We’re supporting a well-established, values-led organisation in the education and franchise sector with the appointment of an In-House Solicitor. This is a broad in-house role offering genuine autonomy, commercial exposure, and the opportunity to shape legal strategy across the business.\n\nThe Role\n\nAs the organisation’s internal legal lead, you’ll take overall responsibility for ensuring compliance across all relevant legal and regulatory frameworks. Acting as a trusted adviser to senior leadership, you’ll balance legal rigour with commercial pragmatism, identifying and managing risk while enabling the business to operate effectively and confidently.\n\nThis is a hands-on role covering both strategic and operational legal matters, with line management responsibility for a small team and oversight of external legal providers.\n\nKey Responsibilities\n\n * Act as the organisation’s internal solicitor, ensuring compliance across all relevant jurisdictions\n\n * Provide pragmatic legal advice, guidance, and training to stakeholders across the business\n\n * Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts and documentation\n\n * Identify, assess, and manage legal and regulatory risk, escalating business-critical issues appropriately\n\n * Advise on franchise agreements, data protection, safeguarding, health & safety, and business compliance\n\n * Manage child protection matters where required, including liaison with local authorities and statutory bodies\n\n * Oversee the procurement and management of external legal services and associated budgets\n\n * Ensure compliance with Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) requirements\n\n * Provide legal updates on relevant legislation and case law\n\n * Contribute to business continuity planning and respond to urgent legal issues as they arise\n\nCandidate Specification\n\n * Qualified Solicitor with four consecutive practising certificates\n\n * Strong experience in contract review and negotiation\n\n * Proven background in a commercial, in-house or business-facing legal environment\n\n * Experience managing both contentious and non-contentious matters\n\n * Sound understanding of legal and regulatory risk management\n\n * Excellent communication skills and attention to detail\n\n * Organised, pragmatic, and comfortable managing multiple priorities\n\nDesirable:\n\n * Experience within a franchise-based business\n\n * In-house legal team experience\n\n * Exposure to data protection and safeguarding matters\n\n * Experience managing external legal providers and budgets\n\n * Project management experience\n\nPersonal Attributes\n\n * Professional, personable, and commercially minded\n\n * Confident, proactive, and action-orientated\n\n * Strong negotiator and logical thinker\n\n * Collaborative leader with the ability to influence at senior level\n\nAdditional Information\n\n * Flexibility around working hours where required.\n\n * Willingness to travel within the UK and occasionally overseas.\n\n * Full UK driving licence preferred.\n\nIf you’re an experienced in-house solicitor looking for a broad, impactful role with real influence across a values-driven organisation, we’d love to hear from you