General Counsel Charity

The General Counsel is the firms principal adviser on legal, governance and regulatory

matter

The role helps the Board and Executive make sound, ethical and commercially informed

decisions. It protects the firms integrity and reputation while enabling the organisation to take

proportionate risks, form effective partnerships and deliver greater impact for people living with

cancer.

The role provides clear advice and constructive challenge, particularly where decisions involve

significant legal, regulatory, governance or reputational risk.

Legal and Governance Leadership

• Act as a trusted adviser to the Board, Chief Executive and Executive Team on significant legal, governance, regulatory and ethical matters.
• Provide clear pragmatic recommendations, including expert legal options, balancing opportunity, risk and the firms charitable purpose.
• Lead legal and governance input into major organisational change, partnerships, commercial arrangements and new ways of working.
• Ensure trustees receive the advice and support they need to fulfil their responsibilities.
• Provide strategic oversight of the firms governance framework and work closely with the Company Secretary, who has a dotted-line relationship to the General Counsel.
• Act as the senior escalation point for serious or complex legal, regulatory and governance matters.

Risk, Assurance & Compliance

• Lead the development of the firms enterprise risk framework, risk appetite and associated reporting.
• Provide independent advice and challenge to the Executive and Board on significant risks and the strength of their management.
• Ensure accountability for managing risks remains with the appropriate executive and business owner.
• Oversee the firms approach to information governance, data protection and regulatory compliance.
• Ensure serious legal, regulatory and compliance issues are identified, escalated and addressed promptly.
• Build organisational confidence and capability to understand and manage risk, rather than transferring responsibility to the Legal or Risk teams.
• Provide legal and governance oversight of safeguarding, serious incident reporting, whistleblowing and regulatory investigations.
• Oversee business continuity, crisis governance, insurance, indemnities and liability management.

Contract & Commercial Management

• Provide pragmatic legal advice on contracts, grants, partnerships, employment, intellectual property and other areas relevant to the firms work.
• Help shape commercial and partnership models that support innovation, value for money and sustainable impact.
• Ensure significant agreements reflect the firms objectives, agreed risk appetite and charitable obligations.
• Make effective use of internal and external legal expertise, ensuring quality and value for money.
• Maintain a proportionate legal service that responds to organisational priorities and

Ethics and Integrity

• Lead the firms approach to legal integrity and ethical decision-making.
• Advise on conflicts of interest, anti-bribery, whistleblowing, data ethics and the responsible use of emerging technology.
• Champion high standards of openness, transparency and probity.
• Support constructive and transparent relationships with the Charity Commission, Information Commissioner’s Office, Fundraising Regulator and other relevant bodies.

Team leadership & Organisational Impact

• Lead an inclusive, high-performing Legal and Governance team.
• Build legal and risk capability across the firm and develop sustainable expertise within the function.
• Ensure the team is engaged early in significant decisions and works collaboratively across the organisation.
• Maintain a flexible operating model that responds to priorities and changing demand.

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