Paralegal

Debenhams Group; Manchester; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus scheme

Pension

Share schemes

Private medical

Life assurance

On-site gym

Wellbeing package

Discount across brands

Dog-friendly offices

Learning and development

On-site canteen

Season ticket loan

Job summary

Debenhams Group is seeking an experienced paralegal to support its in-house legal team across multiple brands within a fast-moving retail environment. The role focuses on contract drafting, research, and governance tasks to protect and enable the Group’s brands and marketplace activities.

You will work closely with lawyers and business colleagues, handling a variety of agreements and compliance matters while developing autonomy and industry knowledge in a dynamic fashion retail setting.

Qualifications

• 3–4 years of paralegal experience, in-house or commercial contract background preferred.
• LLB, GDL, LPC or CiLEX graduate.
• Strong drafting, research and analytical skills; ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Team player with can-do attitude and autonomy.
• Genuine interest in fashion and retail.

Responsibilities

• Provide comprehensive legal and administrative support to the in-house legal team, including reporting and information management.
• Conduct legal research on case law and changes in law affecting brands.
• Support management of the Group intellectual property portfolio.
• Field internal and external legal enquiries.
• Assist with data protection matters.
• Draft and negotiate contracts including NDAs, influencer and sponsorship agreements, venue hire, etc.
• Assist with group litigation management, including low-value claims.
• Support the Company Secretary with governance and company secretarial matters.
• Handle other tasks outside of a strictly ‘legal’ role.

Skills

Paralegal experience

Drafting

Research

Analytical skills

Time management

Independent worker

Education

LLB, GDL, LPC or CiLEX graduate

Tools

Microsoft Office

Legal research databases

Job description

Description

At Debenhams Group, we are a diverse portfolio of five core brands (boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, and Debenhams) alongside a dynamic marketplace model and a growing financial services division, it keeps us pretty busy!

Description

At Debenhams Group, we are a diverse portfolio of five core brands (boohoo, boohooMAN, PrettyLittleThing, Karen Millen, and Debenhams) alongside a dynamic marketplace model and a growing financial services division, it keeps us pretty busy!

We don’t stand still, we lead, evolve, and redefine online fashion. With bold ambitions and big energy, we’re on a mission to be the best, delivering the strongest propositions to our customers in the most engaging, innovative, and efficient ways possible.

We thrive on change, innovation, and pace. Every challenge is an opportunity, and every day is a chance to push boundaries. If you’re someone who embraces the unknown, thrives in a fast-moving, high-growth environment, and is ready to shape the future of retail, you’ll love it here. We want visionaries, disruptors, and doers, people who bring fresh thinking, relentless energy, and the drive to make an impact.

Be brave. Be creative. Be a community.

THE ROLE

In Legal, we are all about adding value, preventing issues and protecting our brands. Everything we do is to help and guide the Group towards delivering its plans and reaching its goals. The role will require you to be reactive in a dynamic environment, often supporting the business with time sensitive situations. As such you must be responsive, proactive and able to effectively manage deadlines and stakeholders. This is a varied and fast paced role where no two days are the same; one day you may be supporting on contracts which underpin our Marketplace offering, and on another day, discussing with our marketing team, the next new “face of” for our Christmas campaign.

We require someone who is proactive, adaptable and ready to roll with the unexpected.

YOUR TEAM

We are more than just Lawyers;, we are bigger, better and bolder than that. We are strategic partners to the business, trusted advisors and champions of our brands We are the go-to people for legal advice but it’s also fair to say we influence our brands in many other ways and our approach.

We support our brands however we can and really get stuck into the business. We are looking for someone who shares the same enthusiasm as us.

As an incredibly hard-working, agile and ambitious team, we are always up for a challenge. We are looking for someone to support our team of Lawyers, but also bring their own individual flair, energy and ideas to the role.

What You Will Be Doing

• Providing comprehensive legal and administrative support to the in-house legal team, including assistance with regular reporting and information management.
• Undertaking legal research tasks to support the team and wider business. This could include research tasks on case law and upcoming and/or recent changes in law which may affect the brands.
• Supporting the team with management of the Group intellectual property portfolio.
• Fielding and dealing with both internal and external legal enquiries.
• Supporting the team with matters concerning data protection.
• Drafting and negotiating contracts including non-disclosure agreements, influencer agreements, sponsorship agreements, venue hire agreements etc.
• Assisting the team with any group litigation, including the management of low-value claims.
• Supporting the Company Secretary with governance and company secretarial matters.
• Other tasks outside of a strictly ‘legal’ role.

What We're Looking For

• Ideally 3 to 4 years of paralegal experience. This would ideally be in-house or in a commercial contract role but is not necessary.
• LLB, GDL,LPC or CiLEX graduate
• Strong drafting, research and analytical skills are essential, along with the ability to manage multiple priorities
• A team player. Someone with a can-do, will-do attitude with plenty of enthusiasm.
• Someone who is confident working independently and managing their own workload, this role will give you autonomy and allow you to develop and work in a way which suits you.
• A genuine interest in fashion and retail.

WHY JOIN US

Our mission is to create a workplace where everyone is respected, individual differences are valued, and people can be themselves at work — without exception.

2025 was a year of significant change for the Group. 2026 is about bold moves, real results and unstoppable momentum. If that excites you, you belong at Debenhams Group.

Our Benefits Include (subject To Level And Eligibility)

• Highly competitive bonus scheme, company pension, share schemes, private medical cover and life assurance
• Access to an on-site gym and free weekly Pilates, yoga and fitness classes
• Discount across all brands
• Comprehensive wellbeing package
• Dog-friendly offices (in selected locations)
• Ongoing learning and development with strong internal progression
• On-site canteen serving breakfast, lunch, snacks and hot drinks
• Free season ticket loan

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