Legal Counsel in Manchester

Salary: £39,000 - £42,000 (full time equivalent salary range £65,000 - £70,000) depending on experience, plus benefits.

Hours per week: 22.5 (this could be worked over 3, 4 or 5 days to suit your circumstances).

Location: Manchester city centre - hybrid working available.

We’re a growing, forward‑thinking organisation operating in a fast‑moving retail environment. Our teams work collaboratively, make decisions quickly, and value clear, practical advice. As we continue to expand, we’re looking for an experienced Commercial Lawyer to join us as our in‑house Legal Counsel and play a key role in shaping how we operate.

Reporting directly to our CEO, you’ll be a trusted advisor to the business, responsible for providing strategic and commercially focused legal support with a focus on commercial contracts, advising on risks and ensuring compliance. Your work will be varied, hands‑on, and influential.

What you’ll do:

• Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial contracts and agreements.
• Proactively engage and negotiate with our partners and prospective partners.
• Provide timely, practical, and commercially focussed legal advice and solutions to internal stakeholders across our Buying, Supply Chain, Partnerships, E-commerce, Retail Operations and Marketing teams.
• Help internal stakeholders navigate risk without being a roadblock.
• Support the business to navigate new products, partnerships, and commercial opportunities.
• Manage legal queries from the business relating to consumer rights, trading regulations, promotions, pricing and advertising standards.
• Advise on legal risks and ensure appropriate legal safeguards are in place across business operations.
• Manage external counsel where specialist advice is required.
• Contribute to the development of internal policies and legal templates.
• Monitor changes in legislation and retail regulations and help ensure internal policies are kept up to date.
• Provide guidance and training to non‑legal colleagues.
• Provide clear, sensible advice on intellectual property, licensing and data privacy.

Who you are:

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with 3+ years’ PQE in commercial law.
• Previous in-house experience in the retail sector is desirable but not essential.
• Demonstrated expertise in drafting and negotiating a diverse range of commercial contracts.
• Good commercial awareness and a pragmatic, business‑friendly approach to legal advice.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build relationships at all levels.
• The ability to manage competing priorities in a fast‑paced environment.
• Ambitious self-starter with a proactive mindset and the confidence to engage with diverse legal challenges in a dynamic business setting.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Exceptional organisational skills and attention to detail.
• A team player, supporting and collaborating with other team members.

Why Levy Merchandising?

Levy Merchandising is the merchandising arm of Levy UK & Ireland. Levy UK & Ireland are a market leader in the world of sports and entertainment experiences, boasting some of the biggest and best stadiums and leisure locations in Europe as its venue partners. We’re proud to do things differently. We have an innovative commercial model which puts our partners first and makes decision making a joint responsibility. Building long-lasting, sustainable relationships is central to our ethos and we want our partners to feel like they retain independence and control on key strategic direction whilst being able to leverage the benefit, scale, and expertise of our central teams across Buying, Licensing, E-Commerce, and Retail Operations.

You’ll also get a package that includes:

• Competitive salary.
• 31 days holiday including bank holidays (pro rata, rising with service).
• Pension scheme.
• Colleague health cash plan.
• Life assurance cover of 4 x annual salary.
• Employee assistance programme - 24/7 confidential access to expert services including counselling, wellbeing, and independent legal and financial advice.
• Discounts on SUDU and other Levy Merchandising products and services.
• Enhanced family leave and pay.
• Supportive team culture and opportunities to develop as our business grows.
• A dynamic environment where no two days are the same.

Building an inclusive work environment

We’re actively building diverse teams, and we welcome applications from everyone. We take pride in fostering a workplace culture that celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion. We believe that our differences are our greatest strength, and we’re committed to creating an environment where every individual is valued, respected, and empowered.