Senior General Legal Counsel

ECR Global; Birmingham; Hybrid; GBP 98,000 - 108,000; Full time

Job summary

A major financial services provider in the UK is seeking a Senior General Counsel to lead its legal function. This role requires providing comprehensive legal advice across all operations, focusing on life and pensions law. Ideal candidates will possess over 10 years of post-qualification experience and a strong understanding of legal implications in financial services. The position offers a competitive salary between £98k - £108k and the flexibility of a hybrid work environment.

Qualifications

• 10+ years post-qualification experience.
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to identify opportunities and risks.
• Experience in commercial contract negotiation and drafting.
• Expertise in legal issues impacting life assurance and pensions products.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice across the organization.
• Deliver specialized legal counsel on life and pensions law.
• Lead on high-level strategic IT and non-IT procurement matters.
• Manage and train junior legal staff.

Skills

Legal counsel expertise

Commercial awareness

Negotiation skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Qualified barrister or solicitor

Job description

Senior General Counsel / Corporate Law : Financial Services in FTSE 100

Our client is the largest financial services administrator in the UK, transforming and changing the game in the Life & Pensions space.

They are seeking an accomplished Senior Legal Counsel to lead the legal function, being the primary contact for all things legal, and leading an ambitious team of 4+ FTE's, including 2 qualified lawyers and 2 paralegals.

Your primary responsibility will be to provide comprehensive legal counsel across all operations, corporate, and commercial areas. You will be the go-to legal expert, identifying and mitigating legal and privacy risks, drafting and reviewing agreements, and managing the legal team.

As they partner with the majority of life & pension providers across the UK, this is a challenging and complex environment for individuals who can manage multiple stakeholders, both internally and externally.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert legal advice across the organisation, communicating with senior leadership
• Deliver specialised legal counsel on life and pensions law, including contract, commercial, insurance, pensions, trusts, and succession matters
• Lead on high-level strategic IT and non-IT procurement matters
• Advise on UK GDPR and data protection compliance
• Manage commercial property and real estate legal matters
• Review and approve various company documents and communications
• Provide legal guidance on projects, corporate bids, and acquisition activities
• Manage and train junior legal staff, developing the in-house legal training program
• Liaise with external legal advisors when necessary

Ideal Candidate

• 10+ years post-qualification experience
• Qualified barrister or solicitor
• Strong commercial awareness and ability to identify opportunities and risks
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills
• Experience in commercial contract negotiation and drafting
• Expertise in legal issues impacting life assurance and pensions products
• Experience in Financial Services and Outsourcing
• Knowledge of outsourcing market trends
• Team management experience preferred

Location

The role is based 2-3 days a week at the company's head office in Cambridgeshire, England, with the option to work remotely on other days.

Compensation

Salary range £98k - £108k basic, plus bonus and benefits.

This is an excellent opportunity for a commercially astute lawyer to take a leading role in shaping the legal strategy of a growing company in the life and pensions sector.