Senior Legal Counsel - Compliance in Coventry

Salary £100,000 - 110,000 + Benefits

Location: Coventry/Milton Keynes

About the role

As a Senior Legal Counsel you will work with LEVC, an established UK business responsible for the London Taxi, and with Geely Auto UK, a new business and brand in the UK and distributor of Geely new energy vehicles in the UK, to deliver the companies’ visions providing pragmatic, commercially focused advice at all levels, managing legal and regulatory risk, resolving disputes, informing decision making and delivering the compliance programme.

Specialist Services – Compliance (Primary Focus)

• Lead and oversee the company’s regulatory compliance, ethics and risk framework, including the design, implementation and continuous improvement of internal programmes.
• Act as the primary point of contact for all regulatory compliance matters across the business, providing clear and pragmatic legal advice.
• Take ownership of key compliance risk areas, including data privacy, modern slavery, competition law, and anti-bribery & corruption.
• Chair the Compliance, Ethics and Risk Steering Groups, including agenda setting, preparation of papers, tracking actions and ensuring effective governance.
• Prepare and present regular reports to Senior Leadership and Board level, providing insight on compliance risks, developments and mitigation actions.
• Monitor regulatory developments and ensure timely implementation of changes to policies, processes and controls.
• Work closely with cross-functional teams to develop, embed and maintain compliance policies and procedures, ensuring alignment with business operations.
• Manage relationships with external regulators and external legal counsel, ensuring effective support and cost control.
• Lead and conduct internal investigations, including whistleblowing cases and regulatory-related matters.
• Provide day-to-day legal support on data privacy matters, including advising on risk and mitigation strategies.

Specialist Services – Litigation and Dispute Resolution

• Support the management of material disputes, litigation and regulatory investigations, working alongside external counsel where required.
• Partner with the business to mitigate litigation and reputational risks, protecting the organisation, brand and customers.
• Maintain oversight of the litigation and claims register and support reporting to auditors and senior stakeholders.
• Contribute to process improvements and risk reduction initiatives to minimise future disputes and claims.

Wider Legal Team and Business Support

• Provide broader legal support where required, including commercial contracts, governance and general advisory work.
• Support legal risk analysis aligned to business strategy and priorities.
• Deliver training and awareness sessions on compliance-related topics.
• Assist with the development of legal templates, policies and procedures.
• Collaborate with the Geely Group legal team and wider stakeholders.
• Contribute flexibly across the legal team to ensure balanced workload and effective delivery.

Experience to succeed

• Qualified lawyer in England and Wales, holding a valid practising certificate, with typically 10+ years’ PQE gained in private practice, in-house, or a combination.
• Strong academic background and solid experience advising on regulatory compliance matters, with exposure to dispute resolution.
• Demonstrated experience operating in a fast-paced, dynamic or start-up environment, with the ability to adapt quickly and manage competing priorities.
• Proven ability to work effectively within multinational and multicultural organisations, ideally including experience in Chinese-owned or globally integrated businesses.
• Experience engaging with and influencing senior stakeholders, governance forums and steering committees, with the confidence to lead discussions.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to convey complex legal issues clearly and provide practical, business-focused advice.
• Strong relationship-building capability, with a track record of establishing credibility and trust across diverse teams and functions.
• Commercially astute, with sound judgement and the ability to assess risk pragmatically and make timely recommendations.
• Resilient and composed under pressure, able to manage complex, sensitive and high-profile matters with professionalism and discretion.
• Highly organised and adaptable, with the ability to prioritise and manage multiple workstreams across different business areas.
• Collaborative, approachable and solutions-oriented, with a proactive and flexible mindset.
• High standards of integrity and professionalism.

What we can offer you

• Competitive salary.
• Car allowance.
• 25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Hybrid working available between base location/home.
• Life insurance, cycle to work scheme, and a salary sacrifice pension scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support, including Medicash health care scheme, Employee Assistance Programme, available 24/7 365 days and network of mental health first aiders.
• Salary extras giving you discounts across various retailers (e.g. supermarkets, eating out, and leisure activities).
• Modern offices with free parking and EV charging available.
• Offices include use of onsite gym (Ansty location), subsidised canteens, regular companywide events.
• Support you to unlock your potential through technical & behavioural training.
• Access to LinkedIn Learning.