Legal Counsel - Government and Defence

Commercial Lawyer - Public Sector

Sanderson Solutions Group

The In-House Legal team at Sanderson Solutions Group is seeking a Commercial Lawyer to manage end-to-end legal support for the Sanderson Government and Defence business.

Sanderson Government & Defence (SG&D) is a trusted partner to organisations across Government, Defence and National Security, delivering specialist talent, workforce solutions and delivery expertise that support some of the UK's most critical programmes. Combining deep sector knowledge with capabilities spanning consulting, managed services and outcome-based delivery, we help our clients solve complex challenges, accelerate transformation and achieve lasting outcomes in highly regulated environments. As our business continues to grow, we're building a team of exceptional people who want to make a meaningful impact across the public sector and defence community.

Reporting to the Group Head of Legal, you will operate with a high degree of autonomy and take primary responsibility for delivering end-to-end legal service to the Government and Defence division. You will play a key role in bid support, public sector procurement processes, client negotiations, reviewing and drafting contracts and managing legal risk on public sector, defence, consulting, managed service, project services and SOW arrangements. As the dedicated lawyer for the Sanderson Government and Defence division, you will have direct exposure to senior leadership and the opportunity to develop legal strategy while acting as a trusted partner supporting the division's growth and success.

Role Responsibilities

• Act as the primary legal advisor for the Sanderson Government and Defence division.
• Develop a detailed understanding of the public sector, defence and consulting business models, commercial objectives, routes to market and key customers within the division.
• Provide practical, risk-based legal advice to support decision makers and strategic initiatives.
• Lead the legal review and negotiation of public sector customer contracts, framework agreements, call-off contracts, consultancy agreements, project services contracts and Statements of Work.
• Support bids, tenders, framework opportunities, mini-competitions and procurement exercises requiring legal input.

Requirements

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent common law jurisdiction) with at least 2+ years' post-qualification experience.
• Demonstrable experience within services industry supporting the public sector.
• Strong knowledge of contract law, risk management and contractual issues that can occur in public sector procurement and government contracting.
• Ability to provide clear, pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice.
• Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships across all levels of the business.
• A proactive, resilient and hands-on attitude to support a broad range of work and take ownership when required.

Company Values

Our values define our culture, shape our decisions and guide our actions.

All employees at Sanderson Solutions Group should consider these values within their everyday role expectations.

• Collaboration - We Work together to achieve shared goals. Collaboration means communicating openly, respecting diverse perspectives, sharing knowledge, and supporting one another across teams to achieve the best outcomes.
• Bravery - We have the courage to do the right thing, even when it's difficult. Bravery means speaking up, raising concerns, challenging ideas respectfully and embracing change and innovation.
• Simplicity - We strive for clarity and efficiency in everything we do. Simplicity means avoiding unnecessary complexity, communicating clearly, and focusing on what truly adds value.
• Commitment - We have dedicated to delivering on our promises. Commitment means taking ownership of our responsibilities. Following through on actions and striving for high standards.
• Reliability - We can be trusted to do what we say we will do. Reliability means consistency, dependability, and acting with integrity in all our relationships.

Reasonable Adjustments:

Respect and equality are core values to us. We are proud of the diverse and inclusive community we have built, and we welcome applications from people of all backgrounds and perspectives. Our success is driven by our people, united by the spirit of partnership to deliver the best resourcing solutions for our clients.

If you need any help or adjustments during the recruitment process for any reason, please let us know when you apply or talk to the recruiters directly so we can support you.