Director, Legal, UK & Europe

About the role

Thinkahead is seeking its first in-house Director of Legal to manage operations across the UK and Europe. This leadership position reports to the Vice President of Legal in the US and serves as the primary legal advisor for the region. You will build the regional legal function from the ground up while providing strategic guidance to executive stakeholders.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Manage all commercial legal affairs in the UK and Europe, including the drafting and negotiation of agreements for cloud, software, hardware, procurement, and strategic partnerships.
• Create and oversee the regional legal and compliance framework to ensure adherence to local, UK, and EU regulations.
• Advise on regional employment law, collaborating with the People and Culture team on restructures, acquisitions, and employee relations.
• Direct regional litigation, disputes, and the performance of external legal counsel.
• Partner with leadership across Sales, Finance, and Operations to establish effective governance and risk mitigation strategies.
• Improve legal operations, technology, and internal processes.
• Coordinate with the global legal team to maintain consistency while addressing regional requirements.

Requirements

• Qualified Solicitor (England and Wales) or Barrister with a current practising certificate.
• Significant post-qualification experience in private practice or in-house roles, specifically advising senior executives in international commercial environments.
• Knowledge of UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, and relevant EU data protection laws.
• Expertise in litigation disclosure, document preservation, and e-disclosure.
• Ability to provide pragmatic, risk-based legal advice with strong commercial judgment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Capacity to manage conflicting priorities and meet deadlines in a fast-paced setting.

Nice to have

• Extensive experience in a senior in-house legal role at a technology or international company.
• Proven track record supporting multinational organizations and cross-border legal matters.

Skills & tools

• Legal research methodologies and information resources.
• Strategic risk assessment and mitigation.
• Executive stakeholder management and influencing.

Practical notes

• This is a hybrid role requiring three days per week in the Reading office.
• Occasional travel within the UK, Europe, and internationally is required.
• The company utilizes AI tools for parts of the hiring process, such as resume analysis and interview transcription, though final decisions are made by humans. Candidates may opt out of AI review by using the General Application process.