Senior Associate - Commercial Contracts

Core Details and Responsibilities 

As a Senior Associate - Commercial Contracts, you will report to the Director, Group General Counsel.

You will have a pivotal role in ensuring the seamless integration of the legal function into business development, sales, onboarding and operations.   You will be an interface with clients in terms of contracting for proposals, dealing with onboarding requirements, including due diligence, KYC, AML requirements.

Core competencies required:

• 
  Translating prospective client engagements into operational contracts, including Administration Services Agreements and International Business Company Terms and Conditions.
• 
  Leading contract negotiations with internal stakeholders (business teams, relationship Contracts Managers, etc.) to ensure contracts are legally compliant and reflect the company’s risk appetite and commercial intent.
• Coordinating interdepartmental workflows to ensure timely document execution, centralized contract storage, and effective retrieval of key contractual terms.
• Maintaining and optimizing the company’s internal Contract Management System. This includes oversight of all service agreements, terms of business, NDAs, SLAs, and vendor contracts to ensure accuracy, legal integrity, and alignment with commercial objectives.
• Developing and maintaining a ‘Client Control Sheet’ to log critical contract terms that affect internal operational and compliance teams.
• Managing an ‘Exceptions Matrix’ to record deviations from standard terms, supporting consistent legal positions and reducing contract risk variability.
• You will play an integral role in shaping the legal-commercial interface across the business, contributing to legal strategy, operational effectiveness, and governance outcomes.
• Being fully engaged in the various jurisdictional offices of the group and creating operational manuals for each jurisdiction based on legal, statutory, and governance requirements
• Share insights to enable development of new processes and procedures that create business efficiency and support delivery of client excellence in service
• Maintain awareness of industry, regulatory, jurisdictional, and other trends that could affect the business.
• Contribute to the creation, development, and implementation of new products and solutions to accommodate the business's continuously changing needs
• Collaborate cross-functionally with operations staff, business users, project, and implementation Contracts Managers to achieve desired and elegant solutions

Required Skills & Experience

• As a Senior Associate - Commercial Contracts - Compliance, Legal & Governance (Legal) you will report to the Group General (Legal) Counsel. 
  
• As Senior Associate - Commercial Contracts, you will play a pivotal role in onboarding new clients and maintaining the legal framework of existing clients of Catalyst, keeping abreast of all structural, fee and underlying fund changes. 
• As in-house counsel you will be embedding legal, governance, and compliance principles into the operational and commercial fabric of a fund administration business. This role is central to executing company policies related to legal contracting, client onboarding, risk management, and regulatory compliance. Operating at the intersection of legal execution and business enablement, you will ensure that contracting processes are aligned with both regulatory obligations and commercial imperatives.
• You will work closely with senior legal leadership, including the Group General Counsel, to uphold the company’s legal standards across jurisdictions while facilitating the efficient delivery of legal services within business units. With a broad remit spanning legal operations, strategy, and governance, you will contribute directly to the company’s success by ensuring that legal risk is proactively managed and that contractual infrastructure supports scalable, compliant growth.

Your Daily Tasks

The following are the tasks linked to the Core Responsibilities that will be expected as part of this role:  

1.Legal Expertise and Business Development:

Includes (but are not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Product & Service Knowledge: Develop a deep understanding of the company's products and services relevant to your area of responsibility, enabling you to contribute to business development initiatives and make informed decisions that improve operational efficiency.
• 
  Support Business Development: Provide legal guidance that enhances business strategies, enabling business development teams to make informed decisions regarding new opportunities, partnerships, and market entry.
  
  

2.Contract Management & Legal Negotiations:

Includes (but are not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Contract Management: Manage and maintain the company’s internal Contract Management System, ensuring that contracts (NDA’s, Administration Services Agreements, Service Level Agreements, etc.) are updated, legally sound, and aligned with business objectives.
• 
  Contract Negotiation: Work closely with internal stakeholders (business teams, relationship Contracts Managers, etc.) to review, negotiate, and finalize client and vendor contracts, ensuring they comply with relevant legal standards and protect the company’s interests.
• 
  Client Control Sheet: Develop and maintain a ‘Client Control Sheet’ to track key contractual terms and conditions that impact various business units.
• 
  Exceptions Matrix: Manage the creation and upkeep of an ‘Exceptions Matrix’ that documents deviations from standard contracting terms, helping standardize and streamline the legal contracting process.

3.Policy Implementation & Performance Monitoring:

Includes (but not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Execution of Policies & Procedures: Responsible for ensuring that company policies related to legal contracting, risk management, and compliance are executed at the ground level. This includes establishing protocols for legal onboarding and contracting processes, ensuring compliance, and meeting business goals.
• 
  Performance Monitoring: Oversee and monitor business unit performance with regard to legal and compliance requirements. Work with business teams to ensure targets and expectations are met, particularly in relation to contracting, legal onboarding, and regulatory compliance.

