At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead a legal team and provide strategic advice during a transition period.
- Company: Join a leading global consumer and hospitality business.
- Benefits: Hybrid working, competitive contract terms, and potential for extension.
- Other info: Opportunity to mentor and lead within a recognised global brand.
- Why this job: Shape the future of a legal function in a dynamic environment.
- Qualifications: Senior legal experience with strong business partnering skills required.
The predicted salary is between 63000 - 77000 £ per year.
Location: Chiswick, London
Working Pattern: Hybrid – 2–3 days onsite per week
Start Date: September 2026
Contract: Initial term through December 2026, with potential extension into January/February 2027
Elevate Legal Talent is supporting a leading global consumer and hospitality business with the appointment of an experienced Interim Legal Director / Senior Legal Lead to help lead its legal function through an important transition period. This is a particularly interesting opportunity for a senior in-house lawyer who enjoys being close to the business, building trusted stakeholder relationships and creating structure within an evolving legal environment.
The Role
- Provide senior legal leadership while working alongside two Corporate Counsel and a Legal Operations professional to establish a cohesive interim legal function.
- Act as the senior legal point of contact for the business during the transition.
- Build trusted relationships with senior leaders and key business stakeholders.
- Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal advice across a broad range of business matters.
- Support licensing and franchise arrangements, commercial and supply chain matters, sourcing activities, buy/sell agreements and general operational matters.
- Work with the business to understand and prioritise its legal support requirements.
- Provide oversight and direction to the wider interim legal team.
- Establish effective ways of working across the team.
- Help identify opportunities to improve legal processes, workflows and the overall legal operating model.
- Support the transition from existing legal support arrangements to a more structured legal function.
What We're Looking For:
- Significant post-qualification experience gained in-house and/or within a leading commercial law firm.
- Strong commercial, corporate or generalist legal experience.
- Experience acting as a senior legal adviser or legal lead within a complex organisation.
- Strong business partnering and stakeholder management skills.
- Experience advising senior executives and business leaders.
- A pragmatic, solutions-oriented approach to legal advice.
- Experience working across multiple jurisdictions or within an international/EMEA environment.
- The ability to quickly understand a business and establish credibility.
- Experience leading, mentoring or coordinating lawyers is highly desirable.
- Exposure to licensing, franchising, supply chain, procurement or consumer-facing businesses would be advantageous.
The Opportunity
This is not simply a traditional interim legal assignment. You will have the opportunity to lead a legal team, establish trusted relationships with the business and help shape the foundations of an effective legal operating model within a highly recognised global consumer business. If you are a senior in-house lawyer who enjoys combining legal expertise with leadership, business partnering and transformation, we'd be keen to hear from you. You can apply now or contact Elevate Legal Talent for more information.
Interim Legal Director / Senior Legal Lead employer: Elevate Legal Talent
Elevate is an exceptional employer that champions flexibility and inclusivity, making it an ideal choice for experienced Patent Counsel seeking project-based work. With a strong commitment to employee growth and a diverse work culture, Elevate empowers its team members to thrive in a supportive environment while contributing to innovative legal solutions globally.
