Interim Senior Counsel (Full time OR Part time)

Taylor Root; Harlow; Hybrid; GBP 111,000 - 166,000; Full time

Job summary

Taylor Root is partnering with a high-profile UK charitable organisation and seeks an Interim General Counsel to provide pragmatic, commercial legal support during a period of change. You will work closely with senior stakeholders, offering broad governance advice and overseeing external counsel, with no direct reports.

Ideal candidates will be qualified solicitors in England & Wales, with strong in-house, generalist backgrounds and the ability to operate at Board level within a complex,

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales required.
• Strong commercial, generalist in-house background.

Responsibilities

• Advise across broad legal and governance matters.
• Manage external counsel and advisers.
• Support senior management, Executive Team and Board stakeholders.

Skills

General Counsel

In-house counsel

Corporate law

Governance

Charity law

Regulatory compliance

Stakeholder mgmt

Contract negotiations

Job description

Taylor Root is partnering with a high-profile UK charitable organisation with a strong social purpose, supporting initiatives that improve accessibility and help people participate more fully in everyday life.

We are looking for an experienced Interim General Counsel / Interim Senior Legal Counsel to join the organisation during an important period of change. This is a broad, hands-on role requiring a senior lawyer who can quickly get to grips with a varied workload, provide pragmatic commercial advice and confidently support senior stakeholders.

The role

Working alongside an existing part-time General Counsel and as part of the wider governance function, you will advise across a broad range of legal and governance matters, including:

• Commercial contracts and supplier agreements
• Grant and partnership agreements
• Corporate and charity law matters
• Governance, compliance and regulatory issues
• Equality and discrimination-related matters
• IP and trade mark queries
• Supporting senior management, the Executive Team and Board-level stakeholders
• Managing external counsel and specialist legal advisers

There are no direct reports, so this will suit someone comfortable remaining close to the detail while operating at a senior level.

The ideal candidate

We are keen to speak with experienced General Counsel, Heads of Legal or senior in-house lawyers who can demonstrate:

• Qualification as a solicitor in England & Wales
• A strong commercial and generalist in-house legal background
• Confidence advising senior stakeholders and operating at Board / Executive level
• Strong judgement and the ability to provide practical, commercial solutions
• The resilience and adaptability to operate effectively within a complex and changing organisation
• The ability to work independently and manage a varied workload

Previous charity or not-for-profit experience would be advantageous, particularly exposure to charity law, governance or grant agreements, but it is not essential and our client is open to receiving applications for those without this exposure who is interested in working with a purpose driven foundation. We are equally interested in senior lawyers coming from strong corporate or FTSE environments who have the breadth to move into this setting.

The details

• Duration: Minimum of three to six months
• Working pattern: Ideally full-time but very open to part time (3-4 days a week)
• Engagement: Open to either FTC or day-rate contractors
• FTC salary: Dependent on experience but very competitive for NFP & Charity
• Location: Essex (Harlow) / hybrid
• Office attendance: Minimum 1 day per week, with 2-3 days preferred but not essential
• Start: ASAP / November

This is a particularly interesting opportunity for a senior, commercially minded lawyer who enjoys breadth, autonomy and working closely with senior stakeholders within a purpose-led organisation.