Legal Advisor

What if you could do the kind of work the world needs? At WSP, you can access our global scale, contribute to landmark projects and connect with the brightest minds in your field to do the best work of your life. You can embrace your curiosity in a culture that celebrates new ideas and diverse perspectives. You can experience a world of opportunity and the chance to shape a career as unique as you.
A little more about your role As a major player in the multi-disciplinary engineering and development planning consultancy sector, WSP is currently recruiting an experienced solicitor to work within the UK Legal team supporting procurement activities and WSP UK's privacy program.

Within this role you will be responsible for contributing to the effective management of legal risk within WSP through the provision of pragmatic and commercial legal advice, typically in drafting and negotiating procurement contracts, advising on WSP's procurement activities, and providing data protection/privacy and GDPR advice both in the context of those procurement activities, and in a broader sense across the business.

Procurement projects that you can expect to be involved in will range from contracts with outsourced service providers to meet WSP's business requirements.

A typical week would include:

Procurement support:

• Reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements (term, framework and outsourced models, whether UK specific or part of wider global structures) in relation to a wide range of products and services to include facilities management services, finance/travel/HR shared services and sub-contract frameworks supporting commodity category strategies.
• Reviewing and negotiating commercial IT agreements, including SaaS, PaaS, purchase of hardware and software, including reseller agreements. Knowledge of generative AI solutions is desirable but not essential.
• Supporting the procurement function with pragmatic and commercial advice working closely with procurement managers and competitive supplier tender arrangements to meet business requirements.
• Ensuring that corporate governance and corporate policy are maintained in relation to contract approvals.
• Providing legal support to supplier on-boarding and tender/RFI/RFP requirements.
• Helping to develop templates and guidance notes for use to promote self-serve and reduce demand.

Data protection/privacy:

• Advising on aspects of data protection/privacy law to include data processor and data controller obligations under GDPR and DPA 2018.
• Drafting and reviewing data processing and sharing agreements for client and supplier facing activities, including under SCC/model clauses.
• Providing data protection contracting support in the on-boarding and reassessment of suppliers.
• Providing advice and guidance on tender documents regarding data protection/privacy and developing and maintaining template content/FAQ responses enabling a self-serve approach to client bid responses to promote efficiencies and competitiveness.
• Helping revise and develop DPA precedents, training, advice notes and other documentation.
• Working with legal colleagues in the implementation of the wider privacy compliance program.

What we would like you to demonstrate

• Qualified and practicing solicitor or barrister in the UK or equivalent jurisdiction.
• A commercial and pragmatic approach to the giving of legal advice.
• Ability to demonstrate an appreciation of commercial and procurement drivers.
• Experience of advising on commercial contracts under Master Services Agreements and standalone structures, including data protection aspects of those contracts. Previous experience of working in an equivalent in-house/business environment in a similar role is desirable, but not essential.
• Sound understanding of UK data protection and privacy law with a willingness to apply data protection contracting experience in a broader compliance program of work.
• The confidence and aptitude to progress rapidly to independently manage their own workload. The role will involve liaison with senior management, directors, project managers, and procurement category managers as well as external liaison with suppliers, their solicitors and other external bodies.
• Ability to engage with a large range of stakeholders and business functions at all levels within the business and to work collaboratively.

Imagine a better future for you and a better future for us all.

Join our close-knit community of talented individuals who share your passion for making a positive impact. Our global team includes more than 69,000 employees, working together to make a difference in communities both close to home and around the world.

With us, you can. Apply today.