Dezeen Jobs

BIG is seeking a contracts manager and legal counsel to join its team in London.

BIG is a group of 500+ architects, engineers, urbanists, inventors, researchers and business minds from all over the world who are based in our Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona and Shenzhen offices. Our built work ranges from the most diverse urban playground and Michelin-star dining – to affordable housing that feels everything but and a school among the verdant fjords of the Faroe Islands. Our vision spans traveling at supersonic speed with Hyperloop One to living in floating cities and eventually Mars! While we are led by a group of expert partners, directors and associates – a flat hierarchy and collaborative spirit are essential to our BIG ecosystem. We share our collective knowledge and expansive network through study trips and educational workshops. We are ambitious and unified by the shared mission to craft the world we want to live in, to give form to our future one project at a time.

For the past years BIG, London has experienced continuous growth and we are currently looking for a talented, motivated, and ambitious Contracts Manager and Legal Counsel to join our expanding Operations Team in London.

As a contracts manager and legal counsel, you will be responsible for drafting and negotiating project contract documents and will support the local and global offices with legal advice, analysing legal considerations and BIG’s corporate governance to ensure the best possible outcome for BIG. A successful candidate will be able to conduct thorough analysis of contractual terms, insurance implications, and interface with clients and other consultants, as required, to understand the project at hand. As BIG London is operating in the UK, EU, Middle East, and elsewhere in the world, the candidate must be comfortable operating in an international environment and have the ability to quickly grasp and analyse the industry specific requirements related to the country in question.

You will be working within BIG’s legal department which currently has 6 members globally, supporting our offices in Copenhagen, New York, London, Barcelona and Shenzhen. You will be expected to work closely with your colleagues, sharing knowledge, experience, and developing and aligning company standards and procedures. You will report to the director of legal and executive support and have a strong working relationship with the local managing director and existing contracts manager.

Primary areas of responsibility: 

• preparing, reviewing, editing and negotiating various contract documents relating to clients, collaborators, sub-consultants, vendors etc
• lead contract processes including liaising with internal stakeholders such as the operations management and project leaders and drive the external communication with clients, outside counsels, insurance brokers, and more
• provide ongoing support to our operations teams (e.g. business development and project controlling) and project and design leaders in managing projects throughout the contract lifecycle
• develop and maintain standards and procedures to mitigate risks and ensure effective processes locally as well as at the group-level
• take part in educating and creating internal awareness around protecting BIG’s assets
• manage day to day legal issues and ongoing duties ensuring corporate compliance (e.g. alignment of insurance policies, corporate duties, brand protection etc.)

We seek a person who: 

• has at least two years’ and no more than five years’ experience in a similar position within the architectural, construction, or engineering industry – has completed a training contract either as in-house legal counsel or as external support
• qualified as a solicitor in the UK or equivalent in other common law jurisdiction with strong academic background
• demonstrated ability to lead negotiations and track record in closing and delivering projects successfully and timely
• experience in dealing with relevant ancillary legal areas including corporate infrastructure and finance, intellectual property, data protection, claims handling, etc
• desire to be challenged and think outside the box, while not being afraid to ask questions as necessary
• is organised, structured and able to think critically, delving into the details where required but always keeping the big picture in mind
• is proactive, reliable, and trustworthy – completing tasks with a sense of urgency and capable of multi-tasking responsibilities that vary in scale and scope
• has self-confidence and good judgement, especially in ambiguous situations – is comfortable with making and owning decisions and working closely with executive leadership in a fast-paced and rapidly changing environment
• a team player who contributes and shows respect towards others, but is equally able to work independently on relevant tasks
• is committed to their profession and recognises that no administrative task is too small
• strong writing and legal drafting skills – fluent in spoken and written English, with excellent legal analytical and communication skills – able to distil complex and cumbersome legalese into digestible information
• experience in an in-house legal environment is highly desirable

This job description reflects the core activities of the role, although there will be changes in the emphasis of duties as required from time to time; the successful candidate is required to recognise this and adopt a flexible approach to work.

Application

Please upload your CV and any relevant references via this link. We will contact you if your profile matches our requirements. Please confirm your availability to attend a video conference call at short notice.

This is a full-time position based out of BIG’s London office. You must have permission to live and work in the UK.

Salary will be subject to experience and qualifications.

Deadline

Applications must be submitted by 25 June 2021.

Relevant applicants will be interviewed on an ongoing basis.

www.big.dk

• Applications have closed.