Senior Legal Counsel (Technology)

Tesco; Welwyn Garden City; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading retail and technology company in the UK is seeking a Senior Legal Counsel to support their technology initiatives. You will provide expert legal advice on technology transactions, including AI and SaaS, and act as a key partner to the Technology team. The role includes managing projects that drive innovation while fostering a culture of continuous improvement. This position offers a hybrid working model with excellent benefits including a bonus scheme, private medical insurance, and generous leave policies.

Benefits

Annual bonus scheme up to 20%

25 days holiday plus personal day

Private medical insurance

Maternity and paternity leave

Free virtual GP service

Qualifications

• Experience specializing in technology law and transactions.
• Proven ability to draft and negotiate SaaS and cloud agreements.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

• Support Tesco's technology deployment across channels.
• Act as a trusted advisor for high-risk projects.
• Manage external counsel and provide coaching to junior team members.

Skills

Technology law

Negotiation

Commercial acumen

Communication skills

AI and innovation enthusiasm

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Overview

Tesco UK • Shire Park, Kestral Way, Welwyn Garden City • Apply by 31-Oct-2025

As Senior Legal Counsel (Technology), you will support Tesco's evolving technology landscape by providing expert legal advice on complex technology transactions, including AI, robotics and automation, and SaaS and cloud agreements. Acting as a trusted partner to our Technology teams as they face into channels leadership, you'll play a key role in enabling innovation across the business while contributing to the Tesco Legal team's transformation and continuous improvement journey.

What is in it for you

We're all about the little helps. That's why we make sure our Tesco colleague benefits package takes care of you - both in and out of work. To find out more, please refer to Tesco’s colleague benefits information.

• Annual bonus scheme of up to 20% of base salary
• Holiday starting at 25 days plus a personal day (plus Bank holidays)
• Private medical insurance
• 26 weeks maternity and adoption leave (after 1 year's service) at full pay, followed by 13 weeks of Statutory Maternity Pay or Statutory Adoption Pay; 6 weeks fully paid paternity leave
• Free 24/7 virtual GP service, Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for you and your family, free access to a range of experts to support your mental wellbeing

You will be responsible for

• Supporting Tesco in its deployment of Technology across all strategic channels - leading and negotiating a broad range of critical cross-functional projects including:
• • a broad range of AI and machine learning capabilities, such as strategic partnerships with LLMs, data sharing arrangements for personalisation, computer vision for check-out or to enhance security, or deep learning category management tools
  • ongoing digital transformations within our payments ecosystem
  • design and installation of multi-million-pound distribution solutions at new sites
  • leading the commercial legal support for Tesco's automation solution divisions, Transcend, which provides fulfilment solutions into the Grocery market

• Acting as a trusted advisor and key business partner to our Technology team (including senior leadership) for high-risk projects, supporting business objectives and enhancing competitiveness.
• Supporting the Heads of Legal in building centres of expertise for Technology and AI, including shaping the strategy and governance for the responsible development and procurement of AI.
• Conducting horizon scanning and updating legal templates to proactively anticipate legal and regulatory developments, providing timely input and training where needed.
• Managing external counsel on occasion, ensuring advice is appropriately scoped, cost-effective, and commercially focused.
• Contributing to the Tesco Legal team's transformation journey, fostering continuous improvement and innovation.
• Providing coaching and guidance to more junior members of the team to support their development.

You will need

• A qualified solicitor with experience specialising in technology law and technology transactions
• A strong enthusiasm for technology, AI, and innovation, with broad commercial contracts
• Proven ability to independently draft and negotiate SaaS, IT licensing, and cloud agreements
• A customer-focused, solutions-oriented, and pragmatic approach, with strong commercial acumen
• Comfortable working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment and managing competing priorities
• Ability to build trust and credibility with experienced internal and external stakeholders
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to simplify complex legal concepts and positively influence business decisions

About us

You might know us as a supermarket, technology company or even for our award-winning mobile network. We are all of those things, and much more. Our colleagues work with one goal in mind, helping to make every day a little better for our customers, colleagues and communities all over the world. No two customers are the same, neither are our colleagues.

At Tesco, we champion a balance that lets you thrive both in and out of work. Spend 60% of your week collaborating with colleagues at our office locations or local sites and the rest remotely. We always welcome a conversation about flexible working, so talk to us throughout your application about how we can support.

We're proud to be an accredited Disability Confident Leader, where everyone's welcome. We commit to providing a fully inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you need support with your application, please click here for more information. If you're interested in joining our team but don't tick every box, don't let that hold you back from applying.