Head of Legal Affairs

ISS Facilities Services; South Heighton; On-site; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading facility management company is seeking a Head of Legal Affairs in the UK to provide strategic legal leadership. The role involves overseeing commercial contracts and managing legal disputes while ensuring compliance with regulations. The ideal candidate will have strong experience in drafting contracts, managing litigation, and corporate governance. This role offers a challenging career in a diverse and inclusive environment, focusing on development and making a difference.

Benefits

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Career development opportunities

Qualifications

• Experience in drafting and negotiating customer contracts in facilities services.
• Proven capability in managing UK disputes and litigation.
• Understanding of corporate governance and company secretarial requirements.
• Knowledge of UK regulatory compliance, including anti-bribery regulations.
• Experience in overseeing insurance programmes and claims.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support for drafting and negotiating contracts.
• Lead on litigation and manage external counsel.
• Advise on corporate legal matters and governance.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Provide company secretarial support and maintain statutory records.

Skills

Drafting commercial contracts

Litigation management

Corporate governance

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership in legal teams

Job description

Head of Legal Affairs

Contract: Legal

Location: London, E14 9SH

Hours of work: 37.5

Contract Type: Permanent

We are seeking a highly skilled and commercially minded Head of Legal Affairs to provide strategic legal leadership across ISS UK & Ireland.

This senior leadership role oversees all non-employment legal matters, ensuring robust governance, effective risk management and full alignment with ISS Group legal and compliance frameworks.

Operating as a key adviser to the Country Leadership Team, this role safeguards ISS’s legal, regulatory and reputational position while supporting business growth, operational delivery and transformation.

Job Description

We are looking for an experienced legal professional who can shape and embed high-quality legal standards across the UK & Ireland business in line with One ISS principles.

As a member of the UK & Ireland Senior Leadership Team and part of the ISS Group Legal Leadership Team. The role works in close partnership with Finance, Risk & Compliance and Group Legal, providing expert guidance on corporate, governance, disputes, insurance and strategic matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal support across ISS UK & Ireland, including drafting, negotiating and advising on customer contracts in line with the Legal Playbook and Delegated Authority Matrix (DAM).
• Lead on disputes and litigation for UK & Ireland, partnering with the business, managing external counsel and reporting to Country Leadership Team and Group Legal.
• Advise on corporate legal matters, including transactions, restructuring and governance, working closely with Finance, Treasury and Group stakeholders.
• Maintain and embed the UK & Ireland Delegated Authority Matrix, ensuring alignment with ISS Group governance frameworks.
• Deliver company secretarial support including board and CLT minutes, statutory records and regulatory filings.
• Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements including sanctions, ABC, competition law and Code of Conduct, and support audit and reporting activities.
• Provide legal oversight on property matters such as leases, acquisitions and disposals in collaboration with the Property team and external advisers.
• Partner with the UK & Ireland Insurance Manager and Group Insurance to oversee insurance programmes, advise on risk and support complex claims.

Professional and Personal Competencies/Qualifications

• Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial customer contracts within a facilities services, outsourcing or service-led environment, focused on risk mitigation and margin protection.
• Proven capability managing UK disputes and litigation, including external counsel management and reporting to senior leadership.
• Solid understanding of corporate governance, company secretarial requirements and delegated authority frameworks.
• Demonstrated knowledge of relevant UK regulatory compliance, including sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, competition law and corporate governance.
• Experience advising on corporate transactions, property matters and restructuring in partnership with finance and operational teams.
• Ability to oversee insurance programmes, claims and insurable risk across operational and supply chain environments.
• Commercial, pragmatic legal leader with strong stakeholder engagement skills at senior levels.
• Experienced people leader with a track record of developing and supporting junior legal team members.

The Company

ISS is a world-leading workplace and facility management company, connecting people and places to make the world work better. Working with customers day by day, side by side, we understand every aspect of the user experience.

Through a unique combination of intelligent solutions, high standards and people who care, to help our customers achieve their purpose, whether it’s hospitals healing patients, businesses producing the next great innovation, or airports bringing passengers home to their families. ISS is committed to doing business the right way, taking its corporate responsibility very seriously. Our passion is people.

We offer you a challenging and exciting career in an organisation with people at its heart. In ISS, everyone has the opportunity to develop, grow and make a difference. #ISSGreatPeople #ISSTalent #PeopleMakePlace

ISS is proud to be a diverse and inclusive employer.

ISS welcomes all applicants regardless of age, disability, gender identity or gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race (which includes race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin and caste), religion or belief, sex, sexual orientation or educational background.

We are a Disability Confident Committed (Level 2) employer, proudly supporting and promoting inclusive hiring practices in line with the UK government’s Disability Confident scheme.

Our passion for inclusivity and diversity makes ISS a more creative, productive and happy place to work.

If you have any further queries regarding this role, please contact the Resourcing Team by emailing [e-mail]