Head of Legal in London

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ABOUT APOLLO

Apollo Research is a rapidly growing AI safety and model evaluation company, providing third-party evaluations for frontier AI models. The capabilities of current AI systems are evolving rapidly. While these advancements offer tremendous opportunities, they also present significant risks, such as the potential for deliberate misuse or the deployment of sophisticated yet misaligned models. At Apollo, we aim for a culture that emphasizes truth-seeking, being goal-oriented, giving and receiving constructive feedback, and being friendly and helpful.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

This is Apollo’s first full-time legal hire. You’ll build and lead our legal and compliance functions from the ground up, establishing scalable systems and processes across UK, US, and select EU jurisdictions. The role combines setting high-level strategic direction with hands-on execution, spanning commercial contracting, corporate legal, employment/HR, IP protection, statutory reporting, fundraising support, and compliance management (75% operational expansion; 25% compliance oversight). You’ll report to the COO daily and have the potential to grow into a General Counsel role as the legal group expands.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Enable Apollo’s international expansion
• Support the creation and maintenance of legal entities and operating subsidiaries in new jurisdictions
• Lead the legal work for cross-border employment and immigration matters, including maintaining Apollo’s UK sponsorship capabilities and assisting with U.S. immigration processes where applicable
• Review, negotiate, and coordinate the legal aspects of office leases and related real-estate documentation across the UK, US, and Switzerland
• Strengthen Apollo’s commercial and fundraising legal foundations
• Draft, review, and negotiate a range of commercial agreements with customers, vendors, funders, and partners (including Frontier Labs & large enterprises)
• Review and finalize the legal documentation to complete grant agreements and other fundraising activities, in collaboration with internal stakeholders
• Protect Apollo’s brand and intellectual property by filing patents or trademarks, and supporting enforcement actions in the UK and US
• Build compliance and legal risk management systems and processes
• Create the foundation of compliance systems and processes that keep Apollo operating legally across all jurisdictions
• Maintain lean, efficient legal and compliance processes that support rapid scaling without unnecessary bureaucracy
• Continue to build Apollo’s legal knowledge base, templates, and playbooks
• Manage and strengthen relationships with external counsel to ensure high-quality, cost-efficient legal support, and identify opportunities to expand or optimise Apollo’s legal provider network

KEY REQUIREMENTS

• At least 4 PQE (Post-Qualification Experience) as a mid- or senior-level associate at a law firm, as an in-house legal counsel (preferably at a large technology company), or as a combination of both.
• Qualified to practice law in at least one common-law jurisdiction; UK or US qualification strongly preferred.
• Operate at high velocity in a lean, high-growth environment, shifting seamlessly between strategic and hands-on legal work
• Strong experience drafting and reviewing commercial contracts and leading negotiations through to final agreement
• Demonstrated ability to negotiate assertively and strategically with a wide range of counterparties (e.g., enterprises, labs, funders, vendors)
• Experience handling corporate legal matters across multiple jurisdictions, such as statutory filings, basic governance documentation, and entity maintenance
• Think several steps ahead to identify emerging risks and design legal and compliance systems for where Apollo will be, not just where we are today
• Experience working with external counsels
• Strong interest in AI safety and in supporting a mission-driven organization

YOU'D BE AN IDEAL CANDIDATE IF YOU

• Have a 6 PQE at a law firm, in-house, or a combination of both.
• An active licence preferred but not required for in-house practice
• Can learn new legal and compliance domains quickly, apply past experience to new territory
• Have experience sourcing, selecting, and managing external counsels
• Can push through unnecessary bureaucracy while maintaining compliance
• Have familiarity with data privacy requirements (e.g., GDPR)

We want to emphasise that people who feel they don’t fulfil all of these characteristics but think they would be a good fit for the position nonetheless are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe that excellent candidates can come from a variety of backgrounds and are excited to give you opportunities to shine.

LOGISTICS

• Start Date: Q1 2026
• Time Allocation: Full-time
• Location: The office is in London, shared with the London Initiative for Safe AI (LISA). This is an in-person role.
• Work Visas: We can sponsor UK work visas for candidates without current UK work permission.

BENEFITS

• A competitive, in-house counsel, UK-based salary; £100,000-£150,000. Candidates with exceptional qualifications may be eligible for the higher end of the range.
• Flexible work hours and schedule
• Unlimited vacation
• Unlimited sick leave
• Lunch, dinner, and snacks provided for all employees on workdays
• Paid work trips, including staff retreats, business travel, and relevant conferences
• A yearly $1,000 professional development budget

HIRING PROCESS

• Complete the application form with your CV. The provision of a cover letter is optional but not necessary.
• An initial phone screen to assess your basic qualifications, experience, and motivation
• A take-home assignment (2.5 hours) to evaluate practical skills
• Two to three interviews covering items such as Q&A, case studies, legal strategy, negotiations, or scenario exercises
• A final fit interview with a leadership team member

Equality Statement: Apollo Research is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value diversity and are committed to providing equal opportunities to all, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.

Your Privacy and Fairness in Our Recruitment Process: We are committed to protecting your data, ensuring fairness, and adhering to workplace fairness principles in our recruitment process. To enhance hiring efficiency, we use AI-powered tools to assist with tasks such as resume screening. These tools are designed and deployed in compliance with internationally recognised AI governance frameworks. Your personal data is handled securely and transparently. We adopt a human-centred approach: all resumes are screened by a human and final hiring decisions are made by our team.