Deputy General Counsel

Deputy General Counsel

Location: West Midlands

A well-established financial services organisation is seeking an experienced Deputy General Counsel to join its senior legal team. This is a highly visible, board-facing role offering genuine influence over legal, regulatory and commercial strategy at a growing mutual. You'll act as a trusted adviser to senior leadership and the Board, helping the organisation navigate a complex regulatory landscape while supporting its long-term growth plans.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide strategic legal advice to the Board, Executive team and senior stakeholders on governance, regulatory and commercial matters.
• Lead the identification and management of legal risk, maintaining the organisation's legal risk framework.
• Advise on financial services regulation, including conduct risk, consumer protection, lending and savings products, and operational resilience.
• Lead legal support on major commercial contracts, supplier arrangements and strategic projects.
• Manage contractual disputes, working with external counsel where required.
• Support the governance and company secretarial function, including Board papers and annual reporting.
• Provide leadership to the legal team and manage relationships with external law firms and legal spend.

Requirements

• Qualified Solicitor or Barrister (England and Wales) with significant PQE, in-house or private practice.
• Strong experience advising within a regulated financial services environment.
• Solid knowledge of financial services regulation, corporate governance, and mutual-sector/lending/savings legislation.
• Proven experience advising Boards and Executive Committees directly.
• Excellent commercial judgement, drafting and stakeholder influencing skills.