General Counsel
Wolverhampton Wanderers FC
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Resumo da vaga
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is seeking a General Counsel to lead the legal, governance, regulatory and safeguarding functions across the club and its entities. You will provide strategic legal advice to the Board, Senior Leadership Team and departments, ensuring risks are identified, managed and mitigated while supporting sporting, commercial and community objectives.
You will oversee governance, compliance, data protection, safeguarding, employment matters and disputes; mentor the
Qualificações
- Strong technical expertise in commercial/contract law.
- Strong understanding of governance, compliance and risk management.
- Expertise in negotiation and dispute management.
- Practical knowledge of data protection and privacy law.
- Understanding of safeguarding within professional sport.
- Stakeholder-management capabilities.
Responsabilidades
- Provide strategic legal leadership to the Board and Senior Leadership Team on significant matters.
- Oversee governance, compliance, data protection and safeguarding frameworks.
- Lead and manage external advisers and ensure contractual governance across the club.
- Advise on football regulatory matters and safeguarding investigations.
- Support and mentor the Legal & Safeguarding team and collaborate with departments.
Conhecimentos
Formação
Descrição da vaga
JOB TITLE: General Counsel
DEPARTMENT: Legal & Safeguarding
REPORTS TO: Executive Chairman
DIRECT REPORTS: Head of Safeguarding and Legal Counsel
LOCATION: Molineux Stadium, with travel required
HOURS: 37.5 hours per week
DATE: November 2026
We are Wolves. English football’s original innovators.
As a founding member of the Football League, we boast one of the richest histories in the beautiful
game, shaping modern football while always staying true to our Old Gold roots.
Our purpose is to make our pack proud by uniting our city, inspiring our communities and delivering
We challenge ourselves to be brave, embrace new ideas and take ownership of our actions, while
earning trust through integrity, respect and humility. United as One Pack, we care for one another,
celebrate our differences and work together to achieve more than we ever could alone.
At Wolves, we honour our past while shaping our future. Creating lasting memories for our supporters,
our city and each other.
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults
at risk. We expect all colleagues and volunteers to share this commitment. This means that the post-
holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to safeguarding
children, young people and adults at risk.
___________________________________________________________________________
The General Counsel is responsible for leading and managing legal, governance, regulatory,
compliance and safeguarding legal matters across Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club and its
associated entities. The role provides strategic legal advice to the Board, Senior Leadership Team and
all departments of the Club, ensuring that legal risk is appropriately identified, managed and mitigated
while supporting the achievement of the Club's sporting, commercial and community objectives.
The General Counsel acts as a trusted adviser to senior leadership and is responsible for establishing
and maintaining appropriate governance frameworks, overseeing regulatory compliance, managing
significant disputes and investigations, protecting the Club's commercial interests, and ensuring that
safeguarding considerations are embedded throughout the organisation.
The Club’s Head of Safeguarding and Legal Counsel report into the General Counsel.
___________________________________________________________________________
Serve as the Club's principal legal adviser and advise the Board and Senior Leadership Team on all
significant legal, regulatory and governance matters.
Develop and implement the Club's legal strategy and identify and manage material legal and
regulatory risks across the organisation.
Instruct and manage relationships external legal advisers and specialist consultants.
Oversee the Club's legal support for all commercial activities, including significant commercial
agreements, strategic partnerships, intellectual property and new commercial initiatives.
Lead negotiations and legal input on strategically significant and high-value commercial
arrangements.
Protect and exploit the Club's intellectual property rights (and manage the Club’s trademark
portfolio).
Ensure contractual governance and approval processes are maintained.
Advise on Premier League, FA, EFL, FIFA and UEFA regulatory matters.
Provide legal advice in relation to Premier League and EFL financial and SCR regulations
Provide legal guidance to ensure compliance with the Independent Football Regulator (IFR)
requirements
Provide legal support in connection with football transactions, managerial/backroom staff
contracts and other significant sporting matters.
Advise on significant football disciplinary, safeguarding and integrity investigations.
Lead engagement with football authorities on legal and regulatory matters where required.
Oversee the Club's corporate governance framework and advise the Board and shareholders on
company law, directors' duties and constitutional matters.
Lead legal input into significant corporate transactions, restructurings and investments and
oversee subsidiary governance and company secretarial matters.
Lead the Club's legal compliance programmes and risk-management framework.
Advise on anti-bribery, anti-corruption, sanctions, competition law and other regulatory
obligations.
Develop and maintain legal policies, procedures and governance controls.
Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the football industry and wider business
operations.
Proactive identification of material legal risks and timely escalation to the Executive Chairman and
Board.
Oversee the Club's approach to data protection, privacy and information governance, including
significant data incidents and regulatory matters.
Provide strategic advice on data governance and emerging technology risks.
Assume role as Club’s Senior Safeguarding Lead, providing executive oversight and legal support
to the safeguarding function.
Provide legal and strategic support on significant safeguarding concerns and investigations.
Support compliance with Premier League, EFL, FA and statutory safeguarding requirements.
