Senior Associate – Legal Director, Charities

DAC Beachcroft; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Jobtailor seeks a senior charity governance and advisory lawyer in the UK to manage complex charity matters, guide trustees, and supervise junior lawyers. You will handle caseloads, support major projects, and advise on governance, structures, and mergers.

The role requires strong communication, mentoring skills, and experience in business development within charity law. Flexible location within the UK is possible.

Qualifications

• Excellent relationship and client handling skills; able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day-to-day issues.
• Reasonable level of self-sufficiency with awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority.
• Strong technical skills and ability to understand and work through complex issues.

Responsibilities

• Handle own caseload of charity matters.
• Support the lead partner on larger projects.
• Advise charity trustees on duties and responsibilities.
• Advise on charity start-ups, registrations and appropriate structures.
• Advise on governance issues, conflicts of interest, disputes, governance reviews, policies and procedures.
• Advise on strategic and commercial issues, domestic and international growth, and relationships with non-charitable entities.
• Advise on charity mergers, acquisitions and disposals.
• Advise on grant agreements, fundraising, endowments and restricted funds.
• Advise on serious incident reporting and draft reports to the Charity Commission.
• Supervise junior team members.
• Contribute to business development activities and tender preparation.

Skills

Client relationship management

Mentoring and supervision

Business development

Strong technical skills

Team-oriented

Self-sufficiency

Confident communication

Tools

Constitutional Review

Charity Start-Up Advisory

Grant Agreement Advisory

Fundraising Advisory

Dispute Resolution

Trading Subsidiaries Advisory

Job description

• Handle own caseload
• Support the lead partner on larger projects
• Advise charity trustees on duties and responsibilities
• Advise on charity start-ups, registrations and appropriate structures
• Advise on legal structures including charitable companies, charitable incorporated organisations, royal charter corporations, statutory corporations, unincorporated associations, charitable trusts, community interest companies and other social enterprises
• Conduct constitutional reviews and advise on restructuring requiring Charity Commission consent
• Advise on governance issues, conflicts of interest, disputes, governance reviews, policies and procedures
• Advise on strategic and commercial issues, domestic and international growth, and relationships with non-charitable entities
• Advise on charity mergers, acquisitions and disposals
• Advise on grant agreements, fundraising, endowments and restricted funds
• Advise on serious incident reporting and draft reports to the Charity Commission
• Support specialists on charity-related issues involving critical incidents, property disposals, banking, insolvency and employment relationships
• Advise on non-primary purpose trading, trading subsidiaries and charity-subsidiary relationships
• Contribute to business development activities and tender preparation
• Supervise junior team members

Requirements

• Excellent relationship and client handling skills; able to deal confidently and professionally with clients on day-to-day issues
• Reasonable level of self-sufficiency with awareness of the boundaries of own competence/authority
• Strong technical skills and ability to understand and work through complex issues
• Team-oriented and collegiate
• Experience of and willingness to mentor, coach and supervise less experienced team members
• Exposure to and success within business development activities
• Confident communication and ability to develop relationships and undertake client marketing
• In-house charity experience can be considered
• Flexible on location

Core Competencies

Demonstrates expertise in advising on charity governance, legal structures, and compliance, while effectively managing client relationships and mentoring junior team members. Proven ability to contribute to business development and navigate complex charity-related issues.

Highest-signal resume keywords

• Charity Governance Advisory
• Legal Structure Expertise
• Client Relationship Management
• Business Development Experience
• Mentoring and Supervision

ATS Optimization Keywords

Hard Skills

• Constitutional Review
• Charity Start-Up Advisory
• Grant Agreement Advisory
• Fundraising Advisory
• Dispute Resolution
• Charity Mergers and Acquisitions
• Serious Incident Reporting
• Trading Subsidiary Advisory
• Commercial Issue Advisory
• Governance Policy Development

Soft Skills

• Excellent Relationship Skills
• Confident Communication
• Team-Oriented
• Self-Sufficiency
• Coaching and Mentoring

Industry Keywords

• Charitable Companies
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations
• Royal Charter Corporations
• Community Interest Companies
• Social Enterprises
• Charity Commission
• Non-Primary Purpose Trading
• In-House Charity Experience
• Critical Incident Management
• Employment Relationships