Director of Legal Services

Director of Legal Services

Manchester

Competitive Salary

Are you a qualified solicitor or barrister with expert knowledge of risk management and regulatory compliance? Are you able to contribute at a strategic level and help shape the future development of our University?

Who we are:

Manchester is one of the most extensive higher education centres in Europe and the most popular city for students in the UK. Manchester Metropolitan University is at the heart of it, delivering cutting-edge skills to people from 120 countries – 94% of whom go into work or further study within six months of graduating. Since 2006, we have invested £350 million into our exceptional campus to deliver our vision of being the best modern university, and we continue to achieve and innovate every day.

Where you’ll work as Director of Legal Services:

Our Professional Services Directorates have the vital role of delivering the strategies, services, systems and processes that underpin our academic mission. Supporting a community of 40,000 people within an organisation with an annual turnover of more than £245 million, the Directorates deploy diverse professional expertise to ensure the continued success of the University and the wellbeing of its staff and students.

About the Director of Legal Services role:

In this business critical role, the Director of Legal Services will be responsible for leading a truly commercial and strategically focused legal team who operate at the heart of the University, proactively providing a service to a wide range of internal and external key stakeholders, demonstrating fresh thinking, new ways of working and innovative ideas to manage risk across the legal spectrum.

Leading the Legal Services Directorate, including the University’s Legal, Information Governance and Insurance teams, the Director of Legal Services will oversee the provision of high quality, timely and pragmatic advice relating to a wide range of exciting strategic projects, acquisitions, disposals and other initiatives. This will involve close collaboration with key decision-makers including the Vice-Chancellor, Chief Operating Officer, Board of Governors and our external partners.

As Director of Legal Services, you will advise on a broad spectrum of legal, regulatory and risk matters ensuring full compliance with evolving legislation, including GDPR and FOIA. At the same time, you will manage our substantial insurance portfolio alongside our Brokers, and make certain that the Directorate operates efficiently within budget and achieves maximum value for money. This is a broad and varied Director of Legal Services role and your impact on strategic delivery and the ongoing success of the University will be enormous.

About You as Director of Legal Services:

A qualified solicitor or barrister, you will be able to demonstrate a proven record in legal leadership at a senior level. Whilst a background within (or working with) higher education or the public sector is preferable, more importantly you will be adept at advising on risk, shaping policy and strategy, managing resources and able to articulate a clear vision for the Directorate. Finally, the Director of Legal Services will bring expert knowledge of a broad spectrum of legal areas as well as regulatory compliance, and will be capable of delivering a first-class service to diverse stakeholders, including the most senior members of the University.

The closing date for applications is Friday 22nd March. We expect to hold informal discussions in early April, followed by a formal interview at the end of April.

If this Director of Legal Services role sounds right for you, please click on the apply button.