This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, which manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Procurement Legal Counsel based in Portugal.
As a Procurement Legal Counsel, you will play a key role in supporting global procurement operations for a fast-growing AI infrastructure business. You will manage the drafting, review, and negotiation of commercial agreements, helping procurement teams secure favorable terms while keeping sourcing and delivery activities on track. Working closely with regional procurement leaders, category managers, and legal professionals across Europe and the Americas, you will oversee contracts from initial drafting through execution and ongoing administration. You will work with established templates, negotiation playbooks, and approved fallback positions, escalating complex legal risks to the appropriate internal or external counsel. Beyond day-to-day contract management, you will help establish scalable processes, maintain reliable contract records, and strengthen procurement governance. This is an opportunity to contribute to a rapidly expanding international organization at the intersection of AI, technology, and large-scale infrastructure.
- Drafting and negotiating contracts: Prepare, review, and negotiate mutual and unilateral non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with suppliers, contractors, consultants, and prospective business partners, ensuring timely turnaround to support sourcing activities.
- Commercial agreement management: Draft and negotiate Master Services Agreements (MSAs), supply agreements, order forms, statements of work, purchase order terms, and related commercial documentation using approved templates.
- Framework agreements: Support regional procurement leaders in negotiating framework agreements, including pricing schedules, call-off mechanisms, service-level agreements, and supplier performance provisions.
- Construction and project contracts: Collaborate with delivery contracts specialists to prepare and manage construction and project agreements, including standard-form contracts such as NEC, JCT, FIDIC, and AIA.
- Contract review and negotiation support: Assess supplier and contractor amendments against established negotiation playbooks, prepare clear issue lists, recommend positions within approved fallback parameters, and coordinate negotiation discussions.
- Legal risk identification and escalation: Identify non-standard or higher-risk contractual provisions involving liability caps, indemnities, liquidated damages, intellectual property, and other commercial risks, escalating them to the Legal team or external counsel with clear recommendations and supporting context.
- Contract execution and approvals: Manage the complete contract execution process, including internal approvals under the delegation of authority, signature routing, document version control, and final recordkeeping.
- Contract lifecycle administration: Maintain the procurement contract repository, monitor renewals, expirations, insurance certificates, contractual obligations, and key milestones, and proactively alert category managers to upcoming actions.
- Templates and playbooks: Develop, maintain, and improve procurement contract templates, clause libraries, and negotiation playbooks, incorporating lessons learned and helping procurement colleagues apply them consistently.
- Technology and process improvement: Collaborate with global procurement operations to shape the technology strategy supporting contract management, streamline workflows, and improve operational efficiency.
- Reporting and stakeholder communication: Provide accurate contract pipeline and status reports to procurement leadership, maintaining visibility into agreement progress, outstanding actions, and potential delivery bottlenecks.
Requirements
- Relevant legal or contractual qualifications: A paralegal, Chartered Legal Executive, or contracts-related qualification, such as a law degree, CILEx qualification, or SQE/LPC studies, or equivalent practical experience in commercial contracts.
- Professional experience: At least four years of experience drafting, reviewing, and negotiating commercial contracts, ideally within procurement, data centers, technology infrastructure, or large-scale infrastructure projects.
- Commercial contract expertise: Hands-on experience with NDAs, MSAs, framework agreements, and supply contracts, along with a working knowledge of standard-form construction contracts such as NEC, JCT, FIDIC, or AIA.
- Commercial risk awareness: A solid understanding of contractual risk areas, including liability, indemnities, insurance, warranties, payment terms, termination rights, and intellectual property, with sound judgment about when legal escalation is necessary.
- Contract lifecycle management: Experience managing high volumes of agreements against tight deadlines under the supervision of in-house lawyers or external counsel, preferably using contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms and electronic signature tools.
- Drafting and analytical skills: Exceptional attention to detail, precise drafting, strong document management capabilities, and the ability to assess contractual amendments against established positions.
- Communication and collaboration: Clear, professional communication skills and the ability to work effectively with procurement teams, legal professionals, technical stakeholders, suppliers, and contractors.
- Organization and prioritization: Strong time management skills, a proactive approach to resolving issues, and the ability to manage multiple agreements and competing deadlines without compromising quality.
- International contracting experience (preferred): Exposure to UK or European and US contracting practices would be an advantage, particularly in an international procurement environment.
Benefits
- Competitive compensation: A salary aligned with the role's responsibilities, qualifications, experience, location, and market conditions. The advertised annual range for the United Kingdom is £170,000–£210,000.
- Performance-based bonus: Eligibility for a discretionary bonus as part of the overall compensation package.
- Equity participation: Equity awards offering the opportunity to share in the organization's long-term growth and success.
- Retirement and pension contributions: Employer contributions designed to support long-term financial security, subject to local arrangements.
- Comprehensive health and insurance coverage: Health, wellbeing, and insurance benefits tailored to the employee's country of residence.
- Generous paid time off: A substantial annual vacation allowance to support work-life balance and personal wellbeing.
- Remote work opportunities: Flexible remote working arrangements across eligible locations, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, and other supported regions.
- International collaboration: Opportunities to work with global procurement and legal stakeholders across Europe and the Americas.
- Career development: The opportunity to develop expertise in commercial contracting, procurement governance, and large-scale AI infrastructure projects within a rapidly growing business.
- Meaningful professional impact: A chance to help build scalable procurement processes, improve contract management practices, and support the delivery of critical technology infrastructure.
