Head of Legal - Fixed Term Contract for 12 months

Keyloop; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Keyloop is seeking a Head of Legal to lead the in-house legal function and deliver a disciplined, service‑oriented operation across the UK, Prague and India. You will report to the General Counsel and act as a first escalation point, ensuring timely advice, risk management and cross‑border coordination.

The role focuses on building a scalable operating model, implementing intake standards, and managing external counsel spend while collaborating closely with Sales, Marketing and HR.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with substantial post-qualification experience, in-house experience preferred.
• Strong commercial and technology background in software/SaaS/tech.
• Experience managing a legal team across multiple locations.
• Experience managing external counsel and controlling legal spend.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day management of the legal team, workload allocation, triage and tracking.
• Own UK, Prague and India operating model with cross-border coordination.
• Provide people management including one-to-ones, coaching and performance monitoring.
• Escalate issues to General Counsel when needed.
• Maintain intake standards, service levels, and KPI dashboard.
• Drive process improvements and legal operations discipline.
• Manage external counsel spend and establish approval framework.
• Ensure timely, accountable handling of matters.

Skills

People-management

Commercial mindset

Technology background

Delivery focus

Education

Qualified lawyer (England and Wales)

Job description

Keyloop bridges the gap between dealers, manufacturers, technology suppliers and car buyers.

We empower car dealers and manufacturers to fully embrace digital transformation. How? By creating innovative technology that makes selling cars better for our customers, and buying and owning cars better for theirs.

We use cutting-edge technology to link our clients' systems, departments and sites. We provide an open technology platform that's shaping the industry for the future. We use data to help clients become more efficient, increase profitability and give more customers an amazing experience.Want to be part of it?

Role Purpose

The Head of Legal is a management and delivery role responsible for the day-to-day running of the legal function. The role sits between the General Counsel and the wider legal team, providing the operational management layer that allows the function to deliver consistently, responsively and to a measurable standard. It is distinct from the General Counsel role, which retains strategic legal oversight, board-level risk management and executive advisory responsibilities.

The successful candidate will bring order, discipline and a clear service model to a function that currently lacks a dedicated management layer, and will act as the first point of escalation for the team and the business.

Key Responsibilities

TEAM MANAGEMENT AND DELIVERY:

• Lead the day-to-day management of the legal team, including workload allocation, matter triage, prioritisation and tracking


• Own the UK, Prague and India operating model, including handoff discipline, escalation rules and cross-border coordination


• Provide people management for the team, including regular one-to-ones, coaching, performance monitoring and developmentand


• Act as the first escalation point for the team, resolving matters at the appropriate level and escalating only genuinely strategic matters to the General Counsel

STAKEHOLDER SERVICE:

• Own stakeholder service delivery, including response standards, communication discipline and adherence to agreed service levels


• Maintain clear ownership of matters so that business stakeholders always know who is responsible for their request


• Build and sustain effective working relationships with business unit leads across Sales, Marketing, Professional Services, Finance and HR

EXTERNAL COUNSEL AND COST CONTROL :

• Manage and oversee external counsel spend, including instruction, oversight and cost management; and


• Operate a clear mandate and approval framework for matters referred externally, reducing unmanaged outsourcing

OPERATING DISCIPLINE AND IMPROVEMENT

• Own the matter tracker and feed the function's KPI dashboard, managing the team to agreed standards of responsiveness, quality and backlog health


• Implement and maintain intake standards, service tiers and triage rules


• Drive process improvements, template standardisation and legal operations discipline


• Execute legal risk controls, identify emerging risks and elevate them appropriately

Skills & Attributes

• A practical, commercially minded operator who can bring structure and discipline to a busy function


• Strong people-management and coaching skills, with the ability to develop and motivate a dispersed team


• Excellent prioritisation, organisation and stakeholder-management skills;


• Comfort working in a fast-paced, private equity-backed environment undergoing change


• A delivery focus, with the judgement to know what to handle, what to delegate and what to elevate

What Success Looks Like

• A functioning intake and triage model, with every matter carrying a named owner and deadline


• Consistent adherence to agreed service standards and a measurable reduction in escalations reaching the General Counsel


• A clearer, more accountable UK, Prague and India operating model with disciplined handoffs


• Controlled and well-governed external counsel spend; and


• A legal team that is better managed, better supported and more trusted by the business

Qulifications & Experience

• A qualified lawyer (England and Wales, or an equivalent jurisdiction) with substantial post-qualification experience, including in-house experience;


• A strong commercial and technology background, ideally gained in a software, SaaS or technology business;


• Proven experience managing a legal team, ideally across more than one location or jurisdiction; and


• Demonstrable experience of managing external counsel and controlling legal spend.

Why join us?

We're on a journey to become market leaders in our space - and with that comes some incredible opportunities. Collaborate and learn from industry experts from all over the globe. Work with game-changing products and services. Get the training and support you need to try new things, adapt to quick changes and explore different paths. Join Keyloop and progress your career, your way.

An inclusive environment to thrive

We're committed to fostering an inclusive work environment. One that respects all dimensions of diversity. We promote an inclusive culture within our business, and we celebrate different employees and lifestyles - not just on key days, but every day.

Be rewarded for your efforts

We believe people should be paid based on their performance so our pay and benefits reflect this and are designed to attract the very best talent. We encourage everyone in our organisation to explore opportunities which enable them to grow their career through investment in their development but equally by working in a culture which fosters support and unbridled collaboration.

Keyloop doesn't require academic qualifications for this position. We select based on experience and potential, not credentials.

We are also an equal opportunity employer committed to building a diverse and inclusive workforce. We value diversity and encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply.

\"At Keyloop, AI is a daily ally: We encourage and train every employee to use our AI tools to boost their creativity and productivity.\"