Legal Manager - Commercial and Trading

Competitive salary plus benefits

"Let's find your role"
Can you add value in a fast-paced commercial environment, where you will be providing legal advice at the cutting edge of an extremely competitive industry?

As a legal manager in the commercial and trading team within Asda’s legal and compliance function, you will provide clear, straightforward legal advice to Asda’s commercial function. You will partner closely with our commercial teams to deliver business-aligned solutions that uphold strong supplier relationships, manage risk effectively, and enable delivery of Asda’s trading and strategic goals. 

You will also have the opportunity to support high value strategic projects, commercial governance, and operational change across the commercial function, ensuring legal considerations are understood and built into decision-making at the right time. You will be actively encouraged to think innovatively about the delivery of legal support, engage in horizon-scanning and provide key advisory support on changes in the retail space. 
  
Your role:
You will be a pragmatic, commercially minded lawyer who works collaboratively with key stakeholders across the business. You will handle a wide variety of commercial matters, often at pace, while maintaining a clear view of risk, regulatory compliance (including compliance with the Groceries Supply Code of Practice (“GSCOP”)), and strategic outcomes. Actively handling and overseeing commercial agreements with multi-national FMCG suppliers and assisting in the implementation of key projects will be a key element of your role.  You will also support the commercial teams by providing clear and straightforward GSCOP advice. You will contribute to the business’s success through cross functional partnering to deliver its plans as well as preparing reports on key workstreams to update and inform internal stakeholders.  As well as taking an active role in supporting Asda’s commercial function, you will contribute to the legal and compliance function through regular collaboration, meetings and huddles providing opportunities for networking and development.

Commercial Agreements 

• Lead, draft and negotiate a broad range of commercial contracts, including: 
• Trading agreements, supplier funding structures and commercial terms;
• Brand partnerships and licensing arrangements;
• Food to go and franchise arrangements. 
• Provide clear GSCOP advice, ensuring compliance across commercial activity.
• Support commercial teams in managing supplier engagement, escalation and resolution of disputes.
• Advise on governance, transparency and documentation requirements across complex GFR structures.
• Contribute to commercial risk assessments and help define guardrails for agreement parameters.
• Provide legal support on high value strategic projects for the business, working with senior stakeholders to deliver pragmatic legal solutions in fast moving environments.

Regulatory, Governance & Disputes

• Work with teams to respond to requests for information from regulatory bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority.
• Advise the business on GSCOP compliance.
• Support early-stage supplier disputes and pre litigation matters, providing clarity on risk and resolution paths.
• Legal Operations
• Support the design and implementation of improved legal processes including instruction triage, guidance and legal guardrails.
• Champion efficient, innovative ways of working. 
   

"Let's find out about you"

• A qualified lawyer (typically 3+ PQE ) with experience in at least one of the following areas: Commercial; Corporate; or Competition.
• Strong decision-making skills with a high level of attention to detail, commercial acumen and accuracy.
• Able to build strong relationships, influence effectively and communicate with impact. 
• Comfortable managing high value, complex matters with multiple stakeholders.
• Be flexible and have the ability to adapt to new and emerging opportunities.
• Have sound judgement, act with integrity and do the right thing.

Everything you'll love

To ensure we balance moments where we know we need to collaborate together and the need for flexibility, Asda has a hybrid way of working with a minimum 3 days a week in one of our Home Offices. Over and above this, each area of Asda may have additional requirements which may require spending more days in the office, visiting suppliers, stores or depots.

You will also get an excellent benefits package including:

• Discretionary company bonus

• Company pension up to 7% matched

• Company Car allowance of £5,700

• 15% colleague discount in store and online

• Free access to wellbeing services such as Stream, 24/7 virtual GP, counselling, health and dental cash plans and a 24/7 employee assistance helpline, alongside discounts across a range of services and activities, from airport parking, enhanced to theme parks and cinemas.

• Asda Allies Inclusion Networks – helping colleagues to make sure everybody is included and that our differences are recognised and celebrated

• Excellent parental leave policies, including maternity & adoption leave, paternity leave, shared parental leave, neonatal care leave, and support for those doing fertility treatments.

We want all colleagues to be able to bring their best and true selves to work, every day. Simply put, we want our colleagues to be Proud to be Asda and proud to be themselves