For 75 years, Charles River employees have worked together to assist in the discovery, development and safe manufacture of new drug therapies. When you join our family, you will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of people across the globe. Whether your background is in life sciences, finance, IT, sales or another area, your skills will play an important role in the work we perform. In return, we’ll help you build a career that you can feel passionate about. Job Overview The Head of Legal and Compliance, UK and EMEA will serve as the senior legal and compliance leader for Charles River Laboratories across the United Kingdom and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Reporting to the Deputy Head of Global Business, this role will provide practical, business-oriented legal and compliance support to regional leadership, commercial and operational teams, and functional partners across a complex, highly regulated multinational environment. The role requires a UK qualified lawyer with substantial law firm and in-house experience, strong commercial and compliance judgment, and the ability to manage other legal professionals while operating effectively across jurisdictions, cultures, business units, and legal systems. This leader will be expected to balance commercial execution, regulatory expectations, ethical business conduct, enterprise risk management, and Charles River’s mission, values, and reputation. Job Description Essential Duty / Responsibility Representative Activities Estimated Time Allocation Regional legal leadership and business counseling Serve as senior Legal and Compliance advisor for the UK and EMEA; support regional leadership, commercial and operational teams; advise on legal risk, governance, regulatory expectations, and business strategy. 25% Commercial contracting and strategic business support Lead or oversee support for customer agreements, RFPs, contract negotiations, strategic collaborations, supply arrangements, partnership matters, and other regional commercial priorities. 25% Compliance, ethics, and risk management Partner with Global Compliance on program implementation, anti-bribery and anti-corruption, third-party risk, investigations, training, monitoring, controls, risk assessments, and remediation. 20% People leadership and legal function management Manage, develop, mentor, and provide direction to legal professionals supporting the UK and EMEA; promote consistency, efficiency, accountability, and practical service delivery. 15% Cross-functional partnership and outside counsel management Coordinate with global Legal, Compliance, Finance, HR, Quality, Regulatory, Privacy, Trade Compliance, Procurement, and business teams; manage regional outside counsel and external advisors. 10% Regional legal and regulatory monitoring Monitor legal, enforcement, market, and regulatory developments across the UK and EMEA and translate emerging requirements into practical business guidance. 5% Total 100% Regional Legal Leadership and Business Support Serve as the senior Legal and Compliance representative for the UK and EMEA region, providing practical, timely, and business-oriented advice to regional, commercial, operational, and functional leaders. Advise on legal issues affecting business strategy, customer relationships, commercial execution, regulatory compliance, market access, operations, and enterprise risk. Partner closely with global Legal and Compliance leaders to ensure alignment with Company standards, policies, risk tolerances, and strategic priorities. Monitor legal, regulatory, enforcement, industry, and market developments across the UK and EMEA and translate emerging requirements into practical guidance for the business. Job Description (cont.) Commercial Contracting and Strategic Business Matters Lead or oversee regional commercial legal support, including customer agreements, requests for proposals, contract interpretation, negotiation strategy, escalation management, template use, and alignment with global contracting standards. Provide legal support for complex commercial initiatives, strategic collaborations, customer programs, supply arrangements, procurement-adjacent matters, and other regional business priorities. Support M
Head of Legal and Compliance UK and EMEA employer: Charles River Laboratories, Inc.
At Charles River Laboratories, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that values employee development and well-being. Our hybrid work culture in Tranent fosters collaboration and flexibility, while our commitment to professional growth ensures that you will have ample opportunities to advance your career in HR. With competitive salaries, bonuses, and a supportive environment, we are dedicated to making your experience both meaningful and rewarding.
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Charles River Laboratories, Inc. Recruitment Team
