Head of Legal

Job Summary:

As the Head of Legal you will manage the legal team who are responsible for providing legal support to the team’s stakeholders in the Lucy Group businesses and HQ functions. You'll have expert legal knowledge across a range of specialisms and an excellent understanding of business to be successful in the role. In this senior leadership position, as the Head of Legal you'll require advanced leadership and communication skills, and will lead by example in implementing and applying all Group policies and processes to your stakeholders. You will need well developed business targeted awareness of market forces, politics and economics and their relation to changing laws and regulations. As the role holder you will be a problem solving and solutions oriented senior legal professional who will be a true and active business partner and trusted adviser to the businesses and Group functions, able to work with colleagues at all levels of the business.

Business Overview:

Lucy Group is a multinational private company based in Oxford, UK. Through our various businesses, we’re on a mission to enable the global shift to electrification and make the built environment sustainable. With around 2,000 people across five continents and a turnover exceeding £400m, we’re growing rapidly, both organically and through acquisition.

Key Areas of Operation:

• Lucy Electric: electrical equipment, controls, and automation for medium and low voltage secondary power distribution.
• Lucy Controls: intelligent street lighting, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and smart city management solutions.
• Lucy Real Estate: sustainable living through residential property development, lettings and management, primarily in Oxfordshire.

Sustainability and Innovation:

At Lucy Group, we have a long tradition of being a responsible business. Today, sustainability is our cornerstone. It’s integral to our purpose. It doesn’t just shape the way we conduct our own operations. It’s at the heart of our product and service offerings too. By harnessing the know-how within all our businesses, we deliver technological innovations that benefit both the built and natural environments.

Responsibilities:

• Be an active business partner to the role stakeholders – the business management and functional teams, especially sales, procurement, Treasury and IT; continually working to help your stakeholders find solutions to take advantage of opportunities to support growth, increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Advise the business on all legal matters including M&A, corporate, property, sales and purchasing commercial contracts, IP, IT, construction, data security and governance, regulatory including international trade controls, litigation, privacy and competition.
• Apply business and legal judgment to proposed deals, relationships, and other issues requiring legal or compliance attention.
• Structure and negotiate complex transactions and oversee outside counsel within budgetary constraints.
• Manage and develop the legal team and drive good working relationships within the businesses, in particular the procurement, businesses contract management/tender teams as well as with the Group functions.
• Provide advice to operational teams on appropriate strategies in relation to disputes that have not yet been formalised.
• Lead and support the development and delivery of toolkits and legal awareness training on various issues for colleagues across the Group businesses on the policies and processes introduced as part of the Governance Framework.

Key competencies:

• Must be UK (or common law equivalent) qualified solicitor or barrister with extensive post qualification experience including in-house experience.
• Detailed knowledge of the specific laws and regulations that apply to the industry that the Group companies work in, such as import restrictions, electricity, property and planning regulation or compliance obligations
• Ability to work under pressure, meet deadlines, and work independently or in a team environment as required, managing numerous and changing priorities effectively and efficiently.
• Advanced or expert level of knowledge and experience of relevant areas of law including M&A, corporate, property, sales and purchasing commercial contracts, IP, IT, construction, data security and governance, regulatory including international trade controls, anti-bribery and anti-criminal practices, litigation, privacy and competition.
• Experience of standardisation, process and business improvement.
• Strong structuring, drafting and negotiating skills.
• Ability to manage a sizeable workload in a fast paced environment.
• Ability to convey complex legal information in an understandable format
• Experienced at managing a team of professionals and providing support and leadership as required.
• Experience in leading and finding risk based solutions to ensure the businesses can undertake complex transactions efficiently.

Key Behaviours:

• Advanced leadership – you will demonstrate recognised leadership capabilities and will have excellent influencing skills
• Excellent team work skills.
• Abides by our company values as well as providing excellent internal customer service and providing timely responsiveness.
• Excellent communication (oral and written) including negotiation skills.
• Ability to interact effectively and professionally with all levels of management, internal and external business partners.

Does this sound interesting? We would love to hear from you. Our application process is quick and easy. Apply today!