Senior Legal Counsel

Ocado Group is an equal opportunities employer and as such makes every effort to ensure that all potential employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, age, or disability or union membership status.

Our teams are putting the world’s retailers online using the cloud, robotics, AI, and IoT. We provide services to partner clients globally via our innovative advanced robotics technology, known as the Ocado Smart Platform ("OSP"), this drives our highly automated, multi-million pound Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs). In our CFCs - together with the proprietary software applications - we operate a world-class online grocery business that automates the single pick of products, ready for your online delivery.

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will deliver high-quality legal advice on commercial, procurement, and transactional matters across Ocado Group, both in the UK and internationally, while mentoring junior team members. You will navigate complex commercial, procurement, and technology law at pace, actively contributing to the team’s broader functional strategy. Naturally collaborative, you will build strong, trusted partnerships at all levels of our growing business to enable Ocado’s sustainable expansion.

Accountabilities:

• Working collaboratively with senior stakeholders across the Business up to the Executive Director level.
• Drafting, negotiating and providing expert advice on a wide range of domestic and cross border general commercial work in respect of technology and software including:
• technology and hardware procurement arrangements including supply and/or manufacture agreements;
• IT procurement including appointment of cloud service providers, SaaS and IT licences;
• IP matters including collaboration agreements, licensing and cross-licensing;
• data protection matters including data protection agreements and advice;
• logistics and distribution agreements.
• Drafting, negotiating and providing expert advice on new and existing Ocado Solution Platform customer contracts.
• Support on construction, engineering and product delivery arrangements.
• Ensuring compliance with corporate governance (including competition/antitrust policies) as part of any negotiations.
• Anticipating, identifying and advising on disputes, employment, corporate and financing issues in the context of commercial contracts and working collaboratively with the Disputes, Employment and Corporate Legal team on relevant matters.
• Anticipating, identifying and advising on IP, competition and data protection issues in the context of commercial contracts and working collaboratively with the Compliance and Regulatory team on relevant matters.
• Leading on the commercial legal aspects of key projects, including corporate and capital markets transactions.
• Demonstrates a pragmatic and customer focussed approach to risk management.
• Liaising and managing external counsel effectively from a delivery, risk and cost perspective on a daily basis.
• Contributing to the development of the legal team’s strategy and proactively maintaining and raising the profile of the team by developing and taking forward team initiatives/objectives.
• Developing and providing training and legal updates to the business on various areas of the law and regulatory matters.
• Developing Ocado standard contract templates and know-how materials.

About You:

• Qualified solicitor or barrister with specialism in commercial contracts / transactions of 4 years or more PQE (although candidates outside this range who can demonstrate their ability to perform the duties of the role will still be considered).
• Ideally will have trained with a leading law firm or in-house team with a particular focus on commercial and technology transactions.
• Experience advising on commercial and technology law outside of the UK, with a desire to develop and expand on expertise in this area.
• Demonstrable experience of working with senior management including at executive level and operating with broad latitude in complex environments.
• In-depth experience of domestic and cross border transactional drafting, negotiating, and advising on a wide variety of commercial contracts in respect of technology investments, engineering and IT procurement, design, manufacture, supply and licensing including master service agreements, collaboration agreements, general terms and conditions, SaaS subscription agreements, logistics & distribution agreements and e-commerce agreements.
• Strong academic qualifications.

Preferred (in Addition To Minimum):

• Experience of working with technology contracts and organisations would be valued.
• In-house experience within a fast-paced, commercial environment.
• Experience of corporate, capital markets and M&A transactions.

What We Offer You:

• 30 days ‘working from anywhere in the world’ policy.
• Wellbeing support through dedicated apps and an Employee Assistance Programme.
• 25 days annual leave, rising to 27 days after 5 years service (plus optional holiday purchase).
• Pension scheme (various options available including employer contribution matching up to 7%).
• Generous Private Medical Insurance (within the first month of joining!).
• Income Protection (can be up to 50% of salary for 3 years) and Life Assurance (3 x annual salary).
• 22 weeks paid maternity leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (once relevant service requirements complete).
• Train Ticket loan (interest-free).
• Cycle to Work Scheme.
• Free shuttle bus to and from Hatfield Train Station to the Hatfield offices.
• Free shuttle bus to and from Welwyn Garden City Train Station to the Welwyn Garden City offices.
• Opportunity to participate in Sharesave and Buy as You Earn share schemes.
• 15% discount on Ocado.com and free delivery for all employees (within the first month of joining!).