4.Legal Advisory & Decision Support:

Includes (but not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Legal Counsel to Leadership: Provide legal guidance to the Board of Directors, Partners, Contracts Managers, and business leaders regarding the company’s activities, ensuring decisions are made with an understanding of legal risks and opportunities.
• 
  Risk Identification & Balancing: Identify and analyze legal issues, balancing the potential risks with the company’s ability to pursue its business interests.
• 
  Timely & High-Quality Legal Service: Ensure prompt and efficient legal support to business teams, maintaining a high standard of service and quality.

5.External Relationships & Reporting:

Includes (but not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Regulatory Communication: Assist the Group General Counsel in liaising with regulators and participating in regulatory meetings as needed. Support the preparation of reports and presentations for regulatory bodies and industry associations.
• 
  Industry Awareness: Stay informed about industry trends, regulatory changes, and legal developments that may impact the business, ensuring the company’s compliance posture remains proactive and adaptable.

6.Process Development & Integration:

Includes (but not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Develop Operational Processes: Collaborate with other departments to create new processes and procedures that enhance business efficiency, streamline legal workflows, and improve client service delivery.
• 
  System Integration: Work with IT and business operations to implement a new document management system that meets the legal department’s needs, ensures compliance, and enhances operational efficiency.

7.Risk and Compliance Responsibilities:

Includes (but not limited to) the following tasks:

• 
  Regulatory Awareness: Preemptively analyze and address industry developments, regulatory changes, and legal risks, ensuring that these are incorporated into operational processes and business-as-usual activities.
• 
  Compliance with Regulations: Ensure compliance with relevant global standards and frameworks, including GDPR, CCPA, Brazil’s LGPD, Cayman Islands Data Protection, POPIA, and other jurisdictional data protection laws.
• 
  Data Protection Framework: Assist the Group General Counsel in the development, implementation, and maintenance of a comprehensive data protection framework to meet global standards.
• 
  Risk-Based Approach: Work with the Group General Counsel to ensure that all business areas adopt a risk-based approach to meet regulatory compliance requirements across various jurisdictions.
• 
  Policy Implementation: Help implement compliance policies at the operational level.
• 
  Monitoring Tools: Utilize tools to monitor compliance with internal controls and regulatory requirements.
• 
  Compliance Culture - Working in tandem with the groups Head of Compliance and Governance to instill a culture that is centered around good governance and compliance.
• 
  Reporting: Assist in preparing compliance reports for management review.
• 
  Issue Tracking: Track and manage compliance-related issues and follow up on resolutions.
• 
  Communication: Communicate compliance requirements effectively within the team.

This is a rare opportunity for a dynamic, fast-learning legal professional to step into a pivotal role at the intersection of law, commercial execution, and financial services. We’re looking for someone who is energized by complexity, thrives under pressure, and sees every legal challenge as a platform for growth.

This role is ideal for someone who is task-oriented, conscientious, and capable of managing themselves without needing constant oversight. You should be excited to work in a fast-paced environment, where quick thinking, sound judgment, and commercial acumen are valued as much as legal precision. If you're hungry to grow, this role offers a fast-track into the world of in-house legal counsel in the global financial services space.

Are you getting excited? We are! Before we get too carried away, there are a few requirements you’ll need to check off before you can apply for the position.  Here’s what you’ll need to bring to the table:

• Legal Qualifications: LLB or equivalent law degree.
• Experience: 4–8 years of post-qualification commercial legal experience, ideally with exposure to fund administration, asset management, or financial services support industries. Experience in a regulated environment is a must; previous responsibility for managing legal workflows or teams is advantageous.
• Legal Expertise: Strong understanding of legal compliance, contract law, and global regulatory frameworks. Familiarity with data protection laws and employment/labour law is beneficial.
• Commercial Mindset: Demonstrated experience in drafting, negotiating, and managing complex contracts—especially in financial services or corporate environments—with the ability to balance legal risk with business opportunity.
• Problem Solver: A proactive and practical thinker who doesn’t shy away from new challenges. Able to independently identify legal risks and propose commercially sound solutions.
• Quick Learner: Capable of rapidly absorbing new information and adapting to evolving regulatory landscapes, business models, and service offerings.
• Communication & Collaboration: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with a strong ability to engage internal stakeholders and external partners with professionalism and clarity.
• Self-Management & Initiative: Comfortable working independently and owning deliverables from start to finish. Able to manage competing priorities and work to deadlines without compromising quality.
• Technology Fluency: Proficient in legal tech tools, including contract lifecycle management systems and document automation or management platforms.
• Project Management: Experience leading or contributing to cross-functional projects and managing multiple workstreams in parallel.