Join Benchmark in a hybrid legal and operations role, combining hands-on commercial contracting with the development of a more structured, scalable legal function.
You will lead on the end-to-end management of commercial contracts while driving improvements in legal processes, systems, and data. The focus is on speed, consistency, and control, helping the business manage legal risk while supporting growth, acquisitions, and supplier relationships.
This role suits someone who enjoys both legal delivery and process improvement, and who wants to shape how a modern legal function operates within a growing financial services business.
Commercial contracts
- Own the full lifecycle of commercial contracts across the group, including supplier, SaaS, outsourcing, platform and partnership agreements
- Draft, review and negotiate contracts within agreed templates, playbooks and escalation frameworks
- Manage and improve AI-assisted contract review processes, maintaining consistency and risk oversight
- Build and maintain a central contracts register and contract risk register
Legal operations
- Implement and manage a structured contract lifecycle management (CLM) process
- Drive adoption of legal tools and processes across the business
- Introduce and embed legal technology, including CLM systems, AI tools and workflow automation
- Track and report legal MI to support prioritisation and decision-making
- Develop and maintain playbooks, templates, guidance and standard operating procedures
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce manual activity and strengthen risk management
Wider legal support
- Contribute across broader legal activity including M&A, regulatory work and business projects
- Partner with stakeholders across the business to deliver practical, solutions-led outcomes
Essential
- 4 to 8 years’ experience in commercial contracts, legal operations, or a legal delivery role
- Strong experience drafting and negotiating commercial contracts
- Experience working with templates, playbooks and standard terms
- Exposure to improving or implementing legal processes, systems or operational frameworks
Desirable
- Experience in financial services or another regulated environment
- Exposure to outsourcing, technology, platform or SaaS agreements
- Experience supporting M&A activity and due diligence
Technical knowledge
- Strong understanding of contract structures and risk allocation
- Working knowledge of CLM systems or legal AI tools
- Understanding of regulatory considerations linked to outsourcing and third-party arrangements
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Strong drafting and negotiation capability
- High attention to detail with a structured, process-led approach
- Comfort working with legal technology and automation tools
- Ability to balance legal risk with commercial outcomes
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills
- Analytical mindset, able to identify trends, risks and inefficiencies
- Confidence operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment
You'll be based at the Benchmark Head Office, within our Broadlands Business Campus near Horsham in West Sussex but will need to be present across our other offices, including the main Schroders headquarters in London. It has high standards and international reputation, without being in the city: a big, countryside campus means life will feel a little different.
We support our offices by using cutting edge software and hardware and our spacious campus facilities mean there's a great working environment for the team. With an on-site restaurant, coffee shop and gym, our campus has much to offer. And commuters can relax on our dedicated regular shuttle bus to and from Horsham’s main line train station.
Benchmark is one of the UK’s leading financial planning businesses, aiming to help our clients realise aspirations and achieve peace of mind. We do this through our unique business model which provides support to over 1000 financial planners across our employed, self-employed and independent models. Our solutions are award-winning, enabled by proprietary technology covering regulatory, platform and investment services, all of which are designed to support advisers at every stage of their journey – from starting their career, improving how they run productively and effectively, to accelerating growth and ultimately thinking about succession planning.
We are growing rapidly, with more than 50 acquisitions in recent years and have multiple offices across the UK.
Delivering good client outcomes is at the heart of everything we do. Our duty of care, including support for vulnerable customers, is embedded into our culture and decision‑making.
As part of the Schroders Group, the UK’s largest listed asset manager with over £750bn of assets, Benchmark benefits from a focussed business model with clear accountability with the scale of a global services organisation.
We're looking for the best, whoever they are
We know that diverse perspectives and an inclusive culture where all can succeed lead to better decisions and stronger outcomes for the company its clients and its employees. That’s why inclusion and diversity are strategic priorities for us. We’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer. You’re welcome at Benchmark regardless of your age, disability, gender identity or expression, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or socio-economic background. We’re building a workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to thrive.
