Senior Legal Counsel

Are you ready to take your legal career to new heights? AJW Group, a global leader in aviation support, is looking for a meticulous Senior Legal Counsel to join our dynamic Legal team. You will provide strategic legal advice and leadership, ensuring the company’s business operations, contracts, and transactions are legally sound and commercially advantageous. Acting as a trusted partner for the wider business and a mentor to junior members of the legal team, the role will focus on managing and mitigating legal risks, supporting cross‑functional teams, leading complex commercial contract negotiations and ensuring compliance with local and international regulations.

Responsibilities

• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex commercial contracts, including cost‑per‑flight‑hour agreements, repair management agreements, supplier agreements, distribution agreements, letters of intent, confidentiality agreements, purchase agreements, consignment agreements, IT software agreements, engine leases, and loan agreements.
• Supervise and mentor junior members of the legal team, reviewing and amending documents drafted by them, and providing constructive feedback to ensure high‑quality drafting.
• Act as a key business partner across various departments, providing strategic legal advice to support decision‑making and business objectives.
• Coordinate and advise on the incorporation and ongoing oversight of overseas office/entities required by the company.
• Work closely with commercial teams to establish key transactional terms, ensure alignment across departments, and manage the dissemination of post‑transaction details.
• Coordinate with Finance on debt recovery matters and oversee the debt recovery process via legal means, including drafting and negotiating payment agreements, letters of demand, settlement agreements, and instructing external counsel when necessary.
• Provide proactive and comprehensive legal support to colleagues at all levels of the organisation, ensuring timely and practical legal advice in relation to business operations and transactions.
• Liaise with the company’s insurance broker on matters of insurance coverage in relation to complex, cross‑border, and multi‑party transactions, including renewal of the company’s insurance policies and completion of renewal questionnaires.
• Create and develop in‑house precedents.
• Design and deliver in‑house legal and compliance training programs for various departments, promoting best practices and fostering awareness of legal risks.
• Develop and maintain an in‑house database of overseas counsel contacts and legal know‑how.
• Promote and sustain a constructive, supportive, and friendly working relationship with all clients, external and internal, immediate and senior management, and other colleagues.
• Draft new company policies and review and update existing policies.

Qualifications

• An English law qualified solicitor with significant experience in commercial law, aviation law, or corporate law, preferably gained in both private practice and in‑house.
• Extensive experience in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial contracts, including sale and purchase agreements, cost‑per‑flight‑hour agreements, asset leases, software agreements, licence agreements, loan agreements, supplier and distribution agreements, and confidentiality agreements.
• Proven experience advising on cross‑border transactions and overseeing the establishment and governance of overseas entities.
• A commercial attitude and ability to communicate effectively with a wide variety of individuals, including senior management and business associates.
• Strong familiarity with the aviation or transport industry would be an advantage, particularly with cost‑per‑flight‑hour agreements, repair management agreements, and other aviation‑related commercial contracts.
• Strong background in corporate governance, regulatory and company compliance, including KYC, AML and export compliance.
• Significant experience managing, mentoring, and developing junior legal staff, with a focus on quality assurance and continuous professional development.
• Proven track record of acting as a business partner, working with senior management and non‑legal colleagues to provide commercially sound legal advice that supports business objectives.
• Ability to provide high‑level strategic advice, aligning legal solutions with business goals while mitigating risks and ensuring compliance.
• Ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal departments and external parties, including senior management, commercial teams, suppliers, and external counsel.
• A self‑starter who can take initiative, lead projects independently, and drive legal matters to resolution with minimal supervision.

Benefits

• Enjoy a monthly team fun budget and support community causes through charity events.
• Join our vibrant social scene with company‑run events and experience a stunning work environment at our state‑of‑the‑art HQ, complete with an onsite gym, bike‑for‑work scheme, restaurant, discretionary bonus, healthcare, and Perkbox benefits.
• Relocation support packages are available to help you move to the area.

EEO Statement

AJW Group is an equal opportunities employer to provide a diverse and inclusive environment. We encourage suitably qualified applications regardless of race, disability, age, sex, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, and religion or belief. We are a culture that celebrates success on merit.