Senior Legal Counsel FTC in Bath

Excited to grow your career? Our purpose is to make it easy for people to save and invest for a better future. We are looking for great people to join us, so please come and invest in YOUR future at HL.

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they don't tick every box. If you're excited about working for us and have most of the skills or experience we're looking for, please go ahead and apply. We'd love to hear from you!

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced business-minded lawyer to join us in our Disputes and Contentious Risk team on a 12-month FTC. As a Senior Legal Counsel you will join a collaborative, supportive legal team with great ideas and big ambitions for the future of HL. We provide legal advice, support, and challenge across the HL Group. We manage legal risks and use commercial, legal, and business partnering skills to support HL in achieving its strategic objectives, while ensuring HL meets its legal and regulatory obligations.

Reporting into the Director of Disputes and Contentious Risk, the Senior Legal Counsel will be responsible for the provision of contentious regulatory advisory services to the business, ensuring effective management of contentious legal risk across the HL Group.

You will possess experience from within the retail Financial Services industry to complement our passionate and skilled team in delivering a best-in-class service and be able to demonstrate this via pragmatic and knowledgeable application.

What you'll be doing:

• Providing pragmatic contentious regulatory advice to the business, effectively managing legal risk.
• Managing and supporting the business and senior members of the legal team in managing contentious legal risk arising from client complaints and Financial Ombudsman Service referrals.
• Managing and supporting senior members of the legal team with legal work streams in contentious regulatory projects.
• Supporting the business and senior members of the legal team in managing risk in responding to risk events within the business, including fraud related incidents.
• Managing County Court litigation and supporting the business in managing risks flowing from disputes.
• Assisting in implementing and maintaining appropriate controls over legal risk in the business.
• Supporting senior members of the legal team with training plans, delivering training, research activities and cross-functional project initiatives to meet HL's strategy.
• Building and maintaining networks internally and externally to gain insight in areas of specialism and keeping abreast of developments in relevant law and regulation.

About you:

• Mid-level qualified Solicitor (5-8 years PQE).
• Experience of contentious financial services matters, within a retail context, in-house experience preferred.
• Good understanding of UK financial service laws, including FCA regulation.
• Knowledge of complaints handling by the Financial Ombudsman Service desirable.
• Able to proactively and effectively collaborate with the business, translating complex matters into easily understood pragmatic legal advice.
• Strong technical and legal drafting skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Excellent attention to detail.

Interview process:

This will be a two-stage interview process consisting of a competency-based interview and a case study.

Working Schedule:

This role is based in Bristol head office, BS1 5HL. This role is permanent, full time, 37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday. For this role we offer a hybrid flexible working pattern to enable you the option of working from home and coming into the office.

Why us?

Here at HL, we're the UK's number 1 investment platform for private investors, based in Bristol. For more than 40 years we've helped investors save time, tax and money on their investments. To achieve our mission, we believe we have a workplace like no other, with constant learning, dynamic teams, and a great ethos. We're steered by core values that promote service, quality, innovation, and opportunity in everything we do.

What's on offer?

• Discretionary annual bonus* and annual pay review
• 25 days* holiday plus bank holidays and 1-day additional Christmas closure
• Option to purchase an additional 5 days holiday**
• Flexible working options available, including hybrid working
• Enhanced parental leave
• Pension scheme up to 11% employer contribution
• Income Protection and Life insurance (4 x salary core level of cover)
• Private medical insurance*
• Health care cash plans - including optical, dental, and outpatient care
• Health screening programme
• Help@hand - confidential support including mental health counselling and remote GP
• Wellhub - unlimited access to fitness providers and wellness coach sessions
• Variety of travel to work schemes with bike storage and shower facilities
• Inhouse barista and deli serving subsidised coffee and sandwiches
• Two paid volunteering days per year*

* dependant on role level

** only available to select during our annual benefits window, in November each year

Hargreaves Lansdown is an inclusive employer that values diversity in its workforce. We encourage applications from all individuals without regard to race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability or age.

This role may also be available on a flexible working or part time basis - please ask the Recruitment & Onboarding team for more information.

Please note, we are unable to provide employment sponsorship to candidates.