Senior Legal Counsel

Legal professionals at Accenture deliver and coordinate legal, contract and commercial advice and counsel in support of Accenture and our clients' business objectives, working to manage and mitigate risk and ensure compliance with laws and company policies. Accenture offers a compelling mix of work and training opportunities, work environment and structure for career progression.
Job Summary:
A hands-on transactional role supporting the complex deals within Accenture’s Australia and New Zealand business across a broad range of industries, service types, emerging technologies and offerings.
The Legal team provides and manages all legal advice and support to Accenture. Legal prides itself on providing objective, focused, commercially relevant advice and solutions based on a deep understanding of the law and Accenture's business. The role is dynamic and demanding with opportunities to work on leading edge technology and service offerings. The Legal team works closely with each deal team to find ways to achieve our clients’ and our own objectives in a competitive environment whilst managing risk as well as compliance with contractual obligations, policies and obligations at law.
As a member of the Legal team, you are expected to be a steward for Accenture’s business and people, and an exemplar of Accenture’s core values.
Key Responsibilities:
As part of the Legal team you will lead the negotiations of and support a portfolio of complex deals across different industries and types of offering, with the following key responsibilities:
- Lead, shape, negotiate and close the contracting for Accenture’s largest and most complex and transformational Client transactions
- Work with finance, solution and commercial teams to identify and manage issues across the transaction and architect workable solutions
- Work with deal teams to develop effective negotiating strategies
- Form part of the negotiation team and lead the legal negotiations to conclude the contractual documents
- Manage the escalation process for key legal and commercial risks
- Prepare and provide briefings to legal and business approvers and other stakeholders.
- Oversee, counsel, guide, train and support other members of the legal team, including building the legal team’s negotiation and core deal-shaping skills and acumen
Work Experience:
- Minimum 12+ years post-qualifying experience
- Admitted to legal practice in Australia
- Deep experience in technology and/or relevant complex commercial transactions that demonstrates a high degree of transactional responsibility
- Previous experience in a law firm or in a fast-paced corporate legal group for an IT services vendor would be of assistance in performing this role
- Understanding of and experience in Australian Government and State government procurement desirable
- Australian Government security clearance also desirable
Knowledge and Skill Requirements:
- Demonstrated deep experience, specialised skills (including creative problem-solving and ability to be flexible, adaptable and open minded) and collaborative behaviors and mindsets to help shape, negotiate and take ownership of contracting for complex and transformational deals.
- Intellectual curiosity to continuously learn about new technologies and market trends and an ability to adapt to rapidly changing services and offerings including identifying and managing new risks as they arise
- Resilient under high pressure; able to balance between moving a deal forward and maintaining objectivity about the soundness of the deal and compliance with Accenture principles and standards
- Demonstrated ability to lead the legal support for complex systems integration, multi-tower outsourcing and technology transactions. Experience in digital, SaaS and cloud transactions is desirable.
- Demonstrated business/commercial acumen including the ability to draft with precision, understand and negotiate complex pricing constructs,
- Solutions orientated mindset with the ability to structure client transactions to be most advantageous from a legal and business perspective (“thinking outside the square”)
- Strong negotiation skills with a proven ability to lead contract negotiations and to deal directly with senior client counsel and negotiating teams
- Strong executive presence and ability to present to, and engage as a credible peer with, both Accenture and Client senior management
- Innovative mindset and not constrained by how things are typically done. Demonstrated experience in developing and advancing relationships between and across legal and key business leaders for early ideation, innovation and deal shaping, providing strategic guidance, best practices and market relevant input in support of complex and transformational deals
- Ability to oversee, counsel, guide, train and support other members of the legal team, and manage external legal support
- Ability to independently manage drafting, reviewing and negotiating transactional documents and correspondence on a range of transactions
- Demonstrated ability to effectively collaborate as part of a broader and diverse team

About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Interactive, Technology and Operations services—all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 514,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at www.accenture.com.
At Accenture, our philosophy is anchored in recognising that our people are multi-dimensional. We take an intersectional human approach to create a work environment where all people feel like they can bring their authentic selves to work, every day.
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Sara Francis i s the Recruiter managing this role. As the team experience high volumes of applications, we appreciate your patience to allow for a fair and timely process.