Senior Legal Manager

Brightwater Recruitment; Dublin; On-site; EUR 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Brightwater Recruitment Group is seeking a Senior Legal Manager (Distribution & Products) to join the Dublin-based management team of its global asset management legal function.

reporting to the Deputy Group General Counsel, the successful candidate will lead the global distribution legal team based in Dublin and play a central role in supporting distribution and product activities across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or lawyer with 5+ years PQE.
• Strong international experience in distribution of UCITS and other CIUs.
• Proven ability to review and negotiate commercial agreements.
• Experience leading and managing a legal team.
• Fluent English; French/Spanish/Italian a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a Dublin-based team of two lawyers.
• Drive distribution-related regulatory change and global internal initiatives.
• Oversee legal management of the group’s distribution network and related templates.
• Enhance technology solutions that support the distribution network.
• Provide legal support to Group Marketing on cross-border product offerings.
• Deliver product legal structuring for Luxembourg UCITS funds and Irish products.
• Act as the legal single point of contact for distribution regulatory matters with Group Public Affairs.
• Represent the organisation in group projects, industry working groups and external fora.
• Instruct and manage external counsel, regulators and other third parties.
• Stay at the forefront of developments in international funds law and distribution regulation.
• Contribute to AI-driven efficiency initiatives focused on distribution legal support.

Skills

Leadership

Negotiation

Drafting

Regulatory knowledge

Cross-border experience

English proficiency

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister or lawyer (5+ PQE)

Job description

Senior Legal Manager (Distribution & Products) Legal | Dublin

Join a global asset management legal team

They are looking for a Senior Legal Manager (Distribution & Products) to join the management team of their Legal business line in Ireland. Reporting to the Deputy Group General Counsel, the successful candidate will lead the global distribution legal team based in Dublin and play a central role in supporting distribution and product activities across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Why this role matters

Their Legal function comprises around 120 lawyers worldwide. The Irish legal team of 10 has always operated with a global focus. The three-person global distribution legal team (which the successful candidate will lead) works alongside distribution lawyers in other locations to provide front-line legal support for worldwide distribution efforts.

In addition, the team is responsible for the legal structuring and ongoing maintenance of a range of Luxembourg-domiciled UCITS and supports the fast-growing Irish product range (active funds, passive and active ETFs, and a CCF). These activities are critical to the achievement of ambitious growth objectives.

What the role involves

• Lead and develop a team of two experienced lawyers in Dublin
• Partner with the Deputy Group General Counsel to drive distribution-related regulatory change and global internal initiatives through the Global Distribution Practice Group
• Oversee the legal management of the group’s third-party and intra-group distribution network, owning the group Distribution Agreement and related templates and leading their rollout
• Continuously enhance the technology solutions that support the distribution network and Group Marketing Procedure
• Provide legal support to the Group Marketing function on marketing collateral, especially for cross-border product offerings, and strengthen marketing validation processes, guidelines and training
• Deliver product legal structuring support for Luxembourg UCITS funds and assist the Irish Products Legal team on key Irish product initiatives
• Act as the legal single point of contact for distribution regulatory matters with Group Public Affairs
• Represent the organisation in group projects, industry working groups and external fora
• Instruct and manage external counsel, regulators and other third parties
• Stay at the forefront of developments in international funds law, distribution and consumer protection regulation
• Contribute to AI-driven efficiency initiatives focused on distribution legal support

Who they are looking for

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or lawyer (common or civil law) with at least 5 years’ PQE, ideally gained in global financial services or asset management
• Strong international experience of the legal and regulatory issues affecting the distribution of UCITS and other collective investment vehicles, plus experience providing product legal services for European CIUs
• Proven ability to review and negotiate commercial agreements in a busy in-house environment
• Experience successfully leading and managing a legal team
• Fluent English (high proficiency in French, Spanish or Italian is a plus)
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and commercial judgement, with the ability to explain complex issues clearly and succinctly to non-lawyers
• Strong interpersonal and organisational skills, independence, confidence and the ability to thrive in a fluid, complex global organisation

They welcome applications from candidates returning to work after a career break as well as those at earlier stages of their careers who meet the core requirements.

What they offer

• Competitive and comprehensive benefits package
• Flexible working options
• Mentorship and a range of development programmes
• Opportunities for cross-functional and geographical internal mobility
• A positive, inclusive culture focused on equal opportunity, diversity and supporting colleagues to balance professional and personal life