Interim Chief Legal Counsel/ Head of Legal
The client:
Our client is a outsourcing services provider and thier capabilities include service design and advisory, resourcing, complex programme management, systems integration, case management, engineering, and asset & facilities management and they provide these services to governments globally!
The role:
A diverse and senior role in the team involving a blend of commercial, corporate (JV, Diverstment and M&A), governance, compliance and co-leading on legal strategy and operations.
You will play a key role in this legal team and support the UK&E General Counsel in setting strategy and direction for the legal function and enhancement of the quality, efficacy and efficiency of legal services delivery and value add to the UK&E Division.
You’ll also provide strategic, visible, and proactive legal, ethics and governance leadership and expertise to the UK&E Division including through the development and embedding of new and enhanced processes, tools, systems, standards, and ways of working and leadership of a highly engaged team of legal, ethics and governance professionals. There is a team of 7/8 to line manage, mentor, support and develop. The team is a high quality legal team and made up with both junior and senior level professionals.
Responsibilities:
- Take lead on complex commercial, corporate and compliance/ governance matters and deal with escalated legal matters that will be broad in nature
- Develop and enhance the UK&E Division’s ability to consistently manage and resolve legal, ethics and governance risks and issues across the contract lifecycle through the development and embedding of new and enhanced processes, tools, systems, standards, and ways of working.
- Lead, develop and motivate a highly engaged team of quality legal, ethics and governance professionals who are sourced, organised, and deployed effectively and efficiently in support of and in alignment with Divisional strategy, objectives, and priorities.
- Implement talent management best practice to optimise retention and enable learning and development and career progression frameworks for team members.
- Ensure that team objectives are fully achieved within applicable budgets and targets and take accountability for ensuring company processes are implemented and lead by example.
- Proactively identify emerging legal and regulatory risks and developments (internal and external) and effectively manage their impact and provide ongoing assurance of compliance across the UK&E Division.
- Manage relationships with external legal service providers and be accountable for sourcing quality, cost-effective and value-add legal services for UK&E and the management, reporting and forecasting of external legal costs.
- Generate quality management information and regularly report on material legal matters and projects to the UK&E General Counsel, the UK&E ELT and to the Group including the PLC Board and its Committees, as appropriate.
- Strong, trusted and close collaborative relationships with the UK&E Head of Commercial Contracts and UK&E Head of ERM (Environmental Resource Management) and development of collaborative ways of working to enable a highly effective Legal function which appropriately protects and enables the interests of the business and its stakeholders.
- Strong, trusted, and effective relationships with senior colleagues across the operational and corporate functions communities enabling collaborative working to effectively manage risk and enable optimal business performance.
- As directed by the UK&E General Counsel, lead on legal aspects of acquisitions, divestments, JV set-up and management and other special projects relating to the UK&E Division.
- Remain continually aware and fully understanding of internal and external developments impacting the UK&E Division and the risks, opportunities and demands they present for the Legal team.
- Deputise for the UK&E General Counsel, as required.
Experience required:
- Minimum of 12/13 years PQE
- Experience mentoring and line managing teams
- Good experience working at Head of Legal, General Counsel or CLO Level is a must
- Pragmatic, commercial and solutions driven approach
- Must enjoy managing teams and developing members of the team and be a team player to both ELT, GC and more junior members of the business
- Be able to build strong relationship and be a facilitator to the business and aid and/or implement strategic goals
- Be approachable and friendly in nature but also hold gravitas and confidence in ability to provide leadership to the team and business.
- Experience working with public procurement matters or local government matters would be desirable but not essential – this is an outsourcing services business and their services span across justice, migration, defence, space, customer services, health, and transport.
- Be able to simplify the most complex challenges and offer concise and well rounded advice to stakeholders at all levels.
- Experience in Corporate M&A/JV matters as well as governance, compliance, ethics, ESG and legal operations. Commercial experience is also required but we are looking for those who have handled a good degree and bredth of legal matters.
Reporting lines: reporting into the UK&E General Counsel
Team size: Line managing 7/8 legal profesionals
Working arrangments: Hybrid – Offices in Hook (Hampshire) OR Victoria (London) and ability to utilise both or either of the offices. You must be willing to travel when required to both offices and work in a hybrid manner week to week from one of the offices listed.
Salary: Competitive and dependent on experience – please get in touch for further details. The banding detailed in this advert is a guide.
Start date: mid to late September 2025 is ideal. 3 months notice periods will not be workable. Maximum of 1 month notice only please.
Please note our advertisements use PQE/salary levels purely as a guide. However we are happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfil the role.
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