracts (e.g. end-user undertakings, licence conditions and flow-down).
- Experience supporting multi-jurisdictional contracting, especially in the US.
- Experience working with and developing more junior lawyers.
- Experience in a scale-up or lean in-house legal team, with willingness to pick up adjacent areas of law.
Working at Rowden
We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!
We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid-working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part-time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.
Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.
Finally, if you feel that you don’t meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we’d still love to hear from you!
