Executive Director, Managing Counsel

Janus Henderson Investors; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Generous Holiday policies

Excellent Health and Wellbeing benefits

Paid volunteer time

Complimentary subscription to Headspace

Lunch allowance for use within canteen

Job summary

Janus Henderson Investors in Greater London is seeking a Senior Legal Leader to provide proactive legal advice within the London Legal team. This role involves drafting and managing fund documentation and working closely with product and compliance teams to ensure regulatory compliance. The ideal candidate has a minimum of 12 years of PQE and strong skills in legal management and communication.

Candidates can expect a hybrid work environment, generous holiday policies, and a commitment to professional development and wellbeing.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 12 years PQE in a similar role or financial services.
• Ability to work independently and prioritize appropriately.
• Experience managing external legal advisers.

Responsibilities

• Provide day-to-day legal support to product teams.
• Lead the drafting and maintenance of fund documentation.
• Manage interactions with regulators for approvals.

Skills

Excellent communication skills

Strong organizational skills

Ability to manage and develop people

Good commercial acumen

Strong analytical skills

Education

Degree qualification preferable

Job description

Why work for us?

A career at Janus Henderson is more than a job, it’s about investing in a brighter future together.

Our Mission at Janus Henderson is to help clients define and achieve superior financial outcomes through differentiated insights, disciplined investments, and world‑class service. We will do this by protecting and growing our core business, amplifying our strengths and diversifying where we have the right.

Our Values are key to driving our success, and are at the heart of everything we do:

Clients Come First - Always | Execution Supersedes Intention | Together We Win | Diversity Improves Results | Truth Builds Trust

If our mission, values, and purpose align with your own, we would love to hear from you!

Your opportunity

As part of a high‑performing team of lawyers in London and Hong Kong, your role will serve as a senior legal leader within the London Legal team, providing proactive and commercial legal advice and assistance which results in effective solutions within acceptable levels of risk. Working with external counsel where required, your role will be to provide senior legal support in relation to our EMEA and APAC fund ranges (including UK Investment Trusts, AIF and UCITS ranges in the UK, Ireland and Luxembourg), consider the support model for AUS, and lead a team responsible for the drafting, co‑ordination and management of fund prospectuses and other product documentation. You will work closely with the relevant business teams either independently or together with others across the wider legal team in the US, UK and Hong Kong, serving as a key business partner across Investments, Distribution, Compliance and Product teams, with responsibility for supporting regulatory matters and implementation.

Responsibilities

• Providing day‑to‑day legal support, in conjunction with external counsel where relevant, to colleagues in our product teams who are responsible for product development and management;
• Leading the drafting, coordination and maintenance of prospectuses and other fund documentation, ensuring these are properly maintained and updated, working with functions across the business to reflect changes (e.g. driven by regulatory changes or changes in investment approach) but retaining ownership for that work;
• Implementation of agreed literature principles, plain language and industry best practice in fund documentation;
• Supporting product structuring and development across jurisdictions, including Luxembourg, Ireland and Australia;
• Managing interactions with regulators for prospectus change approvals, regulatory change initiatives or other initiatives;
• Analysis and implementation of regulatory changes in fund documentation, which may include (i) interacting with the Business Change Team and Regulatory Development Team to assess and agree impact of regulatory change on JHI and in whether any legal resource is needed; (ii) coordinate within Legal on the scope of its involvement, and (iii) work to ensure regulatory change implementation will satisfy requirements and expectations of the European Boards;
• Drafting and co‑ordination of regulatory shareholder communications related to fund documentation changes;
• Ensuring that local prospectus supplements are prepared and translated as required;
• Managing the governance and approval of fund documentation changes, including Management Company and Fund Board interactions;
• Assisting with JHI internal governance structure queries e.g. function and role of committees (in support of the objective of having the Fund/Management Company Boards able to discharge their duties);
• Act legal adviser and primary point of contact to Irish and Lux ManCo and Fund Boards;
• Providing senior leadership support to investment teams across asset classes, including derivatives trading and documentation, private placements and alternative investment structures;
• Providing legal support to distribution and sales teams across institutional and intermediary channels;
• Advising on, reviewing and negotiating IMAs, intermediary, platform and distribution agreements, including supporting the legal team responsible for these arrangements;
• Manage a talented team of lawyers and legal assistants supporting derivatives trading and documentation, alternatives, regulated funds, intermediary, SMAs, institutional, separate accounts and distribution initiatives in EMEA and LatAm;
• Acting as a senior contributor to the London Legal team, supporting prioritisation, workload management, and team development;
• Serving as an escalation point for complex legal issues and contributing to strategic initiatives;

What to expect when you join our firm

• Hybrid working and reasonable accommodations;
• Generous Holiday policies;
• Excellent Health and Wellbeing benefits including corporate membership to ClassPass;
• Paid volunteer time to step away from your desk and into the community;
• Support to grow through professional development courses, tuition/qualification reimbursement and more;
• Maternal/paternal leave benefits and family services;
• Complimentary subscription to Headspace – the mindfulness app;
• All employee events including networking opportunities and social activities;
• Lunch allowance for use within our subsidized onsite canteen;

Must have skills

• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written;
• Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to build and manage efficient and strong processes;
• Ability to manage and develop people;
• Ability to work independently and prioritise appropriately across a wide range of work;
• Ability to proactively build relationships at all levels within the organisation;
• Flexible, adaptable and keen to be involved in a wide variety of legal work;
• Strong professional presence with good interpersonal, team working and influencing skills;
• Good commercial acumen;
• Strong analytical skills;
• Ability to manage external legal advisers where relevant;
• Ability to find innovative solutions within acceptable levels of risk.

Nice to have skills

• Extensive experience in a similar role or in financial services preferably gained in‑house;
• Minimum of 12 years PQE is preferable;
• Degree qualification preferable;

Supervisory responsibilities

• The role holder will be responsible for managing a team of lawyers/paralegals;

Potential for growth

• Mentoring;
• Leadership development programs;
• Regular training;
• Career development services;
• Continuing education courses;

Annual Bonus Opportunity

Position may be eligible to receive an annual discretionary bonus award from the profit pool. The profit pool is funded based on Company profits. Individual bonuses are determined based on Company, department, team and individual performance.

Benefits

Janus Henderson is committed to offering a comprehensive total rewards package to eligible employees that includes competitive compensation, pension/retirement plans, and various health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits. To learn more about our offerings please visit the Why Join Us section on the career page here (https://www.janushenderson.com/careers/).

Equal Opportunity Statement

Janus Henderson Investors is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status. All applications are subject to background checks.

Janus Henderson (including its subsidiaries) will not maintain existing or sponsor new industry registrations or licenses where not supported by an employee’s job functions (as determined by Janus Henderson at its sole discretion).

You should be willing to adhere to the provisions of our Investment Advisory Code of Ethics related to personal securities activities and other disclosure and certification requirements, including past political contributions and political activities. Applicants’ past political contributions or activity may impact applicants’ eligibility for this position.

You will be expected to understand the regulatory obligations of the firm, and abide by the regulated entity requirements and JHI policies applicable for your role.

At Janus Henderson Investors we’re committed to an inclusive and supportive environment. We believe diversity improves results and we welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. Don’t worry if you don’t think you tick every box, we still want to hear from you! We understand everyone has different commitments and while we can’t accommodate every flexible working request we’re happy to be asked about work flexibility and our hybrid working environment. If you need any reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process, please get in touch and let us know at [e-mail].