Legal Counsel

Location: Leeds, England, United Kingdom

As Legal Counsel at Smart Search you’ll play a key role in shaping the future of the business. Your expertise will guide it through complex legal, data privacy and risk landscapes as it expands. Your work will directly impact Smart Search’s ability to provide award‑winning AML & KYC compliance to regulated businesses and win customers through trusted identities.

• Assisting the General Counsel on a variety of strategic matters and issues.
• Commercial contracting & negotiation: negotiate and deal with a wide range of commercial contracting issues, including global framework agreements, client agreements, referral agreements, data‑sharing agreements, and software supply contracts, liaising with the procurement manager as appropriate.
• Manage the legal front door and legal inbox where queries can come from many teams within the business.
• Data privacy: advise on legal and data privacy risks on new and ongoing business projects, product launches and go‑to‑market offerings, preparing DPIAs, privacy notices, RoPAs.
• Corporate governance: identify ways to mitigate risk and develop new policies and procedures to support the control and governance agenda.
• Advise and influence decision making, contribute to policy development and take responsibility for operational effectiveness. Collaborate closely with other teams.
• Legal operations & technology enablement: identify areas for business improvement and work to improve processes, looking for efficiencies in systems to improve our reach and help manage the company’s overall risk and to increase the ability of employees to self‑serve, including developing and maintaining scalable contract templates.
• Stakeholder education & training: help inform and educate colleagues across the business about legal and commercial risk issues, including by providing employee training. Foster a culture of compliance and ethical business practices.
• AI & emerging tech compliance: monitor and advise on legal risks associated with AI, machine learning, and other emerging technologies integrated into the SaaS offering.

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or legal executive with experience advising on a range of commercial and technology related matters, including drafting and negotiating commercial contracts.
• 2‑5 years PQE.
• Data privacy experience essential.
• In‑house experience not essential.
• Commercially focussed.
• A self‑starting attitude and the ability to effectively manage conflicting demands from stakeholders.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including drafting contractual terms and the ability to interpret and explain contractual provisions for all colleagues or deliver training.
• Strong IT skills in Word, PowerPoint and use of AI.
• Organised, methodical and strong attention to detail.
• Strong analytical skills and solution‑oriented.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Efficiency mindset – to identify efficiencies or better ways of working and seek to implement them.
• Hands‑on curious approach to stay ahead of the ever‑changing legal and regulatory landscape for Smart Search and its client base.

• We are a multi‑award winning tech company with an aspirational mentality.
• Recent recognitions include: named in the Reg Tech
  100 list for 2024, listed in the Top 100 Fastest Growing Tech Companies by Northern Tech Awards 2024 and named Technology Provider of the Year by Corporate Finance Awards 2024.
• We're Great Place To Work Certified since 2022.
• Excellent progression opportunities due to our growth, with personal development goals, regular feedback and support.
• We are a diverse and inclusive team committed to promoting diversity, inclusion and social responsibility. Through our DE&I group, charitable initiatives and support for local schools, we actively foster a positive impact on our community.

• 25 days holiday rising to 30 with each year of service.
• Private medical insurance covering dental and optical.
• Company pension scheme.
• Life assurance – 4x your annual salary.
• 1 day paid volunteering per year.
• Enhanced maternity / paternity offerings.
• Employee assistance programme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• On‑site gym.

Seniority level: Mid‑Senior level

Employment type: Full‑time

Job function: Legal

Industry: Software development

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