Job Title:      Interim Legal Director

Location:     London, Hybrid     

Contract:     Full Time, Permanent

About Springer Nature

Springer Nature is one of the world’s leading global research, educational and professional publishers. It is home to an array of respected and trusted brands and imprints, with more than 170 years of combined history behind them, providing quality content through a range of innovative products and services. Every day, around the globe, our imprints, books, journals and resources reach millions of people, helping researchers and scientists to discover, students to learn and professionals to achieve their goals and ambitions. The company has almost 10,000 staff in over 50 countries.

About the Role

This Interim Legal Director position is a key role in the General Counsel’s Office (GCO) of Springer Nature, with the opportunity to contribute to the growth and success of Springer Nature globally. The successful candidate will be an experienced legal professional, capable of operating at a senior level and with a strong background in IP/IT and media organisations. They will provide a broad range of legal services to the Global Macmillan Education division, and to Springer Nature’s global Operations function. This role is part of the General Counsel’s Office global legal team, and will be based in the UK reporting the VP Regional GC UK, Americas & Africa. The Springer Nature General Counsel’s Office is a team of 70 people globally, dedicated to guiding and protecting Springer Nature in an ever-changing world.

Role Responsibilities: 

  • Senior Business Partner to Macmillan Education, providing expert legal advice on all publishing and general legal matters for the Global Macmillan Education division.

  • Senior Business Partner to the Chief Operating Officer with primary responsibility for advising on all relevant legal matters, ranging from data, technology (SaaS, software licensing etc), to global procurement and operations functions.

  • A strategic advisor, and proactive partner, capable of providing both strategic advice and pragmatic, actionable solutions that support tangible outcomes and drive progress.

  • Lead projects with notable risk and complexity and developing the strategy for project execution.

  • Communicating with diverse stakeholder groups, managing competing priorities and building strong relationships.

  • Acting largely autonomously, working directly with the business, providing objective analysis of risks that relate to commercial and consumer law, copyright and other intellectual property matters and providing solutions to satisfy legal and business requirements.

  • Play a key role in building and contributing to the culture within the General Counsel’s Office.

  • Working in a collaborative and proactive manner with other global members of the General Counsel's Office to enhance the support provided by the legal team to the business, promoting best practice and contributing to the overall performance of the General Counsel’s Office.

  • Supervising more junior colleagues in the team who will be supporting you, acting as mentor and providing appropriate feedback and guidance.

Key relationships:

  • Macmillan Education Management, Chief Operating Officer and wider leadership team

  • GCO colleagues in all departments, particularly the legal team members advising Macmillan Education globally and the UK legal team where this role is based.

  • Leaders and colleagues across the global matrix structure of Springer Nature up to and including the C suite as well as external advisors.

Experience, Skills & Qualifications: 

Essential 

  • UK qualified lawyer with strong private practice and in-house experience.

  • More than 10 years of professional experience, ideally in the media sector, including significant experience in copyright and publishing matters, general commercial and IT/software technology agreements.

  • Strong analytical and conceptual thinking, with the ability to work across disciplines and understand complex systems and think in an interdisciplinary way.

  • Able to diligently manage high workloads and legal complexity under pressure while meeting deadlines.

  • Strong technical legal skills. Excellent commercial awareness.

  • Outstanding legal research, analysis, and drafting skills.

Desirable                         

  • Proactive and solution-driven mindset with a drive for continuous learning, improvement and innovation

  • Demonstrated leadership and project management skills.

Springer Nature is a Disability Confident Committed Employer and we encourage applications from candidates with disabilities. If you consider yourself to have a disability or learning difficulty and wish to submit your application in an alternative format or would like to discuss reasonable adjustments during the application and interview process, please get in touch either by phone on +44 (0)207 014 4020 or by email [email protected] so we can make any necessary arrangements.  

At Springer Nature we value and celebrate the diversity of our people. We recognise the many benefits of a diverse workforce and strive for an inclusive workplace that empowers all our colleagues to thrive. Our search for the best talent fully encompasses and embraces these values and principles.

https://group.springernature.com/jp/group/taking-responsibility/diversity-equity-inclusion   

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Springer Nature is one of the world’s leading global research, educational and professional publishers. It is home to an array of respected and trusted brands and imprints, with more than 170 years of...

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