About the role
We’re excited to be recruiting for a Head of Legal & Compliance to lead the provision of legal and compliance advice across WWF-UK, supporting the organisation to deliver its mission with confidence, integrity and strong governance. This role provides strategic legal leadership and business partnering, ensuring that risk is understood and managed while enabling colleagues to move forward with clarity and purpose.
As a senior legal leader within the Operations & People Department, you will oversee the Legal & Compliance team, providing expert advice across a broad range of areas including charity law, commercial contracting, intellectual property, data protection, safeguarding and regulatory compliance. You will play a key role in horizon scanning for emerging risks and opportunities, influencing decision making at senior levels and embedding a strong culture of compliance through clear guidance, training and effective engagement.
Working closely with colleagues across the organisation and the wider WWF network, you will help to uphold and maintain WWF-UK’s compliance framework, ensuring policies, processes and reporting mechanisms remain effective and proportionate. Alongside delivering pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice, you will lead a high-performing team and build strong relationships internally and externally, supporting WWF-UK to achieve its strategic objectives while protecting the organisation’s interests and reputation.
Skills and experience
You will bring strong legal expertise alongside the ability to lead, influence and build trusted partnerships across a complex organisation. You will be able to demonstrate the following skills and experience:
Essential
1. Qualified lawyer with a current practising certificate in England & Wales
2. Significant senior-level experience providing strategic legal and compliance advice within an in-house environment
3. Proven experience leading and developing a high-performing team
4. Strong expertise across key areas of law relevant to a UK charity, including commercial contracts, charity law, regulatory compliance, intellectual property and data protection
5. Experience working with or developing compliance frameworks, including policies, processes, training and reporting
6. Excellent judgement and a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to risk and decision making
7. Strong influencing and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to engage senior leaders and non-specialists
8. Ability to communicate complex legal concepts clearly and confidently
Desirable
9. Experience within the charity, NGO or international non-profit sector
10. Understanding of fundraising compliance, safeguarding or international programme work
11. Experience working across global networks or multi-stakeholder environments
What we offer
We believe in rewarding our team with more than just a salary. Here’s what you can expect:
12. Annual leave starting at 26 days a year, rising one day each year to 31 days plus bank holidays
13. Flexible working options, to support your work life balance
14. 7.5% employer contribution to pension, rising to 10% with employee contribution
15. Learning and development opportunities to help you grow
16. Regular wellbeing initiatives to support your health and happiness.
This is a UK based contract, and you are required to have the Right to Work in the UK. Unfortunately, we’re unable to offer sponsorship and any offer of employment will be subject to evidence of your Right to Work in the UK.
This role is hybrid with a minimum 40% of your contracted hours spent at our beautiful UK head office, the Living Planet Centre in Woking, Surrey, where you’ll hot desk among trees and gardens.
About WWF-UK
We’re a global conservation charity with millions of supporters and hundreds of projects around the world.
At WWF-UK, we’re bringing our world back to life. Protecting what’s left isn’t enough. We’re racing to restore nature and prevent catastrophic climate change. And it’s a race we can win with everyone’s help.
We’re courageous, passionate, and driven by science. For more than 60 years we’ve been at the forefront of global efforts to protect wildlife and the natural world. We work with integrity, collaboration and deep respect for those we partner with.
How to apply
Click the link to apply via our website. You’ll be asked to complete an application form and upload your CV and a supporting statement that tells us why you’ll be a great addition to WWF-UK.
Our Diversity Promise to You
At the heart of our mission is a simple truth: the planet needs everyone. That means you - in all your uniqueness, regardless of age, disability, gender identity, marital status, race, faith or belief, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background, or how you choose to express yourself.
We don’t do stereotypes. We work together with purpose, driven by passion and enhanced by respect, courage, and integrity. We pull together from all walks of life to fight for a better future, and we want you to feel supported every step of the way.
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident employer and are committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels they belong. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and identities.
So, if there’s anything we can do to make your application or interview experience more comfortable or accessible, just give our Talent Acquisition Team a shout at recruitment@wwf.org.uk.
Safeguarding Commitment
Just as we celebrate diversity in all its forms, we are equally dedicated to creating a safe environment for every person we work with or encounter.
Our commitment extends to children, adults at risk, and individuals experiencing any form of vulnerability, whether temporary or permanent.
We proudly stand behind CAPSEAH (Common Approach to Protection from Sexual Exploitation, Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment) and put this commitment into action through clear policies, thorough training, and recruitment checks tailored to each role, which may include external vetting.
If you ever have a concern, however big or small, know that there are confidential channels ready to support you at WWF-UK. We promise to respond promptly and with care, because protecting every individual is at the heart of everything we do.
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