About the Role
This role provides strategic, high‑quality legal services to the global English Language Teaching (ELT) Division, including the English Assessment business. The focus is on enabling business objectives while managing legal risk, and on supporting growth initiatives through commercially informed, solutions‑oriented legal advice.
The position sits within the Group Legal function and is part of both the Group Legal Senior Management Team and the ELT Senior Leadership Team. Working closely with the Managing Director, ELT, and other senior colleagues, the role contributes to divisional decision‑making and the implementation of legal frameworks and policies.
Key responsibilities include providing legal business partnering across all non‑employment matters for the Division, drafting and negotiating agreements, advising on intellectual property, assessment, commercial, and digital product issues, and monitoring relevant legislative developments. The role also oversees litigation with external support, advises on areas such as competition and data privacy, and supports compliance activities across global operations. Some international travel will be required.
The role ensures alignment with Group Legal policies, coordinates external counsel, and collaborates with colleagues across Group Legal to support effective resource deployment and consistent legal practices. It also ensures that matters affecting other divisions are escalated appropriately, and it operates within performance, financial, and resourcing parameters set by the Group Legal Director.
We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.
About You
1. UK qualified solicitor with significant and relevant post qualification experience.
2. Private practice and in-house experience within a global business, preferably in publishing and/or assessment.
3. Track record of advising and influencing senior management.
4. Fluency in digital products, with strong technology and AI know-how.
5. Line management and team leadership experience.
6. Excellent drafting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
7. Excellent organisational and prioritization skills.
8. Strong ethical sense and understanding of the business.
9. Spanish language skills desirable, but not essential.
Benefits
We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.
We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts.
This role comes with the added benefit of private medical insurance, a car/allowance, and a management bonus.
Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.