Head of Legal - Football

Be part of our journey...

Location:

St Mary's Stadium

Hours:

Full Time

Contract Type:
Permanent

Criminal Record Check: DBS Basic

We are looking for an experienced solicitor or barrister to join our Legal team as Head of Legal. In this pivotal role, you will deliver strategic, high-quality legal services to the Board, Executive Committee, and the wider Group, providing proactive, business-focused advice on all football-related matters. You will oversee the effective management of legal and governance issues, ensuring robust risk mitigation and full regulatory compliance.

Building strong, trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across the club will be essential to your success. As Head of Legal, you will bring exceptional drafting skills, sound judgement, and diplomatic acumen, coupled with meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to excellence.

This role involves advising on player transfers, drafting player contracts and handling employment law matters specific to football, including the review of contracts and associated agreements. You will work alongside the Club Secretary to oversee the negotiation and review of transfer agreements, contracts and agent agreements as well as ensuring strict compliance with regard to visa and UK immigration requirements and the timely submission of all relevant paperwork on all regulatory systems.

You will provide advice on football regulatory matters across the Premier League, FA, WSL, UEFA and FIFA, ensuring both compliance and strategic structuring. Working with the relevant teams, you will proactively oversee various football audits, ensuring compliance and maintaining risk registers and action plans. You will ensure adequate training is provided to football departments and senior staff with regard to relevant risk assessments and keep up to date with relevant HMRC guidance on football matters, such as agents’ fees, overseas tax for pre-season tours and image rights.

You will oversee any issues arising from football matters and manage various football disputes, including lower-value ad-hoc litigation and arbitration as well as leading the recovery of overdue receivables such as player sales.

A key aspect of this role is to provide strategic, commercially focused legal counsel to Senior Leadership and the Board, ensuring they are up to date on changes to the regulatory environment, including developments such as the independent football regulator, changes to league rules, other clubs’ non-compliance, multi-club ownership models, and relevant case law. You will work with technology to modernise and automate processes for player eligibility, transfers, contracts, registrations and triggers of payments.

Working alongside the General Counsel, you will develop and implement internal policies and processes to ensure high standards of governance across football. This includes developing systems, policies and templates for transfer processes, ensuring data and information policies are up to date and embedded across the club and implementing a single view of all players at the club, which includes medical history, disciplinary records, immigration and qualification status and transfer & contract details.

Additional responsibilities will include overseeing all regulatory reporting relating to agent fees, including league submissions and agent representation questionnaires. You will work closely with the General Counsel on other legal matters when required and lead the Club Secretary function, providing cover for the role where necessary.

You will also work with the General Counsel to develop the club’s approach to crisis management and business resilience and collaborate with Safeguarding and Health & Safety leads to ensure health and safety compliance within the team.

You have a strong moral compass and a high level of integrity, with a passion for football and solid knowledge of football governance, player transfers, and the professional football environment.

The ability to provide risk-based opinions and commercially focused advice is crucial as well as an understanding of how to work in a high-paced…