Location
London

Hours
Full Time

Salary
Competitive, commensurate with experience

About the Role
We are seeking a highly skilled and commercially minded Head of Legal Affairs to provide strategic legal leadership across ISS UK & Ireland. This senior leadership role oversees all non-employment legal matters, ensuring robust governance, effective risk management and full alignment with ISS Group legal and compliance frameworks. Operating as a key adviser to the Country Leadership Team, this role safeguards ISS’s legal, regulatory and reputational position while supporting business growth, operational delivery and transformation.

As a member of the UK & Ireland Senior Leadership Team and part of the ISS Group Legal Leadership Team, you will work closely with Finance, Risk & Compliance and Group Legal, providing expert guidance on corporate, governance, disputes, insurance and strategic matters. You will shape and embed high-quality legal standards across the UK & Ireland business in line with One ISS principles, ensuring pragmatic and commercially focused legal support that enables the business to thrive.

Key Responsibilities
- Provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal support across ISS UK & Ireland, including drafting, negotiating and advising on customer contracts in line with the Legal Playbook and Delegated Authority Matrix (DAM).
- Lead on disputes and litigation for UK & Ireland, partnering with the business, managing external counsel and reporting to Country Leadership Team and Group Legal.
- Advise on corporate legal matters, including transactions, restructuring and governance, working closely with Finance, Treasury and Group stakeholders.
- Maintain and embed the UK & Ireland Delegated Authority Matrix, ensuring alignment with ISS Group governance frameworks.
- Deliver company secretarial support including board and CLT minutes, statutory records and regulatory filings.
- Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements including sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption (ABC), competition law and Code of Conduct, and support audit and reporting activities.
- Provide legal oversight on property matters such as leases, acquisitions and disposals in collaboration with the Property team and external advisers.
- Partner with the UK & Ireland Insurance Manager and Group Insurance to oversee insurance programmes, advise on risk and support complex claims.

Experience
- Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial customer contracts within a facilities services, outsourcing or service-led environment, focused on risk mitigation and margin protection.
- Proven capability managing UK disputes and litigation, including external counsel management and reporting to senior leadership.
- Solid understanding of corporate governance, company secretarial requirements and delegated authority frameworks.
- Demonstrated knowledge of relevant UK regulatory compliance, including sanctions, anti-bribery and corruption, competition law and corporate governance.
- Experience advising on corporate transactions, property matters and restructuring in partnership with finance and operational teams.
- Ability to oversee insurance programmes, claims and insurable risk across operational and supply chain environments.
- Commercial, pragmatic legal leader with strong stakeholder engagement skills at senior levels.
- Experienced people leader with a track record of developing and supporting junior legal team members.

About You
You are a commercially astute legal professional who thrives in a senior leadership environment. You possess excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, enabling you to influence and advise at all levels of the organisation. You are pragmatic, solutions-focused and able to balance legal risk with business needs effectively. You are committed to embedding high standards of governance and compliance while supporting business growth and transformation.

Qualifications
A qualified solicitor or equivalent legal qualification with significant post-qualification experience in commercial law, corporate governance and regulatory compliance within a complex, multi-jurisdictional environment is essential.