Legal Counsel, Employment

Overview

In this role, you will support the Executive Director, International Employment and Compliance across cross-border employment matters. You will partner with the global People Team to embed employment law best practices, manage investigations, and advise on complex regulatory issues in international markets. You will handle immigration, visa sponsorship, and global mobility policy, ensuring compliant processes and data handling. The role offers exposure to a fast-paced media environment and opportunities to shape compliance culture and policy. This is a mission-driven position in a leading global publisher where your advice drives business decisions and workforce integrity.

Responsibilities

• Provide advice on all types of employment and labour law across international markets
• Partner with global People Team to ensure internal legal best practices for managing employee relations
• Support employee investigations and consultations (individual and collective)
• Advise on diversity and inclusion issues and on disciplinary, redundancy, and restructuring processes
• Oversee employment contracts and exit paperwork where appropriate
• Assist with workforce representation issues (works councils, etc.)
• Monitor legal/regulatory updates and advise on impact to policies and procedures
• Assist with employment litigation and respond to compliance queries
• Draft guidance and training on employment law and compliance
• Coordinate UK visa applications and sponsor licence compliance with external partner
• Support global mobility policy implementation and liaise with external parties
• Manage external counsel as needed
• Support immigration matters and respond to auditors/regulators
• Present pragmatic, commercial legal advice
• Advise on AI-related legal, privacy, and risk implications for workplace deployment
• Communicate effectively with cross-border stakeholders and teams

Key requirements

• Qualified legal professional with 2+ years PQE (preferable)
• Experience in UK and International Employment law
• Background in private practice or in-house in media or similar sectors
• Experience leveraging AI tools and advising on AI in workplace contexts
• Experience handling international employment issues, investigations, and disciplinary matters
• Ability to coordinate investigations across Europe and APAC
• Interest or experience with immigration matters is preferred
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced environment
• Strong commercial, pragmatic problem-solving style
• European international languages preferred
• Confident, self-starter with relationship-building skills
• Flexible, team-oriented mindset during organizational change

• relationship-building
• commercial pragmatism
• flexibility
• AI tools in legal/compliance context
• immigration policy understanding
• visa sponsorship processes

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