Director of Legal in London

If you’re a highly experienced legal leader with a proven track record of operating at the most senior level – managing complex legal risk and delivering strategic outcomes at scale – this role is an opportunity to exercise all your independent professional judgement and provide objective legal advice that supports decision-making across the UK’s largest trade union.

The Director of Legal is accountable for the development, implementation, reporting and evaluation of our legal strategy, legal services and compliance framework. As a member of the senior leadership team, you’ll be contributing to the union’s strategic and operational management.

As principal legal adviser, you’ll provide advice and guidance to the Executive Leadership Team, NEC, National Service Groups, Departments and Regions on:

• legal strategy and risk;
• Governance and Rulebook compliance;
• strategic litigation and member representation;
• data protection and regulatory requirements.

You’ll also lead and manage Legal Services, the Professional Services Unit and Data Protection, ensuring resources are directed to deliver high-quality, strategic and proactive legal, regulatory and representational services, aligned to UNISON’s objectives. This includes oversight of specialist services supporting members facing professional regulatory and fitness to practise proceedings, helping to protect members' professional registration, employment and livelihoods.

What we’re looking for:

• Qualified Solicitor of England and Wales, or Barrister, with a minimum of 15 years’ post-qualification experience including providing strategic legal advice, leading legal services and managing complex legal risk within a large and complex organisation.
• Comprehensive, in-depth understanding of trade union law and governance, employment and industrial law, including litigation, together with knowledge of data protection and regulatory frameworks and the wider legal issues affecting trade unions and their members.
• Ability to analyse and interpret highly complex legal, regulatory, governance and organisational issues – exercising sound judgement to develop practical solutions in high-risk and politically sensitive situations.
• Proven experience of identifying and managing legal and organisational risk.
• Proven experience of developing and delivering organisation-wide strategies.
• Very highly developed leadership, influencing, negotiation and advocacy skills, with the credibility and judgement to influence decision-making.
• Extensive experience of advising senior leadership, governance bodies and democratic committees on complex legal, employment, litigation and organisational risk matters, and communicating these effectively to a wide range of audiences.
• Extensive experience of leading, managing and developing professional legal teams, ensuring high performance, effective resource planning, and the delivery of high-quality legal services aligned to organisational priorities.
• Experience of managing complex projects, significant budgets and contracts with external service providers.
• Experience of managing competing organisational priorities and resources in a complex and changing environment.

About UNISON:

UNISON is the UK’s leading public services trade union, with over 1.3 million members working in the public sector, private, voluntary and community sectors and in the energy services. We employ approximately 1,200 staff, with around 370 at our national centre in Euston in central London and the remainder in our 12 regions across the UK, including Northern Ireland. UNISON is a dynamic, progressive union, committed to equality. We encourage men and women of all ages, Black and minority ethnic groups, disabled people, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people to work with us.

Closing date: 28 August 2026 at 5pm.