Director of Legal Affairs - #2133513

Position: Director of Legal Affairs

Company: UK Management College (UKMC)

Additional Group Responsibility: Unibridge Group Companies

Location: Manchester

Reporting to: Group CEO

Employment Type: Full-time, Permanent

Salary: £60,000- £80,000 per annum

About the Role

UK Management College (UKMC) is seeking an experienced and commercially minded Director of Legal Affairs to lead and oversee the organisation’s legal function.

The successful candidate will have primary responsibility for the legal affairs of UKMC, while also providing strategic legal oversight and support across Unibridge Group and its group companies.

This is a senior leadership position requiring a strong understanding of corporate and commercial law, contracts, regulatory matters, governance, employment-related legal issues and risk management. Experience within higher education, further education or another highly regulated sector would be particularly advantageous.

Working closely with the Founder & Group CEO and senior leadership, the Director of Legal Affairs will provide practical, commercially focused legal advice while protecting the interests and reputation of UKMC and the wider Group.

Key Responsibilities

* Lead and manage legal matters for UKMC and provide legal oversight across Unibridge Group companies.

* Advise the Group CEO, Board and senior leadership on legal, contractual, governance and regulatory matters.

* Draft, review and negotiate commercial contracts, partnership agreements, service agreements, supplier contracts and other legal documentation.

* Provide legal support relating to UKMC’s relationships and agreements with universities, educational partners and other organisations.

* Identify and manage legal and regulatory risks across UKMC and the wider Group.

* Advise on corporate governance, company law and Group-level legal matters.

* Support employment-related legal matters and work closely with HR and senior management where required.

* Manage disputes, claims and other contentious matters, coordinating with external solicitors and counsel where appropriate.

* Maintain and develop appropriate legal policies, processes, contract controls and risk-management frameworks.

* Monitor relevant legislative and regulatory developments and advise senior leadership on their implications.

* Support acquisitions, investments, new ventures, partnerships and other strategic Group projects from a legal perspective.

* Manage relationships with external law firms and other professional legal advisers.

* Promote a strong culture of legal compliance, good governance and responsible decision-making throughout the organisation.

About You

We are looking for a senior legal professional who combines strong technical legal knowledge with sound commercial judgement and the ability to operate effectively at executive and Board level.

The successful candidate should ideally have:

* Qualification as a solicitor or barrister in England & Wales, or an equivalent recognised legal qualification.

* Significant post-qualification legal experience, ideally including senior in-house responsibility.

* Strong experience in corporate and commercial law and contract negotiation.

* Experience advising senior executives, Boards or business owners.

* Excellent understanding of governance, regulatory compliance and organisational risk.

* Strong drafting, negotiation, analytical and problem-solving skills.

* The confidence to manage complex and sensitive legal matters independently.

* Experience working across multiple companies, business units or jurisdictions would be advantageous.

* Experience within higher education or the wider education sector would be highly desirable.

* A pragmatic and commercially focused approach, with the ability to balance legal risk with organisational objectives.

Why Join UKMC?

This is an opportunity to join UKMC at an important stage of its continued growth and to play a senior role in strengthening the legal and governance infrastructure of both UKMC and the wider Unibridge Group.

The Director of Legal Affairs will work closely with senior leadership and have the opportunity to influence major partnerships, strategic initiatives and the future development of the organisation.