Head of Legal
Department: Management
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: Bristol, UK
Description
We're building the UK's next generation engineering powerhouse.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Bristol (UK), we set out to re-engineer modern computing and connectivity for frontline operators. While others focused on enterprise IT, we doubled down on the tactical edge, where armed forces, first responders, intelligence teams, and critical industries face the toughest conditions and shortest decision cycles.
Today, Rowden is one of the UK's fastest-growing engineering companies, delivering complex mission systems at pace, scaling sovereign manufacturing, and supporting frontline operations around the world.
About the role
We're looking for an exceptional Head of Legal to lead and evolve our legal function. This is the most senior legal position in the business: you will hold end-to-end responsibility for legal strategy, operations, governance, and risk across the company.
You will work closely with the executive team, influencing strategic decisions across commercial, product, engineering, corporate, and operational domains. You will manage a wide range of legal matters, including commercial contracting, intellectual property, international export, fundraising and M&A, corporate governance, and compliance. From early on, you will embed deeply in the business, developing expert understanding of our products, sales channels, and delivery platform capabilities.
You will also line manage, mentor, and develop our Junior Legal Counsel, shaping the future of the legal function.
What this role offers
* Full ownership of the legal function within a rapidly scaling, mission-driven engineering company.
* Direct influence on strategic, commercial, and product decisions.
* Close partnership with senior leadership across operational, governance and growth initiatives.
* Opportunity to build and mature legal capabilities, processes, and frameworks from a strong early foundation.
* Competitive compensation package.
Candidates must be eligible for SC Clearance.
More information about security clearance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetti...
Key areas of responsibility
As Head of Legal, you will be responsible for:
* Leading all legal matters across Rowden, holding full accountability for the legal function.
* Reviewing, negotiating, and advising on a broad range of commercial contracts, including public sector agreements, partner agreements, supplier contracts and NDAs.
* Driving intellectual property strategy and management, working closely with engineering and product teams.
* Providing legal support across new product development, complex engineering programmes, marketing activities, and broader operational initiatives.
* Leading corporate governance, covering Board matters, shareholder matters, company filings, and statutory compliance.
* Advising on fundraising and M&A activities, including due diligence, structuring, and transaction execution.
* Maintaining up-to-date understanding of relevant legislation, with a particular focus on public sector procurement and international export regulations.
* Line management, mentorship and development of our Junior Legal Counsel, ensuring high-quality output and professional growth.
You will have the full support of the business, including access to external specialist counsel wherever needed to supplement in-house expertise.
Key skills, experience and behaviours
We are looking for a strategic and technically strong Head of Legal who excels at navigating complex legal frameworks and driving meaningful, sustainable change. You'll need the following experience to apply:
* UK-qualified solicitor with a minimum of 6 years' PQE.
* Experience operating with a broad remit in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
* Experience working with technically complex products, systems, or capabilities.
* Eligibility to work in the UK and ability to obtain SC National Security Vetting.
Experience in some of the following areas is valued but not essential:
* Public sector procurement and related commercial contracts, particularly in defence.
* Intellectual property
* International product export and trade compliance.
This role is right for you if you are:
* Excited by complex challenges. From leading IP strategy for a complex hardware product to navigating international export requirements or structuring a strategic partnership, you dig in, learn quickly and feel energised by new domains.
* Hands‑on and cross‑functional. You work side‑by‑side with engineering, product, commercial, and operations teams to run complex issues to ground.
* An owner. You see matters through to completion and maintain high standards behind every deliverable.
* Detail‑driven. You produce work that others trust implicitly, focusing on the details that matter most to drive the right commercial outcome.
* A strong communicator. You present concise recommendations, articulate trade‑offs, and maintain calm and clarity in complexity.
* Systems oriented. You improve systems and processes while driving rapid, pragmatic solutions day‑to‑day.
* Confident and commercially grounded. You hold your own in negotiations and high‑stakes discussions, backed by strong judgment.
Working at Rowden
We are committed to building a flexible, inclusive, and enabling company. Our aim is to create a diverse team of talented people with unique skills, experience, and backgrounds, so please apply and come as you are!
We also recognise the importance of flexible working and support this wherever we can. We typically operate a flexible, hybrid‑working model, with an average 3 days in the office each week (dependent on the role). We welcome the opportunity to discuss flexibility, part‑time working requirements and/or workplace adjustments with all our applicants.
Rowden is a Disability Confident Committed company, and we actively encourage people with disabilities and health conditions to apply for our roles. Please let us know your requirements early on so that we can make sure you have everything you need up front to help make the recruitment process and experience as easy as possible.
Finally, if you feel that you don't meet all the criteria included above but have transferable skills and relevant experience, we'd still love to hear from you!
#J-18808-Ljbffr