Legal Director

Relay Technologies; London; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Relay Technologies is seeking an experienced Legal Director to establish their in-house legal function, act as a strategic advisor, and oversee all commercial legal matters. This pivotal role involves building scalable legal processes, managing regulatory risks, and supporting the firm's rapid growth initiatives, particularly as they approach Series B funding. The ideal candidate should have a strong legal background and thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

Benefits

Generous equity package

Performance bonus in equity

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Bupa Global Business Premier health plan

Enhanced Parental Leave

Contributory pension scheme

Free gym membership

Cycle-to-work scheme

Qualifications

• 10+ years PQE with a blend of top-tier law firm and in-house experience.
• Experience in a high-growth environment, ideally as the first legal hire.
• Strong understanding of startup risk across legal domains.

Responsibilities

• Lead all commercial legal work including drafting and negotiating contracts.
• Build scalable legal infrastructure to support rapid deal flow.
• Manage regulatory and product risk across automation and data privacy.

Skills

Commercial judgment

Legal strategy

Problem-solving

Education

Qualified Lawyer (PQE 10+ years)

Job description

Join to apply for the Legal Director role at Relay Technologies

Join to apply for the Legal Director role at Relay Technologies

Company Mission

In the future, commerce will be instant, local, and seamless. What we now call "e-commerce" will simply be

Company Mission

In the future, commerce will be instant, local, and seamless. What we now call "e-commerce" will simply be how we shop.

Relay is building the logistics network that e-commerce should have had from the start. We're designed from the ground up for sustainability - environmental, social, and economic. By rethinking both the middle and last mile, we cut miles driven, reduce carbon emissions, lower costs, and return value to local communities.

Behind the scenes, we orchestrate this with cutting-edge tech: from smart routing and real-time planning to seamless tools that empower our ground teams.

We’re not just building the future, we're scaling it fast.

• We just closed a $35M Series A, the largest ever for a logistics tech startup in Europe.
• Brands like Vinted, TikTok, and Temu are choosing Relay to power their UK expansion.
• We're growing at a top 0.01% among all European Series A startups.
  
  

Role Overview

Relay is hiring its first in-house Legal Director—a pivotal role in our senior leadership team. You’ll build our legal function from scratch, embedding legal thinking across the business and shaping the foundations of our next phase of growth, including our path to Series B and beyond.

You’ll act as a strategic advisor to the executive team—bringing clarity to complexity, balancing risk and velocity, and helping us move fast with confidence. This is a role for a commercially-minded legal operator who thrives in high-growth environments and knows how to build for scale.

What You’ll Do

• Lead all commercial legal work—drafting and negotiating client, partner, and vendor contracts to align with Relay’s goals while moving at speed.
• Build scalable legal infrastructure, including contract playbooks and processes that support rapid deal flow and reduce friction.
• Act as a strategic partner across the business—embedding legal input early, enabling fast, pragmatic decisions, and unlocking growth while managing risk.
• Own legal readiness for fundraising—supporting Series B and beyond through equity structuring, due diligence, and governance.
• Manage regulatory and product risk across automation, AI, IP, and data privacy (GDPR)—collaborating with engineering and product teams to embed privacy-by-design principl
• Lead Relay’s data privacy program and ensure ongoing compliance as we scale.
• Provide employment law support—drafting contracts and policies, advising on performance, DEI, terminations, and international compliance.
• Advise on operational legal needs, including leases, procurement, insurance, site expansion, and third-party agreements.
• Support the CEO on board operations and investor engagement—owning legal reporting, board packs, and corporate governance.
• Manage external counsel relationships, driving toward internal efficiency and autonomy.
• Proactively anticipate legal and business risks, guiding cross-functional alignment and strategic decision-making.
  
  

Who You Are

• 10+ years PQE with a strong blend of top-tier law firm and in-house scale-up experience.
• Track record of owning legal strategy in a high-growth environment, ideally as the first legal hire or Head of Legal.
• Strong commercial judgment and deep understanding of startup risk across legal domains.
• Highly autonomous and solutions-oriented—able to cut through complexity and guide the business with calm, sound judgment.
• Skilled at making legal advice accessible, actionable, and aligned with business goals.
• Calm under pressure, highly autonomous, and motivated by impact and mission
  
  

Relay is offering

• Generous equity package
• Performance bonus in the form of equity
• High-performance culture with 2 promotion windows per year
• 25 days' annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Bupa Global Business Premier health plan – including mental, dental, and optical cover
• Enhanced Parental Leave
• Contributory pension scheme
• Friday office lunches
• Access to cutting-edge AI tooling
• Hybrid working from our dog-friendly Shoreditch office
• Free gym membership via our co-working spaces
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Regular team socials, events, and offsites!!

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Legal

• Industries

  Consumer Services

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