Legal Counsel (18 month contract)

Rentokil Initial; Crawley; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary and bonus

Hybrid working

Rentokil Initial Reward Scheme

23 days holiday, plus 8 bank holidays

Employee Assistance Programme

Death in service benefit

Healthcare

Free parking

Job summary

Rentokil Initial is seeking a UK-qualified lawyer to support the Senior Legal Counsel on M&A and commercial matters. The role covers due diligence, contract drafting, corporate governance, and external counsel engagement in a dynamic, cross-functional environment.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative UK legal team, attend Crawley office one day per week with occasional London Bridge work, and benefit from a hybrid working model and a structured bonus scheme.

Qualifications

• Qualified as a solicitor or barrister in England & Wales.
• 2–4 years PQE.
• Experience reviewing and negotiating general commercial contracts.
• Background in technology or product development advantageous.
• In-house or international experience advantageous.
• Experience advising on IP, data protection, and AI is a definite advantage.

Responsibilities

• Provide pragmatic legal advice and risk management across M&A and commercial.
• Support Senior Legal Counsel on due diligence, DD reports, risk findings, NDAs, and board resolutions.
• Assist Group Commercial on standard contracts, product development, marketing claims, and own-brand products.
• Assist on AI regulation/governance contracting for M&A and commercial.
• Develop and maintain templates and playbooks for M&A and commercial.
• Manage legal intake process for group requests.
• Conduct horizon scanning for new legislation and case law.
• Support disputes and litigation materials.
• Support broader corporate matters (finance, HR, property).

Skills

Legal advice

Risk management

M&A experience

Commercial contracts

Data protection

AI knowledge

Interpersonal skills

In-house experience

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales

Job description

This is a dynamic and varied role reporting to the Senior Legal Counsel. It is dedicated to supporting the Senior Legal Counsel on transaction workflows, including assisting with transaction due diligence, reviewing DD reports, populating SPA/APA DD risk findings, managing external counsel, negotiating NDAs, drafting CoSec PoAs, and preparing board resolutions, to streamline deal execution. Additionally, the role assists commercial legal workflows, supporting Marketing and Innovation, Group Procurement, Group IT, and Global Accounts.

The successful candidate will work closely with other members of the Legal team in the UK and elsewhere, supporting key functions across the business under the guidance of senior counsel to ensure compliance and effective risk management.

The primary expectation is to attend the office in Crawley one day a week and occasional work from our London Bridge office.

Major Responsibilities:

• Act as a legal advisor across the Group, assisting senior team members in providing pragmatic legal advice and risk management across key business initiatives, specifically M&A and commercial.
• Support the Senior Legal Counsel on corporate and M&A transaction workflows, including due diligence, reviewing DD reports, populating SPA/APA risk findings, counsel engagement, NDAs, CoSec PoAs, and board resolutions.
• Assist in providing legal support to Group Commercial team on standard customer and supplier contracts, third party agreements product development support, marketing claims, and own brand products under supervision.
• Assist on AI regulation/governance and contracting for M&A and commercial.
• Assist with the development and maintenance of templates and playbooks for M&A and commercial.
• Manage the legal intake process and provide initial support across incoming group requests.
• Conduct horizon scanning for new legislation, regulation, and case law impacting the function.
• Assist the team in managing and gathering support materials for commercial disputes and litigation.
• Support broader Group corporate matters, including corporate finance, HR, and property.

You will be a lawyer qualified in England & Wales or similar commonwealth jurisdiction? (solicitor or barrister) and should have around 2–4 years PQE.

• Degree or equivalent from accredited institution; qualified and licensed to practice law in England and Wales.
• Trained at a well-known firm or in a major corporation’s in-house legal department.
• Experience in reviewing, revising, drafting and assisting in negotiating general commercial contracts required.
• A background in technology and/or product development would be advantageous as would experience working in other legal areas (e.g. M&A, litigation, competition etc.).
• Experience advising on intellectual property matters (such as managing intellectual property assets, including applications, registration, renewals & defence), data protection/privacy and AI is a definite advantage.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills across international markets and at all levels of seniority.
• In-house experience would be an advantage but not a requirement, as would international experience.

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme
• Hybrid working
• Rentokil Initial Reward Scheme
• 23 days holiday, plus 8 bank holidays
• Employee Assistance Programme
• Death in service benefit
• Healthcare
• Free parking

At Rentokil Initial, our customers and colleagues represent diverse backgrounds and experiences. We take pride in being an equal opportunity employer, actively encouraging applications from individuals from all walks of life. Our belief is that everyone irrespective of age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs, has the potential to thrive and contribute.

We embrace the differences that make each of our colleagues unique, fostering an inclusive environment where everyone can be their authentic selves and feel a sense of belonging. To ensure that your journey with us is accessible if you have any individual requirements we invite you to communicate any specific needs or preferences you may have during any stage of the recruitment process. Our team is available to support you; feel free to reach out to ([e-mail]) if you need anything

Be Yourself in Your Application! At Rentokil Initial, we value innovation, but we want to see the real you! While AI can help with structure and grammar, make sure your application shows your true passion and understanding of the role. A personal touch will help you stand out.