Head of Legal (Corporate Governance)

About us

We are The Very Group and we’re here to help families get more out of life. We know that our customers work hard for their families and have a lot to balance in their busy lives. That’s why we combine amazing brands and products with flexible payment options on (url removed) to help them say yes to the things they love. We’re just as passionate about helping our people get more out of life too, building careers with real growth, a sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

About the team

The Group Legal Team support The Very Group across multiple sites, working at pace to support the business. This small but crucial team take the lead on contract negotiations and protecting us from legal and reputational risk. With commercial focus across Retail, Financial Services, and all wider operational functions, they are trusted advisors and experts when it comes to commercial processes and negotiations.  The team is based in our Speke Head Office and operate a hybrid working model, working three days a week from the office.

About the role

Reporting into the Group Legal Director, the Head of Legal will focus on ensuring that The Very Group meet all statutory and regulatory reporting requirements, as well as acting as a point of contact for the Board and Committees. Acting as a subject matter expert in corporate governance, or general experience in corporate law, with a strong understanding of regulatory rules. This is a sole contributor role with the opportunity to work across both corporate governance and commercial business workstreams.

• Building relationships with Senior leaders of multi-disciplinary cross functional teams delivering large and highly complex programmes across Retail, Operations, IT, Financial Services, and the wider Group.
• Leading on corporate governance responsibilities, reporting and advice, supporting a Group Governance team with their day-to-day responsibilities.
• Negotiation, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of business-critical contractual relationships with key outsourcers and suppliers.
• Providing commentary, advice and recommendations to the Group Boards and Committees, Executive Team and NEDs around risks and any relevant mitigations.
• Interpreting all statutory, regulatory and court driven requirements impacting the Group, ensuring plans are in place to mitigate risks appropriately.
• Identifying legal or industry changes in the UK or Ireland affecting The Very Group and the recommendation of actions.

About you

You will be a qualified Solicitor with experience of commercial and corporate governance or corporate legal work. You will be able to evidence strong influencing and leadership skills to drive and support internal committees and governance teams, undertaking all legal works associated with your field of expertise.

We are also looking for the successful candidate to bring;

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a commercially aware attitude to legal and reputational risk and ability to deliver pragmatic solutions to complex legal issues.
• The ability to present complex, specialist problems and solutions in a clear and simple manner.
• Complex and specialist contract review and negotiation experience.
• 6+ years’ PQE experience.

Some of our benefits

• Flexible, hybrid working model
• Inclusive culture and environment, check out our Glassdoor reviews
• £10,000 flexible benefits allowance to suit your needs
• 30 days holiday + bank holidays
• Udemy learning access
• Bonus potential (performance and business-related)
• Up to 25% discount on (url removed)
• Matched pension up to 6%
• More benefits can be found on our career site

How to apply

Please note that the talent acquisition team are managing this vacancy directly, and if successful in securing this role, you will be required to undertake a credit, CIFAS, Right to Work checks and if a specific requirement of your role a DBS (criminal records) check. Should your application progress we require you to let the team know if there is anything you need to disclose in relation to any of these checks prior to them being undertaken, including any unspent criminal convictions.

What happens next?

Our talent acquisition team will be in touch if you’re successful so keep an eye on your emails! We’ll arrange a short call to learn more about you, as well as answer any questions you have. If it feels like we’re a good match, we’ll share your CV with the hiring manager to review. Our interview process is tailored to each role and can be in-person or held remotely.

You can expect a two-stage interview process for this position:

1st stage – A 45-minute screening interview discussing the pre-requisite skills for the role, understanding your background and how you could support our Legal team and the wider Group.  

2nd stage – An on-site interview with the Group Legal Director.  

As an inclusive employer please do let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments.

If you'd like to know more about our interviews, you can find out here.

Equal opportunities

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate based on race, religion, colour, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.