Support the Head of Safeguarding to ensure safeguarding considerations are appropriately
embedded across Club activities.
Chair the Club's Safeguarding Executive Board and maintain appropriate relationships with
relevant regulators and agencies.
Oversee the provision of external employment law advice to the Club, working closely with the
HR Director.
Advise senior management on significant or sensitive employee-relations matters, investigations,
disciplinaries and executive appointments / exits.
Provide strategic legal advice on equality, diversity and inclusion matters where required.
Provide support on internal investigations & disciplinaries as and when required.
Lead the Club's strategy in relation to litigation, arbitration, mediation and regulatory
proceedings.
Oversee Club’s response to legal claims, complaints and investigations.
Lead and develop the Legal & Safeguarding team.
Promote a culture of integrity, accountability and compliance.
Build effective relationships across all Club departments and ensure the Legal function operates
as a trusted business partner to operational and commercial stakeholders.
Support and mentor colleagues to improve legal awareness and risk management throughout the
Club.
Compliance with Club policies
Compliance with the Club’s health and safety procedures
Compliance with the Club’s safeguarding policies
To promote and support the Club’s values;
One Pack: Collaborate, build trust and care for each other.
Be Brave: Be bold, honest, and embrace challenges with courage.
Raise our Game: Seek improvement and strive for excellence in everything we do.
Own It: Act with integrity and take full responsibility for actions and results on and off
the pitch.
Stay Humble: Show respect, listen to others and leave egos at the door.
To work consistently to embed equality & diversity into the Club
To undertake such other duties as may be reasonably expected
To maintain professional conduct at all times
___________________________________________________________________________
We are committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults
at risk. We expect all those associated with WWFC to share this commitment. This means that the
post-holder is required to apply all relevant policies and uphold the Club’s commitment to
safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk.
___________________________________________________________________________
The post holder will demonstrate a strong commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion,
supporting the organisation’s strategic aims to remove barriers and address inequality. You will play
an active role in promoting an inclusive, discrimination-free environment that ensures fair access to
opportunities and resources. This includes fostering a culture of dignity, respect, and belonging where
everyone is empowered to contribute, perform, and reach their full potential.
___________________________________________________________________________
- Board of Directors
- Football authorities, leagues and
- Executive Chairman governing bodies (including
- Football Administration & Operations Independent Football Regulator,
- Commercial & Marketing Departments Premier League, The Football
- Finance Department Association, English Football League,
- Human Resources FIFA, UEFA)
- Academy
- External legal advisers
- Women's Team
- Insurers
- Wolves Foundation
- Commercial partners
- Safeguarding Function
- Regulatory authorities
___________________________________________________________________________
Responsible for strategic legal leadership across the Club, including setting legal priorities,
allocating internal and external legal resources, and overseeing expenditure relating to legal
services and specialist advice
Person Specification
Job Title: General Counsel
Knowledge: the level and breadth of knowledge to do the job e.g. understanding of a defined system,
method or procedure, legal or regulatory frameworks etc
Essential
Strong technical expertise in commercial/contract law.
Strong understanding of governance, compliance and risk management.
Expertise in negotiation and dispute management.
Practical knowledge of data protection and privacy law.
Strong appreciation of commercial drivers within professional sport.
An understanding of Safeguarding children, young people and adults at risk and knowledge of
Safeguarding legislation, policies and procedures (including reporting platforms and/or
requirements).
Wellbeing knowledge in relation to supporting children, young people and adults at risk.
Knowledge of football regulatory frameworks including Premier League, EFL, FA, FIFA and UEFA
regulations.
Desirable
Experience of governance within professional sport.
Technical/work-based skills
Essential
Strategic thinker with excellent commercial judgement.
Strong negotiation and influencing skills.
Ability to balance legal risk with operational realities.
General skills and attributes
Essential
Exceptional written and verbal communication skills.
Ability to operate effectively at Board and Senior Leadership level.
High levels of integrity, discretion and professional judgement.
Strong leadership and stakeholder-management capabilities.
Understanding of how to work safely with children, young people and adults at risk to uphold
Safeguarding best practice.
Promote, adhere to and implement the Club’s Equality Policy and to work consistently to embed
equality and diversity within Club.
Experience
Essential
Significant post-qualification legal experience gained in private practice and/or senior in-house
roles.
Experience advising executive leadership teams and boards.
Experience leading complex commercial negotiations.
Experience managing disputes, investigations and regulatory matters.
Experience developing governance and compliance frameworks.
Experience leading and managing legal resources.
Desirable
Experience within professional sport, media, entertainment or other highly regulated industries.
Experience of football regulatory and safeguarding matters.
Working with children and/or vulnerable adults.
Qualifications
Essential
Qualified Solicitor of England & Wales (or equivalent recognised jurisdiction).
Current practising certificate (where applicable).
Post-holder must hold or obtain at the earliest opportunity and maintain the relevant safeguarding
training (i.e. FA Safeguarding Children Workshop).
Post-holder will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level.
Desirable
Company Secretarial, Governance or Compliance qualifications.
QWE
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