Senior Counsel, Cybersecurity & AI

Hitachi, Ltd.; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Annual bonus

25 days holiday

Pension

Private medical

Personal accident insurance

Income protection

Life insurance

Employee assistance

Job summary

Hitachi Rail is seeking a Senior Counsel, Cybersecurity & AI to join the global Legal, Contracts & Compliance function. This high-visibility role provides risk-based legal advice on cybersecurity and AI across products, services and operations.

You will shape the global legal approach, develop governance, policies and frameworks, and partner with technical teams to manage product security, incidents and regulatory notifications.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer in a relevant jurisdiction.
• Strong post-qualification experience in a leading law firm, multinational organisation or regulator.
• Strong knowledge of cybersecurity and AI legal/regulatory landscape.
• Experience advising on cybersecurity or AI incidents, product vulnerabilities or investigations.
• Technical understanding to work with Cybersecurity/IT/Engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Act as a senior legal adviser for cybersecurity and AI matters globally, providing pragmatic, commercially focused and risk-based advice.
• Monitor evolving cybersecurity and AI laws, regulation, guidance and enforcement across Hitachi Rail jurisdictions.
• Help develop and maintain global legal strategy, governance frameworks, policies, standards, procedures and guidance relating to cybersecurity and AI.
• Advise senior management on material legal risks, regulatory requirements, and mitigation.
• Lead legal role in cybersecurity incidents and product vulnerability matters, including investigations and regulatory notifications.
• Provide legal advice across products, services, bids, projects, strategic transactions and third-party relationships, including drafting and negotiating cybersecurity provisions.
• Partner with technical teams on product security, vulnerability management, supply-chain cyber risk and customer/supplier security requirements.
• Support regulatory enquiries, audits and interactions with authorities, customers and business partners.
• Deliver training and strategic guidance to legal, technical, operational and commercial stakeholders across our international business.
• Manage external counsel and advisers where required.

Skills

Fluency in English

Education

Qualified lawyer in relevant jurisdiction

Job description

About Us

A career at Hitachi Rail will help create a legacy. With operations in every corner of the world, our work goes to the cutting-edge of digital transformation and technology. From the multi-cultural strength of our global organisation to the sustainable and innovative ways we work to bring people together, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into. And that’s where you come in.

Job Description

Your new role

We have an exciting opportunity for a Senior Counsel, Cybersecurity & AI to join our global Legal, Contracts & Compliance function.

This is a highly visible global role and an exciting opportunity to join Hitachi Rail at a time when cybersecurity and AI continue to present increasingly complex legal, regulatory and commercial considerations for international businesses.

Working across our global organisation, you will provide practical, risk-based legal advice on cybersecurity and AI matters affecting our business, operations, products, services and digital environment. You’ll partner with senior leaders and specialists across Legal, Compliance, Regulatory Affairs, Data Privacy, Cybersecurity, Digital and Product Security, helping the organisation navigate complex and evolving requirements.

Crucially, this isn’t simply an advisory role. You’ll have the opportunity to shape and develop our global legal approach to cybersecurity and AI, helping to build the strategies, governance, policies and frameworks that support our business for the future. It is a fantastic opportunity for someone who enjoys operating internationally and wants the freedom to really make the role their own.

Some key responsibilities

• Act as a senior legal adviser for cybersecurity and AI matters globally, providing pragmatic, commercially focused and risk-based advice.
• Monitor evolving cybersecurity and AI laws, regulation, regulatory guidance and enforcement trends across the jurisdictions in which Hitachi Rail operates.
• Help develop and maintain our global legal strategy, governance frameworks, policies, standards, procedures and guidance relating to cybersecurity and AI.
• Advise senior management on material legal risks, emerging regulatory requirements and appropriate mitigation.
• Take a leading legal role in cybersecurity incidents and product vulnerability matters, including investigations, regulatory notifications and stakeholder communications.
• Provide legal advice across products, services, bids, projects, strategic transactions and third-party relationships, including drafting and negotiating cybersecurity and technology-related contractual provisions.
• Partner with technical teams on product security, vulnerability management, supply-chain cyber risk and customer and supplier security requirements.
• Support regulatory enquiries, audits and interactions with authorities, customers and business partners.
• Deliver training and strategic guidance to legal, technical, operational and commercial stakeholders across our international business.
• Manage external legal counsel and specialist advisers where required.

About you

We’re looking for a commercially minded lawyer who can combine strong legal judgement with a genuine understanding of cybersecurity and AI, and who is comfortable operating across a complex, international organisation.

Given the global nature of the position, previous experience working within or advising a large multinational/global organisation would be particularly valuable.

You will ideally bring:

• Qualification as a lawyer within a relevant jurisdiction.
• Strong post-qualification experience, gained within a leading law firm, multinational organisation or regulator.
• Strong knowledge of the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding cybersecurity and AI within a complex international environment.
• Experience advising on cybersecurity or AI incidents, product vulnerabilities, regulatory notifications or investigations.
• Sufficient technical understanding to work credibly alongside Cybersecurity, IT, Engineering and Product specialists.
• Strong commercial judgement and the ability to translate complex legal and technical issues into clear, actionable advice.
• Confidence influencing senior stakeholders and constructively challenging where appropriate.
• A collaborative and culturally aware approach, with the ability to build relationships across different functions, countries and cultures.
• The ability to remain calm, pragmatic and decisive when dealing with sensitive or high-pressure situations.
• Fluency in English. Additional proficiency in French, Italian, German or Japanese would be advantageous.

If you are looking for a role where you can operate on a truly global stage, influence senior stakeholders and help shape how an international organisation responds to the rapidly evolving worlds of cybersecurity and AI, this could be an exciting next step.

What we offer

We value the importance of all of our employees. If you would like to join our fantastic organisation, you could be entitled to:

• Competitive salary
• Potential opportunity for annual performance related bonus
• 25 days holiday
• Pension scheme with contributions up to 9%
• Private medical insurance
• Personal Accident Insurance
• Group Income Protection
• Group Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Programme

We also offer additional perks for you to choose from within a flexible plan that will meet your specific needs and lifestyle.

At Hitachi Rail, there is a place for everyone. We welcome and value differences in background, age, gender, sexuality, family status, disability, race, nationality, ethnicity, religion, and world view. It is our commitment to create an inclusive environment - we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.