Senior Commercial Counsel (Contract)

Databricks — the global leader in data and AI — is looking for a motivated Legal Counsel to play a key role in our growing EMEA business. This is an opportunity to bring your SaaS commercial experience to a company defining the next generation of data, analytics and AI — partnering with sales teams to enable some of the world's most innovative organisations to build on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. You will report to the Director & Assistant General Counsel, EMEA Commercial Legal, and will be a valued part of the team responsible for reviewing and negotiating customer agreements, providing legal support for revenue-generating activities of Databricks, and helping the business to improve processes and scale at pace. THE IMPACT YOU WILL HAVE: * Working in partnership with the sales teams to enable some of the best known companies in the world to adopt the world's leading data and AI platform. * You will diligently help resolve legal issues to enable smooth and timely transactions, escalating to senior team members where appropriate. * You will work collaboratively within an experienced and supportive legal team that will invest in your development and learn to confidently guide our sales teams on internal processes. * You will have a genuine appetite to test, adopt and champion AI tools that make our legal function faster and smarter. * Reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements, such as MCSAs, SOWs and Order Forms, ensuring that Databricks' risk position is protected and internal compliance requirements are met; * Supporting the end-to-end contract management lifecycle, providing practical, commercially-minded advice to sales and professional services teams on contractual risks and commercial matters; * Actively testing and adopting AI tools to improve the efficiency of contract review and the wider legal function, and contributing to process improvements and good practices that help us scale; * Providing support and enablement to sales teams on key contractual requirements, best practices and contract management; * Developing a strong understanding of Databricks' internal structures, product offerings, technology, security/data protection positions and policies to give you a foundation for providing support across Databricks' lines of business; * Building your understanding of Databricks' commercial offerings to support sales teams (and customers where needed) during negotiations; * Applying critical thinking and problem-solving skills to propose business solutions which can meet the business' and customers' needs; * Cultivating strong cross-functional relationships with key stakeholders to support the Company's go-to-market efforts across EMEA; & * Contributing as a team player to help further the status of the legal department as a respected and valued partner within the company. REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROLE: * Bachelor's degree (or equivalent); * Qualified lawyer (or equivalent), with approximately 3 years' PQE; * Experience gained in-house at a leading SaaS company (or in private practice supporting one) with a regular/quarterly sales cycle; * Solid experience negotiating MSAs, NDAs, Order Forms and legal amendments with enterprise customers; * Familiarity with, or willingness to quickly learn, large CRM systems (like Salesforce) and contract management systems (like Ironclad); * A genuine willingness to test and adopt AI tools to improve the efficiency and quality of legal work — this is a must, not a nice-to-have; * Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritise time and business needs in the face of competing demands; * Experience working with sales teams; * A real appetite for the challenge of supporting a world-leading data and AI company operating at hyper-growth scale. About Databricks Databricks is the data and AI company. More than 10,000 organizations worldwide — including Comcast, Condé Nast, Grammarly, and over 50% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to unify and democratize data, analytics and AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark™, Delta Lake and MLflow. To learn more, follow Databricks on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Benefits At Databricks, we strive to provide comprehensive benefits and perks that meet the needs of all of our employees. For specific details on the benefits offered in your region click here. Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion At Databricks, we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture where everyone can excel. We take great care to ensure that our hiring practices are inclusive and meet equal employment opportunity standards. Individuals looking for employment at Databricks are considered without regard to age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other protected characteristics. Compliance If access to export-controlled technology or source code is required for performance of job duties, it is within Employer's discretion whether to apply for a U.S. government license for such positions, and Employer may decline to proceed with an applicant on this basis alone.

