General Counsel & Company Secretary in London

UNICEF ensures more of the world’s children are vaccinated, educated and protected than any other organisation. We have done more to influence laws and policies to help protect children than anyone else. We get things done. And we’re not going to stop until the world is a safe place for all our children.

This is a great opportunity to join the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) as General Counsel & Company Secretary. You will lead UNICEF UK’s legal, governance and regulatory strategy, ensuring the organisation operates with integrity, sound judgement and confidence. Acting as the principal legal adviser to the Executive Team and Board, you will provide pragmatic, commercially focused advice to support high‑quality decision‑making. You will also lead a multi‑disciplinary department, positioning legal, governance and risk functions as strategic enablers of organisational impact.

You will bring significant senior‑level experience leading legal and governance functions within a complex organisation, with a track record of supporting executive and board‑level decision‑making. You combine strong commercial acumen with sound judgement, able to balance legal risk with organisational priorities and provide clear, practical advice. You are an influential and collaborative leader, skilled at building relationships and leading high‑performing, multi‑disciplinary teams.

In return, we offer:

• excellent pay and benefits (including flexible working, generous annual leave and pension, big brand discounts and wellbeing tools)
• outstanding training and learning opportunities and the support to flourish in your role
• impressive open plan office space and facilities on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
• an open culture and workplace with colleagues who share our values, enjoy their work and are motivated to do their utmost for children.
• the opportunity to work in a leading children’s organisation making a difference to children around the world

We particularly welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, disabled candidates, and from men, because we would like to increase the representation of these groups at this level at UNICEF UK. We want to do this because we know greater diversity will lead to even greater results for children.

UNICEF UK promotes equality, diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We make employment decisions by matching business needs with skills and experience of candidates, irrespective of age, disability (including hidden disabilities), gender, gender identity or gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.