Legal Counsel

Warburtons; Bolton; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Profit sharing

5 weeks holiday + bank holidays

Pension scheme with company contrib.

Private medical insurance

Job summary

Warburtons seeks a commercially minded Company Counsel to provide in-house legal advice across commercial contracts, employment, property and regulatory matters. You will lead on Data Protection and act as Whistleblowing Officer, balancing legal risk with strategic business goals.

You will draft and negotiate agreements, support procurement and operations, and maintain contractual templates while keeping abreast of regulatory developments in the food manufacturing sector.

Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales (typically 2–5 years PQE, flexibility depending on experience).
• Strong grounding in contract law, tort, employment, competition law, data protection and related legislation.
• In-house experience preferred, with ability to balance legal risk and commercial objectives.

Responsibilities

• Provide commercially focused legal advice across the business, including commercial contracts, employment, property, disputes, IP and regulatory matters.
• Lead on Data Protection and act as Whistleblowing Officer.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts; develop templates and playbooks; monitor regulatory developments.

Skills

Contract law

Employment law

Data protection

Intellectual property

Regulatory compliance

Commercial contracts

Negotiation

Stakeholder management

Education

Solicitor qualification (England & Wales)

Job description

As ‘the UK’s No. 1 Bakery Brand’ we have been baking bread since 1876. Today, we are proudly a fifth-generation family, with the introduction of the sixth generation, supplying over 18,000 retail customers from 11 bakeries and 16 depots, producing a range of over 70 products including gluten and wheat free. Family and values are what makes us different, and we are a proud bunch, join us and you too could be proud to be Warburtons.

Are you a commercially minded legal professional who enjoys building strong relationships, influencing decisions and helping a business navigate complex challenges?

If so, we'd love to hear from you. Join Warburtons as our Company Counsel and play a key role in helping the business achieve its ambitions. From commercial contracts to protecting our iconic brand, you'll help shape decisions that keep Warburtons moving forward.

The Recipe

To provide commercially focused legal advice to Warburtons, helping the business achieve its strategic objectives whilst managing legal and regulatory risk.

The role will support a broad range of legal activities including commercial contracts, employment matters, property transactions, dispute resolution, intellectual property protection, regulatory compliance across data protection, competition law and anti-bribery and anti-fraud. You will be the Company's Whistleblowing Officer and lead on Data Protection.

Key Accountabilities and Measures

Commercial Contracts

• Draft, review and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Support procurement, supply chain, IT, marketing, engineering and operations.
• Deliver practical advice that balances legal risk with commercial objectives.
• Develop and maintain contract templates and playbooks.
• Identify, assess and manage legal corporate compliance risks across the business.
• Maintain the Code of Conduct and associated training programme
• Assist with dispute resolution and regulatory investigations.

Property Transactions

• Draft and negotiate leases, licences, easements and other property matters.
• Advise on dilapidations, collateral warranties, Landlord consent matters, rent reviews and lease terminations
• Work with external solicitors and surveyors where required.

Employment Law Support

• Provide legal support on disciplinary, grievance, redundancy, restructuring and tribunal matters.
• Draft settlement agreements or COT3s, advise on redundancy or other employment termination matters
• Work closely with HR to ensure employment practices remain legally compliant.
• Advise on IR35 and right to work compliance
• Monitor developments in employment legislation and case law.

Intellectual Property & Brand Marketing

• Provide advice on passing off, trademark infringement, cease and desist letters
• Advise on the registration of new trade marks
• Support marketing and innovation teams regarding advertising, product labelling and promotional compliance
• Respond to any ASA investigations

Regulatory Matters

• Assist with interactions involving regulators and enforcement bodies.
• Support responses to investigations, audits and information requests.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments affecting the food manufacturing sector

Essential Qualifications

• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales (typically 2-5 years PQE, although flexibility depending on experience).
• Strong grounding in contract law, tort, employment, competition law , data protection and associated legislation.
• Experience within an in-house legal team preferred
• Commercial contract drafting and negotiation
• Advising on regulatory, employment and compliance matters
• Working directly with business stakeholders
• Showing the ability to balance legal risk with commercial judgement

Skills & Behaviours

• Commercially minded and pragmatic.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent drafting and negotiation skills.
• Ability to communicate legal issues clearly to non-lawyers.
• Strong relationship-building capability.
• High levels of integrity and professionalism.
• Self-motivated with a willingness to take ownership of matters.

Extra Dough

At last and by no means least, you will want to know what your breads worth:

• A slice of the annual profits (discretionary profit share)
• Family time is important to us and we know it will be to you, so you’ll have 5 weeks holiday and bank hols. Plus the opportunity to purchase up to an extra weeks annual leave.
• Award winning pension scheme with company contributions of 7%
• Private medical insurance, health screening and life assurance
• Products you will love along with deals and discounts for you and the family through our Extra Dough website
• Support for your health and wellbeing, including access to free physiotherapy, 24/7 access to a confidential helpline for practical advice and a comprehensive occupational health service

We respect and value difference. We look to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, religion, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, or any other aspect which makes them unique, are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work, is the right thing to do.