General Counsel

phs Group; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 100,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading hygiene services provider in the United Kingdom is seeking a General Counsel to oversee legal, risk, and compliance matters. The ideal candidate is a qualified solicitor with at least 10 years of experience in corporate legal practice and possesses strong understanding of governance frameworks. Responsibilities include advising the executive team, managing enterprise risk, and serving as a Pension Trustee. This position offers a pivotal role in ensuring legal compliance and ethical governance while supporting strategic decision-making.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in corporate legal practice, including leadership roles.
• Proven experience in risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Understanding of trustee duties and pension regulatory frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice to executive team and board.
• Develop and implement enterprise risk management framework.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Act as a Trustee for the company's pension scheme.

Skills

Corporate legal practice

Risk management

Regulatory compliance

Corporate governance frameworks

Leadership

Negotiation

Analytical skills

Education

Qualified solicitor with a current practicing certificate

Job description

Overview

About The Role General Counsel Risk and Compliance Lead Head Office

Before applying for this role, please read the following information about this opportunity found below.

Caerphilly / Tamworth: Are you a Qualified Solicitor with extensive experience in corporate legal practice? Do you have proven experience in risk management and regulatory compliance and a strong understanding of corporate governance frameworks? Do you have leadership and management experience, along with a good understanding of trustee duties and pension regulatory frameworks? If so, we would like to speak with you regarding a wonderful career opportunity.

We are looking for a General Counsel to join us here at phs Group (a Bidvest Company), the leading hygiene services provider in the UK, Spain, and Ireland.

It\'s a fantastic opportunity for a qualified solicitor with a current practising certificate to join a market-leading business.

The Role

The General Counsel serves as the chief legal advisor to the organisation, overseeing all legal, regulatory, and compliance matters.

In addition, this role leads the enterprise risk management strategy, ensuring the organisation operates within legal frameworks and proactively mitigates risks.

The role is pivotal in safeguarding the company\'s reputation, ensuring ethical governance, and supporting strategic decision-making.

The role also includes serving as a Pension Trustee, safeguarding the interests of pension scheme members and ensuring the scheme is managed in accordance with legal and fiduciary duties.

It also includes managing the annual insurance renewal process and supporting Bidvest with various legal, CSR and ESG requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Legal Leadership: Provide expert legal advice to the executive team and board on corporate, commercial, and regulatory matters.
• Draft, review, and negotiate contracts, agreements, and legal documents.
• Represent the company in legal proceedings and manage external counsel relationships.
• Lead the legal department, setting objectives and managing performance.
• Risk Management: Develop and implement a comprehensive enterprise risk management framework.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate legal and operational risks across the business.
• Advise on strategic decisions with potential legal or reputational impact.
• Monitor external factors (regulatory changes, litigation trends) that may affect risk exposure.
• Compliance Oversight: Ensure compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and internal policies.
• Oversee regulatory reporting and audit readiness.
• Lead the development and implementation of compliance programs and training.
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to embed a culture of compliance and ethical conduct.
• Governance: Support corporate governance processes, including board and executive committee operations.
• Maintain and update governance policies and procedures.
• Ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making and reporting.
• Pension Trustee Duties: Act as a Trustee for the company\'s pension scheme, ensuring fiduciary responsibilities are met.
• Oversee scheme governance, funding, and investment strategy.
• Collaborate with scheme advisors, actuaries, and administrators.
• Ensure compliance with pension legislation and regulatory requirements.
• Represent member interests and ensure fair treatment and communication.
• Insurance duties: Oversee and manage the insurance requirements for the Group.
• Liaise with Bidvest and insurance brokers within the UK and South Africa.
• Ensure adequate insurance cover is in place across the Group.
• Participate in quarterly insurance reviews and provide advice on larger claims.
• Other duties: Support CSR / ESG requirements.
• Appointed as Company Secretary and support company secretarial activities.
• Attend the Audit Committee and provide input into audit committee returns.
• Support CFO in banking administration activities.

Qualifications & Experience

• Qualified solicitor with a current practicing certificate.
• Extensive experience in corporate legal practice, risk, and compliance.
• Minimum 10 years experience in corporate legal practice, including leadership roles.
• Proven experience in risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Strong understanding of corporate governance frameworks.
• Understanding of trustee duties and pension regulatory frameworks.
• Experience of managing a small team of professional colleagues.
• Experience of managing Corporate Insurance policies and their renewals (desirable).
• Prior experience or training in pension scheme governance (desirable).

Personal Characteristics

• Results-driven and resilient under pressure.
• Customer-centric with a focus on quality and service delivery.
• Innovative and adaptable to market changes.
• Strategic thinker with strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and negotiation abilities.
• High ethical standards and professional integrity.
• Ability to manage complex legal, compliance and Trustee responsibilities under pressure.
• Strong leadership and team development capabilities.

About us

phs Group was founded in 1963 and we are the leading provider for Hygiene Services in the UK, Spain and Ireland.

We have over 120,000 customers across 300,000 locations incorporating numerous businesses during its 62 years of business.

At phs, we pride ourselves on our diverse workforce and ensuring we have an inclusive environment for all our staff. We remain committed to ensuring our teams can bring their true selves to work without risk or fear of discrimination.