Lead Specialist, Legal Counsel
Job Title - Lead Specialist, Legal Counsel
Description - Support Pearson's enterprise sales organisation through complex customer contracting, strategic partnerships, and commercial legal guidance; this role is also known in the market as Commercial Counsel, Corporate Counsel, Enterprise Sales Counsel, Commercial Contracts Counsel, Senior Commercial Counsel, or Legal Counsel, Enterprise Sales.
About the Role
Pearson is seeking an experienced Lead Specialist, Legal Counsel to join our legal team and support the Enterprise Sales organisation.
This role will serve as a practical, business-minded legal partner, helping to accelerate revenue while managing legal, commercial, intellectual property, AI, data privacy and operational risk. Working closely with Sales, Finance, Product, Security, Privacy, Operations and other cross-functional stakeholders, you will support complex enterprise transactions from initial opportunity through to contract execution and ongoing commercial support.
You will play a key role in enabling business growth while ensuring commercial agreements remain scalable, compliant and aligned with Pearson's broader strategic objectives.
What You'll Be Doing
Commercial Contracting & Negotiations
Draft, review, revise and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements, including:
Master Services Agreements (MSAs)
Subscription Agreements
Order Forms
Amendments and Renewals
Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs)
Professional Services Agreements
Reseller and Channel Agreements
Strategic Partnership Arrangements
Support customer negotiations through direct participation in calls and commercial discussions.
Develop negotiation positions and help resolve escalated legal or commercial issues.
Advise on contract risk while balancing commercial objectives.
Legal Advisory
Advise stakeholders on:
Intellectual Property
Warranties
Indemnities
Limitations of Liability
Service Commitments
Payment Terms
Termination Rights
Assignment Provisions
Data Privacy
AI-related contractual considerations
Regulatory and compliance obligations
Translate complex legal concepts into clear, practical, business-focused guidance.
Process Improvement & Legal Operations
Develop and maintain contract templates, playbooks, clause libraries and approval matrices.
Improve contracting workflows and processes to increase scalability and efficiency.
Support legal operations initiatives, including automation, intake processes, reporting and knowledge management.
Monitor emerging legal and regulatory developments affecting enterprise sales, SaaS, AI and commercial contracting.
What We're Looking For
Essential
Juris Doctor (JD) from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing with at least one U.S. state bar, or equivalent legal qualification.
Significant experience drafting and negotiating:
Commercial Technology Agreements
SaaS Agreements
Subscription Agreements
Licensing Agreements
Enterprise Customer Contracts
Strong understanding of:
Enterprise Sales Cycles
Procurement Processes
Commercial Contracting
Complex B2B Negotiations
Demonstrated ability to balance legal risk with commercial objectives.
Strong commercial judgement and practical problem-solving capability.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to explain legal concepts effectively to non-legal stakeholders.
Ability to manage multiple priorities within a fast-paced environment.
Strong stakeholder management and relationship-building skills.
Preferred
Previous in-house legal experience supporting:
Enterprise Sales
Technology Businesses
SaaS Organisations
Digital Learning Platforms
Commercial Contracting Functions
Experience building or improving:
Contract Playbooks
Templates
Legal Workflows
Automation Processes
Experience negotiating with large enterprise customers, strategic partners or public sector organisations.
Experience supporting global teams and cross-border commercial activity.
Success in This Role Looks Like
Enterprise customer agreements are negotiated efficiently while protecting Pearson's legal and commercial interests.
Sales teams receive practical, timely and commercially focused legal advice.
Contract turnaround times improve through scalable processes, templates and workflows.
Stakeholders understand legal risks and receive clear recommendations for decision-making.
Legal operations become more efficient through automation, knowledge sharing and standardisation.
Pearson maintains a strong balance between commercial growth and effective risk management.
Why Join Pearson?
At Pearson, our mission is simple: to help people realise the life they imagine through learning.
You'll join a collaborative global organisation where legal is viewed as a strategic business partner. This role offers the opportunity to work on high-value enterprise transactions, influence commercial outcomes, support strategic growth initiatives and partner with senior stakeholders across the organisation while helping shape the future of Pearson's enterprise business.
Skills
Commercial Contracting | Enterprise Sales | SaaS Agreements | Technology Contracts | Licensing Agreements | Legal Negotiation | Contract Management | Commercial Law | Corporate Counsel | Intellectual Property | Data Privacy | AI Governance | Risk Management | Strategic Partnerships | Legal Operations | Contract Automation | Stakeholder Management | Cross-Functional Collaboration | Enterprise Software Transactions | Legal Playbooks
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York State, New York City, Vermont, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:
The minimum full-time salary range is between $120,000 - $160,000.
This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here.
Applications will be accepted through August 28th 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.