Head of Legal & Commercial (In-house)

A fantastic opportunity for a Head of Legal and Commercial has arisen to join a leading organisation. You'll play a pivotal role in shaping commercial strategy, leading legal oversight, and driving contractual performance across a high-profile public-facing operation. This role focuses on leading all legal and commercial activities, ensuring compliance with complex contractual frameworks, managing risk, and supporting strategic initiatives and major projects in collaboration with key external stakeholders. Role - Head of Legal and Commercial
Location - London (hybrid working, approx. 3 days onsite)
Type - Permanent position
Salary - £80,000-£105,000 + bonus + benefits

Key responsibilities of the Head of Legal and Commercial / Head of Legal / Head of Commercial role and not limited to:

• Lead the Legal and Commercial function, taking ownership of legal, contractual and commercial risk across the organisation.
• Act as the primary interface with key clients, leading negotiations on contract variations, compliance matters and commercial agreements.
• Provide strategic legal and commercial advice to senior leadership, supporting decision-making and long-term business objectives.
• Oversee compliance with franchise or contractual obligations, ensuring adherence to governance and regulatory requirements.
• Support major transformation projects, including complex programmes.
• Manage dispute resolution processes, including litigation where required.
• Own and develop corporate compliance frameworks including areas such as anti-bribery, modern slavery, and business ethics.
• Lead engagement with external legal counsel, managing performance, scope, and spend.
• Drive continuous improvement within the legal and commercial function through tools, templates and best practice.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with internal teams, external partners and stakeholders.
• Lead, develop and mentor a small team, ensuring high performance and ongoing capability growth.

Key skills and experience required for Head of Legal and Commercial / Head of Legal / Head of Commercial and not limited to:

• Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) with a minimum of 3+ years PQE, gained in-house or private practice.
• Strong experience operating within complex, contract-led commercial environments.
• Proven ability in contract negotiation, compliance management and risk mitigation.
• Experience working within regulated industries is highly advantageous.
• Broad legal knowledge including contract law, dispute resolution, data protection and regulatory frameworks.
• Proven leadership experience, including managing and developing teams.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence at executive level.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to drive value and support business growth.
• Confident communicator with strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.

To apply for this Head of Legal and Commercial / Head of Legal / Head of Commercial role, candidates must be eligible to live and work in the UK.