Legal Director (Maternity Cover - 12 Month FTC) in Manchester

As our new Legal Director (5–9 PQE), your mission is to provide commercially focused, pragmatic legal leadership across our UK and European business. You will play a key role in enabling growth, safeguarding the business and supporting strategic decision-making by delivering clear, solution-oriented legal advice across a broad spectrum of corporate, commercial and regulatory matters. Joining a collaborative in‑house legal team, you will act as a trusted senior partner to stakeholders across multiple jurisdictions in a fast-paced international travel environment.

What you'll be doing

• You’ll work across a wide range of legal disciplines, partnering closely with commercial and operational teams to ensure the business can move forward confidently and compliantly.
• Own and deliver high-quality legal support across commercial and corporate matters in the UK and Europe.
• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of B2B and B2C commercial agreements, including complex IT, procurement and strategic supplier contracts.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders across commercial, marketing, People and operational teams to provide pragmatic, risk-based advice.
• Support corporate governance matters, intra‑group arrangements and corporate structuring initiatives.
• Advise on consumer law, regulatory compliance and data protection (including GDPR) across multiple jurisdictions.
• Manage litigation and disputes in partnership with external counsel.
• Monitor and interpret legislative and regulatory developments (UK and EU), assessing business impact and advising on implementation.
• Oversee intellectual property matters including brand protection and licensing.
• Supervise and develop one paralegal, contributing to a high-performing and supportive legal team.
• Partner with the General Counsel and leadership team on strategic projects and business-critical initiatives.

Who we’re looking for

You’ll thrive in this role if you’re commercially minded, solutions-focused and confident operating autonomously in a dynamic, international business. You enjoy variety, take ownership of complex matters and build trusted relationships across functions and seniority levels.

We’re looking for someone who brings:

• Qualification as a solicitor (England & Wales or equivalent) with 5–9 years’ PQE.
• Strong experience in commercial and corporate law, ideally from a leading law firm with some in‑house exposure.
• Proven ability to negotiate complex commercial contracts, particularly IT and procurement agreements.
• Experience supporting corporate transactions and governance matters.
• Solid understanding of regulatory compliance, risk management and consumer law.
• Practical knowledge of data protection and privacy.
• Confidence advising senior stakeholders with clarity and commercial acumen.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and analytical skills.
• Experience supervising or mentoring junior team members (desirable).

Experience within travel, consumer-facing businesses, technology-enabled platforms or other regulated sectors would be advantageous. Exposure to European or multi-jurisdictional matters is highly beneficial, and policy or lobbying experience is welcomed but not essential.

How you'll make an impact

• Provide clear, commercially pragmatic advice that enables business growth while effectively managing risk.
• Strengthen contract frameworks and procurement processes across the organisation.
• Ensure robust governance and compliance across UK and European entities.
• Proactively horizon scan regulatory developments and translate legal change into practical business action.
• Drive consistency and best practice across legal processes and stakeholder engagement.
• Contribute to a culture of collaboration, accountability and continuous improvement within the legal team.

Why you’ll want to work at Awaze

We offer a versatile senior role in a strong professional and social environment — one you’ll have the opportunity to influence and help shape. You’ll be part of an international company that invests in the future and join a dynamic, fast-paced business with skilled and committed colleagues who support each other. We’re a people-first business — and we know that our success starts with our teams.

Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll enjoy:

• Generous discounts on holidays across our brands.
• Flexible hybrid working – typically 2–3 days per week in our Manchester office.
• Real opportunities to grow, learn and shape your role, with career progression vertically or horizontally, across countries and responsibilities.
• Exposure to a diverse, international, brand-led business in an exciting and evolving industry.

About Awaze

At Awaze, we bring holidays to life. With over 110,000 holiday homes across 25 countries, we’re Europe’s largest holiday rentals company. Our purpose is simple – to delight our guests and homeowners while building an inspiring place to work for our people.

Worth knowing

• 12-month fixed term contract (maternity cover).
• Full-time position.
• Hybrid working model (2–3 days per week in Manchester office).
• Occasional travel within the UK and Europe as required.

What’s next?

If this sounds like the right next step for you, hit “Apply” and follow the instructions to submit your application. We tailor our recruitment process to each role to give both you and our hiring teams the best possible chance to assess whether this could be the start of a successful collaboration. You’ll hear from us shortly after we’ve reviewed your application. We’re committed to running an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. All applicants will receive equal consideration for employment, and if you have any specific requirements or adjustments needed for the interview, just let us know when you accept your invitation - we’re happy to accommodate.