Senior Legal Counsel - 12 Month FTC

An exciting new opportunity to join News UK working in the Employment Legal team. This is a 12 month maternity cover role, starting on 4 January 2027, which offers a chance to demonstrate and develop your knowledge and experience in a fast paced and dynamic media organisation. 

The team: The employment legal team sits within a full-service legal department made up of lawyers specialising in corporate, M&A, commercial, IP, technology, property, media, compliance and data protection law. We are a collaborative department and you will have the opportunity to work on an extremely broad range of matters across all parts of the business, gaining challenging and quality  experience. 

Your role: You will work with a Legal Director and Legal Counsel to provide employment legal services to colleagues in the HR department and directly to leaders/managers across the business.  The ability to work at pace and manage many competing priorities at once is important but the team demonstrates and values flexibility.   

Day to day: 

• You will work in partnership with colleagues in the HR department, advising them and the business on various employee relations matters such as grievance and disciplinary processes, performance management, contractual issues, employment status, sickness absence management and the  application of company policies. You will also advise on diversity and inclusion matters and a variety of other ad hoc queries as they arise. 

• Draft and negotiate contracts, e.g. settlement agreements, independent contractor agreements and apprenticeship training supplier agreements.

• Assist with commercial contracts and corporate transactions, including advising on  TUPE transfers, conducting due diligence and drafting contractual provisions on employment matters.

• Work with the HR team to review and update policies and precedents and assist with the development of new policies/precedents when needed. 

• Have the opportunity to assist with employment litigation, training and providing key legal updates to the business and the HR team. 

• Carry out legal research and be responsible for maintaining internal and intra-group risk registers.  

• You will draft, review and negotiate talent and retainer contracts and have involvement in conducting tax status assessments for our independent contractor population, in collaboration with our Tax team.

What we’re looking for from you:

• A qualified solicitor (able to practise in England and Wales) with experience in a quality private practice employment department and ideally in-house experience (including secondments). 

• Strong PQE with comprehensive knowledge of UK employment law and best practice and are confident advising independently. 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to convey legal advice clearly and concisely in a commercial context.

• A methodical approach to work, with a strong focus on accuracy and quality.

• Someone who demonstrates natural interpersonal skills and a positive, collaborative approach to working with colleagues at all levels across the business.

• A dynamic and agile person; able to work to deadlines and prioritise tasks in a demanding commercial environment.

• To exercise tact and diplomacy within the organisation and carry out all responsibilities in a way which supports the company’s values and promotes high ethical standards.

If you think you have what it takes but don’t tick every requirement on the list, please do apply. We recognise that considering someone’s potential as well as their experience is a great way to hire. We want to hear from people who have a passion to learn and develop, and we are open to both full time and part time working arrangements for this role.

News UK is one of the leading media businesses in the UK and Ireland. Our newsbrands include The Times, The Sunday Times, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday and The TLS. Our national broadcast brands include talkSPORT, Times Radio and Virgin Radio UK, and we have market-leading local stations across Ireland. Our world-famous brands provide news, analysis, opinion and entertainment to almost 40 million people each month. Spanning print and pixel, audio and video, events and experiences, our multi-format brands are home to a plurality of opinion, representing the diverse communities we serve. Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose, we exist to promote a fair society, freedom of speech and a little bit of fun. Rethinking continually the business of storytelling, we represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter.

At News UK, we embrace a hybrid work model, currently requiring a minimum of three days per week in the office. This approach fosters collaboration, innovation, and team spirit within our workspace. Certain roles may necessitate additional in-office days; please discuss this with your recruiter for specific requirements.

Life at News

Driven by passion, guided by principles and acting with purpose. We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter. We inform our audiences so that they can make decisions based on trusted information.

We represent, reflect and reach the nation, telling the stories that matter most. To ensure these stories resonate with as broad an audience as possible, it is essential that our organisation reflects the diversity of the people we reach. Whether through age, gender, ethnicity, disability, social class or sexuality, we are committed to representing the rich variety of voices that make up our society. And we champion a culture where everyone has the opportunity to contribute and thrive as we continue to innovate and drive long term sustainable growth. This is done through our Diversity Strategy.

At News UK, we take pride in our exceptional employee-led networks that bring together individuals with shared interests and create a vibrant sense of community. We believe our networks play a vital role in fostering a collaborative and supportive work culture at News UK. Groups that we support include the African & Caribbean Network, Parents and Carers, and LGBTQ+ group News Is Out, and the Apprentice Society.

Benefits

Some of our benefits include:

• Private medical insurance including coverage for pre-existing conditions

• Discounted gym memberships, free ClassPass at Home, weekly in person/ virtual exercise classes

• ‘Bikes for Work’ and ‘Electric Car’ scheme

• Up to 60% discount on Harper Collins books

• Maternity leave up to 18 weeks full basic salary & paternity leave up to 2 weeks

• Access to exclusive events and competitions with exciting brands such as talkSPORT, Virgin Radio UK & The Times. Weekly virtual panel chats with top journalists and celebrities

• Access to wellbeing benefits such as EAP, physio/massage and counselling

• A generous pension scheme with employer contributions of up to 5%

• Wide range of training available, plus full LinkedIn Learning access

• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, as well as an extra anniversary day off

• Up to 3 paid volunteering days per year to support causes you care about

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. If you require reasonable adjustments due to a disability or health condition at any stage of your application or interview, please let us know. You can contact us at [email protected] to discuss how we can support you to perform at your best.