Senior Legal Advisor

We are the UK’s leading qualification and professional membership body for vocational accountants. We pride ourselves on providing practical qualifications that meet the needs of both employers and employees, as well as products and services to support our members and customers throughout their careers.
Term:
Permanent
Salary:
£71,800-£75,580 per annum, based on experience
Location:
We have hybrid working in place, with 1-2 days per week in our office in Canary Wharf.
What exactly will you be doing?
We are recruiting for an experienced Senior Legal Adviser to provide invaluable legal advice and assistance to our organization. In this crucial role, you will continue to build the in-house legal function, be responsible for delivering clear, accurate, pragmatic, and timely legal advice on a wide range of matters from complex to routine, including regulatory compliance, commercial drafting, charity law, and litigation. Your expertise will be vital in ensuring we fulfill our legal and compliance obligations as an awarding and professional body with charitable status. With your exceptional legal acumen and advisory capabilities, you will play a fundamental role in safeguarding the organization's interests and ensuring adherence to all applicable laws and regulations.
Major objectives
Interpret and apply legislation, regulations, and best practices to ensure organizational compliance.
Provide proactive legal advice on projects, activities, threats, and opportunities.
Draft, review, negotiate, and administer legal and contractual documentation, assessing major obligations for alignment with strategic objectives.
Oversee, manage, and safeguard organizational intellectual property rights.
Establish and maintain standard commercial templates in collaboration with the Procurement Team.
Supporting the business in major contract negotiations and reviews to ensure effectiveness and value for money.
Provide in-house legal expertise, supported by external counsel when necessary, and legally represent the organization at tribunals, courts, or manage external legal representation.
Proactively assess and advise on the legal environment, legislative changes, and their implications for the organization, identifying potential issues and proposing solutions.
What are we looking for?
Expertise in Commercial Law, Intellectual Property Law, Data Protection Law, Commercial Litigation, Employment Law, and Charity Law.
Exceptional analytical skills to evaluate information quickly and deliver innovative solutions in a complex environment.
Excellent communication, negotiation, influencing, and diplomacy skills to assist discussions with colleagues/stakeholders and achieve positive outcomes.
Comprehensive understanding of operational risk management for an in-house legal function, with proficient IT/Microsoft Office skills.
Substantial experience as a qualified solicitor/barrister, preferably with in-house charity/public body experience.
Ability to independently manage a demanding caseload, with experience using legal case management systems.
What are the benefits?
We believe in treating our staff well and this is reflected in our wide-ranging benefits, which include:
Hybrid working (1-2 days per week in our London office) and opportunities for further flexible working.
25 days’ annual leave, increasing one day per year up to a maximum of 30 days plus bank holidays.
Great pension scheme, life assurance, and critical illness cover.
Health cash plan.
Enhanced maternity and shared parental leave contributions of up to 6 months’ full pay depending on the length of service.
Regular wellbeing initiatives.
Cycle2Work scheme and much more.
Closing Date:
The planned closing date for this role is 27 May 2024 at 17.00, however, we reserve the right to close the role earlier than planned.
It’s an exciting time to join us and we would love you to join us on our journey. In 2023 we achieved one-star company status in the Best Companies survey, and we have recently launched our strategy to 2030.
We are committed to being an inclusive and welcoming place to work. We encourage applications from diverse candidates and make recruitment decisions based on skill and experience. We have a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Champions group, which leads on our D&I strategy and organize events to celebrate and raise awareness. We are a disability-confident committed employer and have signed up to the Race at Work Charter. We have also signed up for the Women in Finance Charter, and in 2022 we exceeded our target for appointing females into senior positions.
Come and help us to make us an even better place to work!