Job Description: Legal and Compliance Advisor/Manager

Reports to: Head of Operations

Place of work: Central London/hybrid

Time: Part time (2-3 dpw)

Contract Length: Permanent

Starting date: ASAP

The Opportunity

A fantastic part-time opportunity has arisen for an experienced Legal Counsel to join IIGCC, to provide a pragmatic in-house legal support service to the organisation and to support the mitigation of risk arising from any legal, regulatory, compliance or governance issues.

You will be English law qualified with substantial post-qualification experience, ideally with experience in the charities and not-for-profit sector and will have solid experience of working on a range of contracts. As this is a standalone role, we have a strong preference for previous experience that includes a role as the sole in-house legal expert. You will enjoy working in an agile and flexible way to manage a busy and varied workload and will be adept at networking and forming effective and constructive working relationships.

About IIGCC

The Institutional Investors Group on Climate Change (IIGCC) is a forum for collaboration on climate change for European investors. There are currently over 360 members, including some of the largest pension funds and asset managers across 22 countries, representing over €50 trillion in assets under management. IIGCC brings investors together to use their significant collective influence with policymakers, investors and companies to encourage policies and practices which accelerate the shift to a low-carbon economy.

As a not-for-profit, our business model is built around income from membership fees as well as from trusts and foundations which generously support our work. The next 18 months will see further organisational growth as we increase our work in both breadth and depth to maximise our impact and influence.

Key responsibilities

Contracts

• Draft, review, negotiate and advise on the preparation of all contracts, licences, and other legal agreements (such as NDAs)
• Work with internal stakeholders to increase awareness and skills in relation to contract management and legal risk, partnering with key individuals within the organisation to identify potential legal issues as they arise.
• Support the continued improvement of standard form agreements, contract management and legal processes and implement improved systems and procedures where required.
• Where appropriate, appoint, brief, manage and oversee external legal advisors.
• Manage the legal budget, approving expenditure and highlighting where there's a risk of exceeding budget.
• Maintain a contract library for all supplier contracts.

Grant agreements

• Review all grant agreements - considering legal obligations, IP rights, tax considerations and any other restrictions.
• Assist managers to put into practice regulatory or funder requirements, in particular through contract review and negotiation.

Compliance

• Where relevant from contract or grant agreement review, disseminate practical guidance to staff to ensure day to day compliance.
• Oversee the ongoing management of the organisation’s risk register, ensuring this is regularly reviewed and updated.
• Responsible for GDPR/data protection compliance including policy updates, data audits, data breach processes and log, FOI requests, writing and issuing privacy notices, etc.
• Advise the wider team on data protection issues and best practice.
• Remain informed of charitable and company law guidance, briefing colleagues on new developments as appropriate and implementing new processes required to ensure compliance
• Undertake other duties as may be requested by the Chair, CEO, and Head of Operations as IIGCC’s work evolves, and new needs emerge.

Experience & skill set

• A qualified solicitor or barrister (English law) with significant post-qualification experience. Significant experience of advising on complex legal issues and comfortable providing
• understandable, accurate and timely advice on a very wide-ranging and changing set of issues. Demonstrable experience/understanding of advising managers on the key risks inherent within complex contracts.
• Working knowledge and experience of Intellectual Property law and GDPR/data protection requirements and good practice.
• Knowledge of not-for-profit and company legislative, regulatory and governance landscape. Strong organisational and planning skills.
• Experience of working in a small / medium sized organisation with ability to engage in detail of operational implementation as well as taking a strategic view.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Outstanding written and oral communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively and authoritatively to a diverse audience, and to explain complex regulatory legislation and principles.
• Expert negotiation skills with the ability to manage relationships with diplomacy and tact.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times and ensure that confidential data is handled in a sensitive manner.
• Experience of developing systems, designing processes and leading change.
• Able to work in partnership and with people at all levels, demonstrating strong skills in networking and influencing.
• Ability to independently plan, prioritise and deliver a wide variety of legal work for the organisation to tight timescale in a fast-moving environment.

Benefits

In addition to a competitive salary, we offer a range of benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave plus public holidays
• Life assurance
• Additional discretionary days off between
• Private healthcare
• Christmas and New Year
• Hybrid working model
• Generous non-contributory pension
• Access to Independent Financial advisor for scheme all staff

Applications

Interested applicants should submit a Curriculum Vitae and a cover letter detailing their qualifications and experience for the role to vacancy@iigcc.org.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

Applicants must have the right to work in the UK.

Job Email id: vacancy(at)iigcc.org