Head of Legal

We are looking for a commercially knowledgeable Head of Legal to oversee the effective operation of the Commercial side of the Legal Team by providing proactive legal support to The FA Group across a full range of commercial and related legal issues.

The Head of Legal will line manage the required structure of solicitors and other support staff within the Commercial side of the Group Legal Team and be responsible for the day to day allocation of work within this area.

The individual in role will also assist the General Counsel in managing the overall Legal Department including setting the departmental strategy.

What will you be doing?

• Being visible across The FA Group as the main point of contact on all commercial legal matters.
• Delivering robust legal advice in an efficient and effective manner across the full range of The FA Group's commercial legal and relevant corporate legal support requirements.
• Championing the efficient sign off of contracts. Drafting and negotiating commercial contracts in all areas of The FA Group's business including sponsorship, media rights, operations, event staging and venue hire and supply/services agreements. To include all related agreements e.g. tender documentation.
• Line managing and supporting the commercial legal team and allocating work efficiently to meet required timeframes.
• Considering and instructing external legal support in the most efficient way when this is required.
• Supporting the General Counsel with the strategy of running the Group Legal Team.
• Providing assistance and guidance to others within the team but outside of direct line report to assist in their development including e.g. mentoring.
• Executing additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group changing priorities.
• Complying with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and wellbeing can be maintained.
• As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

• At least 6 years working as a qualified solicitor however candidates with relevant skills sets regardless of post qualification experience may have the required technical skills.
• Must be able to demonstrate a breadth of commercial knowledge gathered in a major law firm and/ or corporate
• Ability to demonstrate clear and concise written and oral legal advice, which includes drafting, negotiating and interpreting a range of contracts including in particular domestic and overseas media rights agreements across a range of platforms and sponsorship agreements plus all ancillary documents (e.g. tenders).
• Ability to demonstrate the application of robust legal advice in a practical manner.

Beneficial to have:

• Previous experience of sports law.
• Experience of the following types of contracts, IT, event staging, supply and service agreements, catering, funding.
• Experience of dealing with commercial event protection - brand protection and ticket touting.
• A working knowledge of employment legislation.
• Previous in house experience.
• Previous experience of instructing external law firms.
• Experience of managing a team.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and wellbeing.
• Free, nutritious lunches, at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional Thank You days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave.
• A hybrid working model offering greater flexibility.

The Football Association (The FA) is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England. It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.

The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup, Barclays FA Women's Super League, FA Women's Championship, and Women's Adobe FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park,all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.

We currently work within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team. The remaining days can be worked remotely. We will continue to monitor this model and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary.

Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of either Wembley Stadium, St. George's Park or our Processing Centre, unless the role is advertised as a homebased contract. The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.

The FA, For All, For You

Our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy forms an integral part of our long-term commitment to using our influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.

A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments - Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change - which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come.

We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

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