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An opportunity to build the legal function of the fastest-growing league in world sport
The opportunity
WSL Football runs the top two divisions of women’s football in England. Two years in, the business is growing quickly across broadcast, sponsorship and partnerships, and it is now hiring its first permanent in-house lawyer. This is a rare chance to shape a legal function from the ground up, own the commercial work that drives the league forward, and grow as the organisation grows.
This is a hands-on, commercial-first role. You will personally draft and negotiate the deals, own the day-to-day legal workload, and sit alongside a commercial team that wants legal in the room helping deals happen, not reviewing them after the event. There is no General Counsel above you today, so you will have real ownership from day one and genuine room to develop as the function scales.
What you will do
- Draft, review and negotiate a broad range of commercial agreements: sponsorship, media and partnerships, licensing and IP, supplier and procurement, and software, SaaS and data contracts
- Own the day-to-day legal workload from instruction to completion, including NDAs, competition terms and player-related agreements
- Improve templates, workflows, precedents and legal technology so the function runs efficiently as the league grows
- Provide regulatory and governance support on FA, UEFA and FIFA rules and board matters, working alongside an experienced in-house Head of Standards and Regulations
- Partner closely with the commercial, operations, football and medical teams as a trusted, approachable adviser
- Manage external counsel efficiently on specialist or higher-risk matters
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What we are looking for
Essential:
- A qualified lawyer, typically 2-5 years PQE, though we will consider candidates outside this range where the fit is strong
- A strong grounding in commercial contracts and drafting, with genuine ownership of deals from first instruction to signature
- Comfortable working hands-on and at volume, without a legal team beneath you
- A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach to risk, and excellent negotiation and stakeholder skills
- Collaborative, approachable and low-ego, and happy in a fast-moving scale-up environment
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Desirable:
- Experience in sport, media or entertainment (a football background is not essential)
- Exposure to regulatory or governance frameworks, and prior in-house experience
What is on offer
- A competitive salary, with an annual bonus of up to 10% based on company and individual performance
- BUPA private healthcare, life insurance at four times salary and a 6% employer pension contribution
- 25 days annual leave plus a thank-you day
- Farringdon office, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays in the office and some travel as required
WSL Football and Executives in Sport Group are committed to building a diverse and inclusive game. We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, and particularly encourage applications from candidates who are underrepresented in the sector. If you need any adjustments to take part in the process, just let us know and we will make them.
We will ask all applicants to complete a short diversity monitoring form Diversity Monitoring Form - WSL - Legal Counsel – Fill in form
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