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About the Role

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Legal Counsel to join Cambridge Aerospace at a pivotal moment in the company's growth. Reporting to the Head of Legal, you will serve as the operational engine of the legal function, taking primary ownership of day-to-day legal delivery across the business units with a particular focus on commercial contracting. You will also line manage a paralegal, enabling them to develop under structured legal mentorship, prior to managing and leading other junior lawyers and compliance professionals as the team grows.

Responsibilities

Lead and own all commercial supplier contracting across the business, including negotiation, drafting, review and execution
Act as the primary legal point of contact for all business unit leads on day-to-day legal matters
Manage and mentor junior lawyers, providing structured guidance, reviewing their work and supporting their professional development
Develop and maintain standard-form contract templates, playbooks and internal legal processes to improve speed and consistency of legal delivery
Support the Head of Legal on all legal matters as directed
Manage the legal function's workflow and triage incoming legal requests across the business units
Play a key role in growing the legal function, including contributing to hiring decisions, shaping the function's structure and capabilities, and helping to build the processes and culture that will support Cambridge Aerospace's next phase of growth.

Requirements

A proven commercial contracting lawyer with at least 4 years' post-qualification experience and a demonstrable track record of leading complex negotiations end-to-end, across both supplier and customer-side engagements, in fast-moving and high-stakes environments.
Deep commercial contracting expertise. Exceptional drafter and negotiator, comfortable owning complex agreements from first draft through to execution, across a wide range of contract types including supply, procurement, technology, services and government contracts. Experience on both supplier and customer sides is strongly preferred.
Defence sector experience is essential. Understanding of the commercial, regulatory and security landscape, including classified environments, defence procurement frameworks and government customer contracting.
Technology sector experience, particularly with high-tech and data-led businesses. Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, engineering-driven environment where legal must enable rather than obstruct.
International experience across multiple jurisdictions, including cross-border legal complexity in the context of international defence supply chains and foreign government relationships.
Demonstrated managerial or leadership experience. Must have led a team, managed a junior colleague or paralegal, or taken clear ownership of a legal function in a previous role.
Outstanding interpersonal skills. Will be the face of the legal function to the business units and must build trust quickly and communicate with clarity and commercial empathy.
Willingness to work from the office every day.

Skills

Commercial contracting
Negotiation
Drafting
Contract review
Contract execution
Supplier contracting
Customer contracting
Technology contracts
Services contracts
Government contracts
Defence sector expertise
Technology sector expertise
International law
Cross-border transactions
Team management
Mentorship
Legal process improvement
Workflow management
Dispute resolution
Health and safety law
Real estate law
Intellectual property (IP)
Export controls (ITAR, EAR)
Reputation management
Compliance
Risk management

Location

Onsite

Work Type

Full-time
Onsite

Experience Level

Senior
4+ years post-qualification experience

Education Level

Law degree
Admitted to practice law

Salary/Compensations

Competitive compensation

Benefits

Stock options
Private Medical & Dental
Cycle to work scheme
On-site catering

About the Company

The mission of Cambridge Aerospace is to eliminate the risk of existential war in Europe by building low-cost interceptors and surveillance systems to defeat drone and missile threats.
We have immense backing from the world’s best venture funds and are one of the fastest growing defence technology companies in history.
We’re hiring the best engineers to prosecute the mission.

Equal Opportunity

We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply.