Legal Counsel

DF Capital; Manchester; On-site; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A UK-based specialized bank is seeking a qualified solicitor to provide legal support on commercial and regulatory matters. This role requires strong legal expertise and a proactive attitude. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment and will work collaboratively across teams to support business objectives. Benefits include competitive salary, private medical insurance, and various employee perks.

Benefits

Competitive salary (dependent on experience)

Private medical insurance for you and your partner/spouse

10% Employer pension contribution

30-day annual leave entitlement plus Bank/Public Holidays

Free Gym Membership

Discretionary annual bonus

Discretionary share awards

Life Assurance

Income Protection

Tax efficient salary sacrifice scheme for bicycles and electric vehicles

4 days paid Volunteering leave

Qualifications

• 2–5 years’ PQE or equivalent experience is required.
• Experience in financial services or regulatory matters is desirable but not essential.
• Interest in corporate governance and company secretarial matters is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Provide legal support on deal structuring and execution.
• Draft and negotiate various commercial agreements.
• Advise on legal and regulatory issues related to financial products.
• Assist on structured finance transactions.
• Collaborate with teams to ensure compliance.

Skills

Strong commercial and financial services experience

Excellent communication skills

Adaptability

Solutions-focused mindset

Self-motivated and proactive

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales

Job description

WHO WE ARE

We are DF Capital, a specialist savings and commercial lending bank built to serve the needs of individuals and businesses in the UK. From straightforward savings to practical commercial finance solutions, our aim is to provide first class customer service to help manage and grow businesses or consumer savings.

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

We are entering another exciting chapter of the DF Capital story, as we look to turbo-charge our ambitions and significantly scale the business. If you're passionate about providing great customer experiences and want to be part of building a winning and positive sales culture, then we want to hear from you.

OUR CULTURE

At DF Capital we aim to provide an inclusive, progressive, and sustainable environment where our employees thrive. Having engaged employees who enjoy what they do is the key ingredient for us to deliver on our strategic ambitions. We believe having great people in our team, who work hard and put our customers’ needs first, is a differentiator and builds depth of relationship, repeat business and customer loyalty. As a team we are focused on delivering growth and ensuring that we collectively act sustainably.

Fostering a positive culture across the firm, making sure our employees feel valued for their contribution and keeping them safe and well are critical to us. We see ourselves as a progressive employer who has clear structures and many opportunities for our employees to build their own careers.

THE ROLE, RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES:

Other duties may be assigned outside of the following duties and responsibilities:

Reporting directly to the General Counsel & Company Secretary you will have the chance to work across a broad range of legal, and regulatory matters in a collaborative and high-performing business.

This role would suit a UK-qualified solicitor with strong commercial and financial services experience, who thrives in a fast-paced, tech-enabled environment and is keen to develop expertise in a regulated bank working on a diverse mix of commercial, regulatory and other legal matters.

• Providing legal support on deal structuring, transaction documentation, and deal execution alongside the commercial and credit teams.
• Drafting, reviewing, and negotiating a wide variety of commercial agreements (including supplier contracts, NDAs, and commercial arrangements).
• Advising internal stakeholders on legal and regulatory issues relating to financial products and business operations.
• Assisting on structured finance transactions, including commercial loans and other secured lending products.
• Working with the business to ensure transaction documentation is legally compliant.
• Supporting the development and launch of new products and services.
• Collaborating with risk, compliance, and commercial teams to provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice.
• Supporting regulatory projects and change programmes, including those relating to consumer asset finance, savings, and inventory finance.
• Helping to maintain and update internal legal policies, playbooks, and templates.
• Monitoring legal and regulatory developments in the financial services and asset finance sectors, updating the business accordingly.
• Contributing to legal team operations and wider business projects as required.
• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with 2–5 years’ PQE (or equivalent experience).
• Strong background in commercial, banking or restructuring law with some experience in financial services, or regulatory matters is desirable but not essential.
• Interested in building knowledge and practical experience in corporate governance and company secretarial matters.
• Adaptable and enthusiastic about working across a wide variety of legal areas — from commercial contracts to transactions, regulatory projects, and governance.
• Comfortable advising stakeholders at all levels and collaborating across teams in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with a practical, solutions-focused mindset.
• Self-motivated, proactive, and able to manage competing priorities in a dynamic business.

• Competitive salary (dependent on experience)
• Private medical insurance for you and your partner/spouse
• 10% Employer pension contribution
• 30-day annual leave entitlement plus Bank/Public Holidays
• Free Gym Membership
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Discretionary share awards
• Life Assurance
• Income Protection
• Save As You Earn company share acquisition scheme
• Tax efficient salary sacrifice scheme to obtain bicycles and electric vehicles
• 4 days paid Volunteering leave to support our local communities
• Vibrant office location in lively city centre.