Senior/Principal Associate - Commercial Education

Closing date: 21 August 2026

Location: Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester

Contract Type: Permanent

Date Posted: 2026-08-24

Application Deadline: 2026-11-23T15:04:44.13

Job Overview

We're hiring an experienced Commercial Solicitor to work across our technology, education and government sectors, joining our growing, national team.

The Role

We're looking for a commercially minded solicitor to join our team, working on a high-quality mix of contracts and strategic projects. You'll advise on commercial agreements, including complex supply chains, joint ventures, outsourcing, IT, and data protection, often with an international element.

You'll work with clients across technology, education, and government sectors, delivering pragmatic, business-focused advice and building strong relationships from day one. This role can be based in any of our offices (excluding London and Oxford), providing a great opportunity to grow your profile.

The Person

You'll be a commercially astute solicitor with 6+ years' PQE, gained in a large regional, national, or international firm.
You'll bring strong technical expertise across commercial, IT and IP law, coupled with a pragmatic, client-focused approach.
You'll thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy building relationships with clients and colleagues alike.
You're confident in your ability to ask the right questions, quickly understand complex issues, and deliver advice that is both practical and impactful.
Key qualities include:
- A strong communicator with excellent written English and attention to detail.
- A confident negotiator with sound commercial judgment.
- Proactive, self-starting and solutions-oriented.
- Able to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressure.
- Curious and engaged, with a genuine interest in how commercial and IT law shapes business relationships.
- Committed to delivering outstanding client service.

Activities

Advising clients on complex commercial contracts and strategic projects.
Drafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements across multiple sectors.
Supporting clients on IT, IP and data protection matters.
Collaborating with colleagues across the firm to deliver seamless legal advice.
Building and maintaining strong client relationships.
Contributing to business development initiatives and thought leadership.
Managing a varied caseload with autonomy and accountability.
Identifying commercial risks and delivering clear, actionable advice.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Benefits

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Details about our core benefits are available upon request.

Pre-employment Screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This includes, but is not limited to, a basic DBS check, verification of your right to work, a three-year employment history, and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role.

The Firm

Mills & Reeve is centered on achieving more for clients, their businesses, and the wider communities we serve. Our clients benefit from our knowledge and learning, receiving consistent experiences with no surprises. We build personal relationships, with advice tailored to individual needs. Our 1,450+ people and over 850 lawyers share one vision — achieving more for clients.

By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills within a firm ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, ranked in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work, and awarded Platinum Investors in People. Our mantra is "Achieve more. Together," embodying our purpose.

Our Values

We're ambitious: We aim high, embrace new ideas, and are passionate about our work.
We're open: We communicate openly and honestly to build trust, doing what's right.
We care: We're committed to each other, our clients, communities, and the planet.
We collaborate: We're easy to work with, offer help willingly, and get things done together.

Inclusion and Support

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas. We aim to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment, consider flexible working arrangements, and support workplace adjustments. Learn more about our diversity and inclusion efforts on our website.

Vacancy Title

Senior/Principal Associate - Commercial Education

Office Locations

Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, Manchester

#s1-Gen

commercial, IT and IP law, coupled with a pragmatic, client-focused approach.You'll thrive in a collaborative environment and enjoy building relationships with clients and colleagues alike. You're confident in your ability to ask the right questions, quickly understand complex issues, and deliver advice that is both practical and impactful.We're looking for someone who is:A strong communicator with excellent written English and attention to detailA confident negotiator with sound commercial judgmentProactive, self-starting and solutions-orientedAble to manage multiple priorities and work effectively under pressureCurious and engaged, with a genuine interest in how commercial and IT law shapes business relationshipsCommitted to delivering outstanding client serviceIn return, you'll have the freedom to grow your client relationships, get involved in leadership and business development initiatives, and take the next step in your career within a supportive and forward-thinking team.The

activitiesAdvising clients on complex commercial contracts and strategic projectsDrafting, reviewing and negotiating agreements across multiple sectorsSupporting clients on IT, IP and data protection mattersCollaborating with colleagues across the firm to deliver seamless legal adviceBuilding and maintaining strong client relationshipsContributing to business development initiatives and thought leadershipManaging a varied caseload with autonomy and accountabilityIdentifying commercial risks and delivering clear, actionable adviceWe reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.The benefitsAs you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.Pre employment screeningIf we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.The firmMills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it. We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don't offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision - achieving more for clients.By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that's not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. We're also ranked in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and have been awarded Platinum Investors in People. Our mantra is "Achieve more. Together.", which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase!Our values are the principles that help us fulfil our purpose. Our people shaped them and live them every day.

We're ambitious - We aim high, we embrace new ideas and we're passionate about our work We're open - We communicate openly and honestly to build trust, and we do what's right We care - We're committed to each other, our clients, our communities and the planet We collaborate - We're easy to work with, we offer help willingly and we get things done - togetherAnd finallyEveryone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive

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