About us The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading news organisations, globally recognised for its authority, integrity and accuracy, with a mission to deliver quality information and services worldwide. At the FT, curiosity thrives and ambitious thinking is rewarded. Here, you’re given the chance to reach millions, create work that matters and deliver impartial journalism in a polarised world. In our warm, collaborative culture, you’ll connect with a diverse community of experts who support your growth, career aspirations and wellbeing. Your future at the FT will be filled with opportunities that challenge and inspire you. With no fixed path, you’ll discover new skills and forge a career that can take you anywhere. Build a newsworthy career at the FT.   Our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion  We believe in the power of unique perspectives and want all voices in our organisation to be heard, respected and valued. A supportive workplace is one where employees feel they can be themselves and operate to their full potential. We are committed to removing barriers for everyone, with a focus on addressing those faced by underrepresented groups.   The Role The Financial Times is recruiting for maternity cover for one of the commercial contracts lawyer roles based at our office in Belfast, Northern Ireland OR based fully remotely anywhere in the UKThis is a three month fixed term maternity cover position, and we are looking for someone available for an immediate start. This is a salaried position.  The FT’s highly regarded in-house legal team is based across offices in both London and Belfast. The Belfast team currently comprises four commercial lawyers who report into a Senior Legal Counsel (also based in Belfast) and the FT’s deputy company secretary. The Belfast legal team provides dedicated support to important business divisions within the Financial Times, including the FT corporate subscriptions and licensing business, the Financial Times Live global conferences and events business (http://www.ft-live.com), FT’s thought leadership business, FT Longitude, and the FT Specialist range of titles. This fixed term contract provides the opportunity to work either fully remotely from anywhere in the UK, or as hybrid working based at either our Belfast or London office.    Key responsibilities  * Advising the business on contracts with clients from a wide range of industries and jurisdictions * Engaging directly in negotiating contract terms with external customers * Providing highly responsive and commercial advice  * Managing contracts which are usually based on standard templates, but can be subject to extensive negotiation * Understanding how the templates reflect the FT’s business model and updating templates as required to meet changing business needs and product developments * Delivering training to business partners * Using leading legal AI tools to develop and implement agentic solutions that streamline workflows and enhance the delivery of high-quality legal advice    Required skills and experience  Essential * Solicitor qualified in the UK. * Excellent verbal and written communication skills * Strong commercial contract drafting skills and legal knowledge, with a good understanding of copyright, licensing, indemnity and liability issues * Demonstrates commercial awareness that takes strategic objectives into account * Highly organised, flexible and with the ability to prioritise and keep colleagues and managers informed * Can build effective relationships within the legal team and wider business Desirable * Previous in-house experience. * A forward-thinking approach to legal practice, with a strong interest in—or practical experience of—utilising advanced legal AI tools to design workflows and agentic solutions that improve efficiency.    What’s in it for you? Our benefits Our benefits vary by location but we are committed to providing best-in-class perks across all our offices. These include generous annual leave, medical cover, inclusive parental leave packages, subsidised gym memberships and opportunities to give back to the community. Full details of our benefits are available here. We currently operate a hybrid model which requires staff to work onsite 50% of the time, subject to role requirements & regular review. While flexible working requests will be considered, not all patterns are suitable for all roles. We believe this balanced approach supports flexibility and protects our culture, making collaboration and communication easier, building stronger relationships and team cohesion, and supporting peer learning.  We reserve discretion on reasonable notice to change this approach either generally or for specific individuals or teams.   Accessibility We are a disability confident employer and Valuable 500 signatory. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments/personalisation as part of the application process or to enable you to attend an interview. If you would like to discuss your requirements or have any questions, email talent@ft.com and a member of our team will be happy to help.   Further information At the FT, we embrace innovation and the use of technology and appreciate that individuals may leverage AI tools as part of their job application process. Whilst we are happy for you to use AI to assist with your application, it is essential that all information provided is authentic and accurately represents your skills, experience, and qualifications. Candidates should be aware that the use of AI throughout the application process may be monitored to ensure a fair and transparent hiring process for all. Please beware of fraudulent job postings and offers claiming to be from the Financial Times. All legitimate opportunities will direct you to apply through the official Financial Times careers site, and the FT will never ask for financial information, payments, or referrals to third parties during the hiring process. If you have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting or suspect any scam activity, please contact talent@ft.com.  Interested in the FT but don’t see the right role yet? Join our Talent Community to receive exclusive updates, featured jobs, and insights into working at the FT.   #LI-NE1