Lawyer - Contracts Specialist

Role Summary

A multi-entity corporate group based in Erbil is seeking an experienced Lawyer specializing in Contracts to support the legal function across its business activities. The Lawyer – Contracts Specialist will be responsible for the full contract lifecycle, from drafting and negotiation through to execution, renewal, and archiving, ensuring that all contractual arrangements protect the group's interests and comply with applicable laws and regulations.

This role requires a detail-oriented legal professional with strong drafting and analytical skills, the ability to advise management on legal risks and obligations, and the capacity to manage a high volume of contracts across multiple entities and business activities.

Key Responsibilities

Contract Drafting and Negotiation

• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts across the group's business activities, including service agreements, supply contracts, leases, MOUs, NDAs, consultancy agreements, partnership agreements, and other commercial arrangements as required.

• Ensure contracts are drafted in clear, accurate, and legally sound language in both English and Arabic.

• Negotiate contractual terms with counterparties to safeguard the group's interests while maintaining strong business relationships.

Legal Advisory and Risk Management

• Interpret contract terms and advise management on rights, obligations, liabilities, and legal risks before signing.

• Identify and flag non-standard clauses, ambiguous terms, or unfavorable conditions and recommend appropriate amendments.

• Provide legal opinions and risk assessments to senior management on proposed contractual arrangements.

• Ensure all contracts comply with Iraqi law and any other applicable legal frameworks.

Contract Lifecycle Management

• Develop and maintain standard contract templates for use across the group's entities.

• Manage the full contract lifecycle, including drafting, execution, renewals, amendments, and expirations.

• Maintain an organized contract repository, ensuring all contracts are properly signed, dated, filed, and easily retrievable.

• Track key contractual dates, obligations, and milestones, and notify relevant stakeholders ahead of renewals or expirations.

Third-Party Contract Review

• Review contracts received from third parties, including suppliers, vendors, partners, and clients.

• Recommend amendments, redline drafts, and prepare counterproposals where required.

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure third-party contracts align with the group's commercial and operational objectives.

Internal Support and Coordination

• Support internal departments, including HR, Procurement, Operations, Finance, and Commercial teams, with contract-related queries and guidance.

• Provide briefings and explanations of contractual terms to non-legal staff to facilitate informed decision-making.

• Liaise with external legal counsel when specialized expertise or representation is required.

Compliance and Documentation

• Ensure that all contractual processes follow internal governance standards and approval workflows.

• Maintain accurate records of contract negotiations, communications, and decisions for audit and reference purposes.

• Contribute to the continuous improvement of contract management policies, procedures, and templates.

Qualifications and Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in law from a recognized university. Master’s degree in law (LL.M.) or specialization in Commercial or Contract Law is an advantage.

• Minimum 3 to 5 years of post-qualification experience specializing in contracts, ideally within a corporate, holding group, or law firm environment.

• Fluent in English and Arabic, with the ability to draft, review, and interpret contracts in both languages. Kurdish is an advantage.

• Strong knowledge of Iraqi contract law and general principles of commercial law.

• Excellent drafting, analytical, and negotiation skills.

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy in legal documentation.

• Ability to manage multiple contracts and competing priorities simultaneously.

• High level of integrity, discretion, and professional ethics.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook) and contract management tools.

Key Competencies

• Strong legal drafting and interpretation

• Analytical and critical thinking

• Attention to detail and accuracy

• Negotiation and stakeholder management

• Confidentiality and professional integrity

• Time management and ability to handle high contract volumes

• Clear and effective communication, both written and verbal