Contract jobs in United Kingdom

At Planet, we embrace a hybrid work model, with three days a week in the office.Reasonable accommodations may be made in order to allow for an individual to perform the essential functions of this role successfully.Planet is a leading technology company transforming payments by putting customer experience first. We offer integrated solutions that include payment processing, VAT refunds, dynamic currency conversion, and management services for merchants in the Retail and Hospitality sectors worldwide.In recent years, we have experienced significant growth, expanding our services and global presence. With strong private equity investors, Advent International and Eurazeo, we have the financial capital and expertise to grow our capabilities and reach through acquisitions.Our mission is to create a world of connected commerce where payments are simple, secure, and seamless, enabling our partners to deliver exceptional experiences to their customers.**Role Overview:**Planet is seeking a skilled and commercially minded Contract Manager to drive the end-to-end management of commercial contracts across the organisation. Reporting to the Deputy General Counsel, the Contract Manager will work closely with Legal Directors and business stakeholders to manage contract lifecycles, support negotiations, improve processes, and ensure Planet’s contractual framework is robust, efficient and aligned with business objectives.The role is ideal for a motivated candidate who enjoys variety, wants exposure to an international business, and seeks to build their career within a high-performing in‑house legal functio**What you will do:****1. Contract Lifecycle Management*** Own and manage the full contract lifecycle, including: drafting, reviewing, negotiating, coordinating approvals, execution, renewal/expiry tracking, repository management.* Ensure contracts are appropriately version-controlled, centrally stored and metadata is maintained.* Monitor key dates, deliverables, SLAs and renewal windows, proactively engaging the business.**2. Drafting & Negotiation*** Draft and negotiate a wide variety of commercial agreements, including: MSAs/SoWs, reseller/partner agreements, customer agreements, licensing agreements, procurement contracts, DPAs, amendments, renewals.* Negotiate directly with counterparties where appropriate, always aligning with Planet’s risk standards and commercial priorities.* Prepare fallback positions, negotiation playbooks, clause libraries and standard templates.**3. Commercial & Cross-Functional Support*** Act as a contractual interface between the Legal Team and:-Sales,- Procurement,- Product,- Finance,- Operations,- Compliance.* Help internal teams understand contractual rights, obligations and risks.* Support commercial deal structuring by:- identifying contractual risks,- proposing solutions,- supporting pricing/SLAs/service definitions from a contractual perspective.**4. Contract Risk Management*** Identify legal and commercial risks in contract terms and escalate as needed.* ·Ensure alignment with internal policies (security, privacy, compliance, operational standards).* Maintain a risk-based approach to redlines and negotiation, focusing on material issues.**5. Process Improvement & Legal Operations*** Support the Legal Operations Manager to develop:- improved contract workflows,- automation tools,- approval matrices,- dashboards and KPIs.* Implement best practices for efficient contract turnaround.* Train business teams on contracting processes, templates and standard terms.**6. Governance, Reporting & Audit Support*** Maintain accurate contract registers for internal audit and compliance purposes.* Support responses to internal and external audits on contract-related matters.* Produce periodic reports on contract volumes, cycle times, risks and key metrics.**Who you are:****Essential*** 4–7 years’ experience in contract management, commercial contract negotiation, procurement contracting or a similar role in a technology, payments, software or multinational environment.* Strong expertise in reviewing, drafting and negotiating commercial agreements.* Experience supporting sales and procurement teams in fast-moving commercial cycles.* Proven ability to manage multiple contracts simultaneously with tight deadlines.* Excellent communication and stakeholder-management skills.* Strong attention to detail and high standards of accuracy.* Ability to balance commercial objectives with legal and compliance requirements.**Preferred*** Experience in payments, SaaS, technology, hospitality or financial services sectors.* Familiarity with data protection requirements (e.g., GDPR), security requirements and financial regulatory frameworks.* Hands‑on experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) tools.* Ability to create or refine templates, clause libraries and negotiation playbooks.**Personal Characteristics*** Highly organised, structured and process‑oriented.* Commercially minded, pragmatic and solutions‑driven.* Confident communicator and negotiator.* Comfortable operating across multiple jurisdictions in a multicultural environment.* Proactive, collaborative and comfortable taking ownership of deliverables**Why Planet:**Planet is an equal opportunity employer where diversity is valued, and all employment is decided based on qualifications, merit, and business need.Come and grow your career in the most exciting, fast paced technology market, with a business that delivers feel-good connected commerce. We would love to hear from you – Apply now.**Company Background**Planet provides integrated software, payment and technology solutions for its customers in the Hospitality and Retail sectors and worldwide via a network of global Financial Services Partners.Founded over 35 years ago, we have evolved our services, delivering an innovative digital commerce platform that puts customer experience first.With headquarters in London and around 3,000 expert employees located across six continents we serve customers in over 120 markets.