Corporate Legal Counsel

Scope of the Role

The Legal Counsel role is based in the United States and reports to the Legal and Compliance Director (based in Houston, TX - U.S.A.). In the delivery of the key performance indicators, this function interacts with TAM's general management, Finance, Services & Operations, Sales and Pre-sales teams. Integrity, self-motivation, honesty, credibility, and the ability to work productively with little supervision for significant lengths of time are key requirements of the incumbent.

This role is responsible for ensuring that TAM has a business environment that is compliant, that our customers and partners have their requirements met within the integrity of the laws that bind our business, and that we can win in the market while responsibly minimizing our risks.

The TAM Legal Counsel mission is to coordinate the TAM Region legal function, as well as to deliver relevant and timely regional advice in support of Tait global objectives. This role also brings the required interpretation of local laws and regulations surrounding the commercial process to support the Directors, VPs and President of the region, in daily business decisions and transactions.

The level of contribution expected of the incumbent is that of an experienced professional with good practical legal skills, a can-do attitude and who is motivated to learn. The key aspects of the role are:

• Partner with the appropriate business unit to provide commercial and legal support within the region.
• Empower the Pre-sales and Bid proposal management teams with RFP reviews and responses and guide them through the various RFP processes.
• Undertake contract drafting, review and negotiate as required with a lead role in the organisation.
• Build a thorough understanding of client businesses by developing the ability to constantly support decisions as well as and by building and maintaining long-term relationships in a proactive way.
• Provide clear and practical guidance to the business working to ensure compliance of the Region with Tait regional and Group policies and processes, applicable legislation including regulations, directives and customer policies as well as developing appropriate polices to support compliance.
• Work closely with the supply partnering/outsourcing functions to structure, negotiate and document sound commercial partnering contracts, MOU's, multi- party, cross border, or commercial ventures including teaming agreements, etc.
• Manage key contractual documents including drafting (or refreshing) templates and other such relevant documentation as appropriate.
• Ensure all dimensions of proposed contracts are completed and reviewed (and approvals obtained) regarding appropriate mitigation of regional, corporate and contract risk, pricing and margin contribution, technical risk and commercial terms.
• Provide commercial expertise, legal advice and support on business opportunities arising within the region as required.
• Provide contract administration and management support as required from time to time which may include registering of contracts, contract review and management with business owners including facilities and procurement teams.
• Maintain legal registers and register approvals.
• Work with other functional areas to develop, establish and implement improvements to ensure legal and corporate governance compliance on a regional and global level.
• Crete and implement policies to improve efficiencies.
• Develop and conduct in-house legal and compliance trainings for Tait staff and partners.
• Prepare board papers as required for corporate and board approval.

Functional Outcomes

General

• Contribute to commercial policy and process
• Work cross functionally to provide commercial support to teams in TAM and globally as directed by the Legal and Compliance Director from time to time - such support may include legal and commercial advice, negotiation support, drafting of legal terms and conditions, review of documentation.
• Work independently on projects within the Tait Group as may be required from time to time including providing support for sales opportunities for Tait New Zealand, TEMA and Tait Australia.
• Participate and contribute as a member of the Legal and Commercial Team.

Advisory

• Provide sounds legal advice which considers the commercial drivers of the Tait Group and the region that is being supported.
• Support the business in the negotiation of disputes and act as a liaison with outside counsel for the management of litigation.

Bids and Contracting

• Prepare, review and negotiate non-disclosure agreements.
• In accordance with the Tait Group policies, comply with Bid and Contract Review procedure, Supplier Assessments and Supply Partnering Framework used for the qualification and negotiation of commercial contracts.
• Prepare commercial / legal responses to tenders and RFPs.
• Work with related teams within Tait to ensure a cohesive end to end supply chain. This may include preparing teaming agreements, MOUs, sub-contracts and back to back terms, confirming scope of supply and roles and responsibilities in relation to sales opportunities. Ensure that there is clarity and completeness in respect of:
• o bid offering and bid process
• o the scope of Tait supply
• o that there are appropriate commercial terms and conditions
• Negotiate contracts with clients, suppliers and partners, escalating issues as needed and prepare contract summaries for completed contracts for approval by management in accordance with Group Approval Levels.

Contract Management / Administration

• Ensure that procedures are in place to review and manage completed contracts. Ensure that proper process is implemented for contract variations, price indexation adjustments and the like.
• Record completed contracts, maintain and improve group contract register. Working towards 100% contract inclusion.
• Undertake some administrative support of a commercial nature.
• Review, refine, improve and rationalise templates and documentation.

Procurement & Supply Chain

• Pro-actively support the supply partnering, facilities management and HR functions with commercial advice on opportunities, initiatives and contracts.
• Work cross functionally to undertake supply partner reviews including providing risk reviews of suppliers, monitoring and compliance reports as required by group policy for ISO27001 compliance

Other

• Prepared to undertake development opportunities and able to deputise for Legal and Commercial Director.

Professional

Experience

• Bachelors of Law.
• Five or more years' experience in a similar role (will consider less or more for the right candidate).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills - ability to make presentations when required.
• Advanced windows applications skills.
• Skilled in negotiation.
• Skilled in commercial risk analysis and mitigation strategies.
• Preference in an in-house environment will be viewed favourably.
• Bilingual candidates will be viewed favourably.

Experience in some or all of the following will be viewed favourably:

• ICT / Technology contracts.
• System Integration agreements.
• International contracting / Contracting in different jurisdictions.
• Tender and procurement processes.
• Familiar with regulatory and compliance requirements in other countries outside the United States.