Legal Counsel - Ventures

At Octopus, we’re entrepreneurs and we’re investors, on a mission to back the people, ideas and industries that will change the world. 

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Job Description

The OI Legal team provides legal support across Octopus Investments, partnering with business teams to help deliver commercial outcomes while appropriately managing legal risk. The team works closely with stakeholders across investments, operations, finance, risk and compliance and plays a key role in supporting Octopus Investments' growth and strategic objectives. 

This role will be primarily dedicated to supporting the Octopus Ventures part of the business. Octopus Ventures backs founders and businesses seeking to build transformative companies.

Job Overview 

We are seeking a commercially minded Legal Counsel to support Octopus Ventures' investment activities. This is an opportunity for a lawyer with strong venture capital transaction experience to work closely with the Ventures investment teams and help us back the people and ideas that will change the world. 

Reporting to the Lead Venture Legal Counsel, the successful candidate will play a key role in delivering practical, commercial legal advice across the investment lifecycle. The role will involve leading investment transactions, supporting portfolio company matters and exits, managing external legal counsel, and helping scale the delivery of legal support across the Ventures business. The successful candidate will also assist with the establishment and operation of retail and institutional investment fund structures. Key stakeholders will include investment professionals, founders, management teams, portfolio companies and external advisers. 

Responsibilities 

• Provide legal oversight of venture transactions: Oversee new investment transactions from term sheet through to completion, ensuring efficient execution, effective risk management, and alignment with commercial objectives. Manage external counsel and key stakeholders, providing strategic legal guidance on material issues and investment documentation.
• Support portfolio activity: Advise on follow-on investments, portfolio company matters, shareholder issues, secondary transactions and exits.
• Provide commercial legal advice: Deliver pragmatic, risk-based advice to investment professionals, founders and management teams.
• Project manage transactions: Coordinate internal stakeholders and external legal counsel to support efficient transaction execution and effective management of legal spend.
• Build trusted stakeholder relationships: Work closely with investment teams and become a key legal partner to the Ventures business.
• Drive process improvement: Identify opportunities to improve legal delivery through standardisation, automation and operational efficiencies.
• Contribute to strategic legal initiatives: As part of the wider OI Legal team, support strategic business initiatives, cross-functional projects and legal function priorities.
• Leverage legal technology and AI: Support the adoption and use of AI and legal technology tools to improve workflows and legal service delivery.
• Contribute to legal knowledge and best practice: Support the ongoing development of legal precedents, know-how and internal guidance materials.

Qualifications

Core Competencies

Commercial judgement: Provides practical, solutions-oriented advice, balancing legal risk with commercial objectives in a fast-paced investment environment.

Relationship building: Builds strong and trusted relationships with investment professionals, founders, management teams and external advisers.

Ownership and accountability: Takes responsibility for matters from inception to completion, manages competing priorities and delivers high-quality outcomes with a high degree of autonomy.

Communication and influence: Communicates clearly and effectively with a range of stakeholders, translating complex legal issues into practical business advice.

Innovation and continuous improvement: Demonstrates curiosity and a willingness to embrace AI, legal technology and new ways of working to improve efficiency and effectiveness.

Team Contribution: Acts as a positive contributor to team culture, builds strong working relationships and actively supports colleagues. Brings energy, humility and a collaborative mindset that helps create an enjoyable and high-performing working environment.

Essential

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with a minimum of four years' post-qualification experience.
• Strong experience advising on venture capital transactions with experience acting for venture capital, growth equity or private equity investors.
• Proven ability to manage transactions independently and work directly with senior stakeholders.
• Strong drafting, negotiation and project management skills.
• Experience using legal technology and AI tools to improve ways of working.
• Exposure to both retail fund structures and institutional investment fund structures.

Preferred Experience

• Previous in-house legal experience, ideally within an investment manager, fund manager or high-growth business.
• Experience supporting M&A transactions and company exits.
• Exposure to secondary transactions.

Additional Information

What we offer

A competitive salary, bonus, pension and share incentive plan
✈️ Untracked holiday
 Hybrid working – three days in the office, two days from home
⚓ Anchor (our wellness hub) which includes Headspace, one to one coaching through Wellness Cloud, Digital GP, employee assistance program & more
Up to 6 months paid parental leave regardless of gender
❤️ Life insurance, critical illness cover and income protection
Private medical insurance for you and your family
Electric vehicle leasing
The option to work overseas up to a month per year

Our Values 
At our core, we believe that how a company behaves is just as important as what it does. That’s why we chose to become an accredited B Corp (the equivalent of a Fairtrade coffee stamp but for companies) and to change our Articles of Association so that the interests all our stakeholders – employees, customers, communities, environment and shareholders – are considered in every decision we make.   

We are committed to building a workplace where diversity is valued, and inclusion is a priority. By providing equal opportunities for growth and development, we embrace and celebrate all races, genders, religions, sexual orientations, ages, disabilities, and socio-economic backgrounds. We believe teams achieve their best when every member feels safe, respected and empowered to be their authentic selves.

We're proud to be disability confident and are committed to supporting candidates with a disability, including neurodiversity and mental health conditions, throughout the recruitment process. Applicants are welcome to opt-in to the disability confident scheme as part of our application process. If you require any adjustments to the interview process, we’ll be happy to accommodate where possible.