Senior Counsel

As a Senior Counsel at BAE Systems Digital Intelligence you will play a pivotal role in providing legal guidance and support to our business. You will be responsible for overseeing and managing a wide range of legal matters, ensuring compliance with laws and regulations, and mitigating legal risks. The successful candidate will bring extensive legal expertise, strategic thinking, and leadership skills to contribute to the overall success of our business.
The role holder will:
Provide generalist / specialist English law advice to the relevant Line of Business, Function and/or Head Office Department.
Legal Specialism could include: Intellectual Property; Compliance & Regulation; Employment Law; Pensions Law; IT & Data Law; Dispute Resolution; Real Estate; Corporate & Securities; [Company Secretariat] or Mergers & Acquisitions.
Generalist support includes: advising on contract matters, including with customers and suppliers as well as collaboration agreement, non-disclosure agreement and other agreement areas. Advising on legal policy issues, including on compliance. It will also involve supporting broader legal issues arising within the business, and where necessary liaising with specialist lawyers, for example on dispute resolution matters.
Provide advice on non-English law matters, whether in collaboration with relevant internal lawyers who are qualified in that non-English law jurisdiction, or with external lawyers, qualified in that non English law jurisdiction.
Potentially have line manager responsibility for one or more lawyers.
Potentially support business management team/functional management team meetings.
Leadership Qualities:
The role holder is accountable for:
Is professional and of deep integrity.
Seen by internal stakeholders as having a sound understanding of legal principles within practice area and for providing accurate legal advice.
Works effectively, pro-actively, efficiently and collaboratively as part of a team.
Demonstrates strong organisational skills and is able to work under pressure.
Is able to influence and coach to support achievement of business priorities.
Provide specialist expertise for the Senior Leadership Teams across the business as key business liaison to achieve goals.
Take full accountability for key projects, owning outcomes and driving best practice with senior leaders.
Lead a small team effectively, efficiently and collaboratively and coach and guide less experienced individuals.
Ability to influence and coach senior managers in line with business priorities.
Understands the Business and its Strategic Objectives, including how the Legal Functional Plan aligns with the wider Company strategy.
Nature of Impact:
Gives clear, succinct, business relevant advice and guidance, in a timely, cost efficient way which helps business decision making.
Area of Impact:
Quality, clarity and timeliness of work produced positively supports the internal customer.
Internal customers rely on the service provided to support critical business operations.
Business performance through delivery of important legally informed business solutions
Skills & Knowledge:
Strong understanding of commercial legal and business practice in a range of international markets.
If a generalist lawyer, a very strong understanding of contract law, public procurement, anti-bribery and corruption, and defence sector specific issues such as export control, as well as intellectual property and data protection.
If a specialist lawyer, very strong specialist practice area skillsets, with some experience and knowledge of the areas above, with the strong aspiration to build skills/knowledge in other areas, if not already in place
In-depth knowledge of the Legal Group, its businesses, key personnel, senior stakeholders, operating structure and strategy.
Is comfortable discussing the broader business agenda with customers, even if this is outside own legal area of expertise.
Strong experience of providing training.
Some experience of operating at management board levels.
Track record of successfully completing complex projects in a timely and effective manner.
Track record of client satisfaction and working effectively with and gaining respect of senior executives.
Track record of leadership, standards setting and managing and developing others.
Uses internal and external knowhow resources effectively, shares ideas, contributes to, and regularly uses, LVIS to keep up to date with legal developments within practice area.
Deep understanding of sectors in which BAE Systems operates and commercial understanding of, and interest in, the business issues impacting BAE Systems.
Strong knowledge of the Business strategy with the ability to disseminate this information clearly to the team.
A detailed knowledge of the area in which the role operates as well as a strong understanding of other areas within the function drawing upon the skills of others (including specialists) where required.
Understands how the area collectively works together in order to meet objectives.
Understands internal organisational structure and lines of accountability.
Qualified solicitor or barrister in Australia with good graduate qualifications and significant experience in a law firm/appropriate in-house experience.
Wide experience within the Defence Sector and its contracting, commercial law and its specific issues
Experience of concluding major transactions in an international environment.
Experience of managing functional and business projects on a regular basis.