Legal Counsel - Commercial

49,126 - £51,711 per year

This role is accountable for providing high quality legal advice and support to Sanctuary Housing Association, its subsidiaries, and operations in relation to commercial law, contracts, data protection matters, regulatory requirements and compliance.

As part of our Legal Services Team, you can help to protect and guide Sanctuary Housing Association with solution-based advice. Its members strive to be proactive, highlighting and managing legal issues in a collaborative manner. We focus on solving problems and outcomes rather than highlighting difficulties that need to be overcome and work to make real and measurable differences to people’s lives.

The role of Legal Counsel - Commercial will include

• Leading and supervising the commercial teams’ legal work, ensuring that statutory deadlines and internal targets consistently are met (including trainee solicitors)
• Managing a varied caseload of legal work that includes reviewing, drafting, and negotiating stand-alone contracts, framework agreements, standard terms and conditions, non-disclosure agreements, and data sharing agreements.
• Being the first port of call for commercial updates and advice on regulatory and compliance matters (e.g. FCA, GDPR, data protection, Public Procurement Bill), responsible for intellectual property and trademark registrations/maintenance
• On occasions there may be involvement in business acquisitions, disposals and restructures
• Communicating with and managing third party bodies and assisting with the management of the Group’s external legal providers
• Managing and mitigating legal risks by collaboratively designing, implementing and maintaining legal policies
• Promoting legal, compliance and risk management best practice throughout the Group

Skills and experiences

• A qualified solicitor with proven post qualifying experience (ideally from within a relevant sector)
• Comprehensive knowledge of commercial contracts, data protection law, and the public contract regulations
• Experience in providing appropriate, pragmatic, commercial and easily digestible legal advice to everyone from the directorate and senior managers to operational staff on the ground
• Knowledge of EU procurement law would be advantageous
• Proven ability to build strong relationships and influence stakeholders both internally and externally

Our Benefits    

As part of our commitment to making Sanctuary a great place to work, where your wellbeing is of genuine importance, we have developed an attractive employment package. The package recognises your contribution, supports your physical, mental and financial health and gives you the flexibility to tailor your employee benefits by offering amongst others:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to a maximum of 30 days) plus public holidays
• A pension scheme with matching employer contributions from Sanctuary up to set limits
• £49,126 per annum (rising to £51,711per annum after 12 months, subject to satisfactory performance)