Senior Legal Counsel

As a Senior Legal Counsel within Sky UK’s Technology & Enterprise Services (TES) Legal team, you’ll act as a trusted legal adviser and strategic business partner to leaders across Sky’s Technology, Procurement and corporate functions.

Technology sits at the heart of everything we do at Sky. From the AI capabilities transforming how we work, and our customer experience, to the platforms that power our products, to the technology, data, cyber security and enterprise systems that enable millions of customer interactions every day, you’ll shape some of Sky’s most important strategic initiatives.

Working closely with stakeholders across Technology, Procurement, HR, Finance, Customer Operations, Data, Cyber Security, Marketing and other corporate functions, you’ll deliver high-quality business focussed legal advice and services on complex, high-value commercial transactions, technology sourcing, digital transformation programmes, AI initiatives and strategic supplier relationships.

This role combines sophisticated commercial contracting with strategic legal advice, requiring sound judgment, strong commercial acumen and the ability to balance innovation and risk.

The Senior Legal Counsel is expected to be a role model for the Sky UK Legal Department. This role is based in the UK and will have the opportunity to work across and collaborate extensively with colleagues across Sky UK, Ireland, Italy as well as Comcast and NBCUniversal. 

What you’ll do

• Act as a trusted legal adviser and strategic business partner to senior stakeholders across Sky’s business areas, helping deliver Sky's strategic priorities.
• Lead the negotiation, drafting and execution of complex commercial, technology and supplier agreements with a high degree of autonomy.
• Provide clear, pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice that enables innovation whilst appropriately managing legal and regulatory risk.
• Support strategic technology initiatives including AI, digital transformation, cloud, SaaS, software licensing, outsourcing, cyber security, data and enterprise technology projects.
• Advise on a diverse range of commercial transactions across procurement, technology, marketing, HR, finance, customer operations and other enterprise functions.
• Build trusted relationships with senior leaders by understanding their strategic objectives and delivering legal advice that is practical, proportionate and business focused.
• Lead multiple complex matters simultaneously, exercising sound judgement to prioritise effectively and manage competing stakeholder demands.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the wider Legal department and partner with legal teams across Sky Group, Comcast and NBCUniversal to deliver consistent, high-quality legal support.
• Instruct and manage work undertaken by Sky Legal's managed legal services provider and external counsel to deliver efficient, cost-effective legal support.
• Coach and develop colleagues within the Legal team, sharing knowledge, improving legal processes and contributing to the continued development of Sky Legal.
• Identify emerging legal and regulatory developments, particularly in technology and AI, and proactively advise the business on their potential impact

What you’ll bring 

Essential criteria: 

• Qualified lawyer in a UK jurisdiction (or equivalent common law jurisdiction).
• Proven commercial experience gained in leading private practice and/or in-house legal team.
• Significant experience negotiating and advising on complex commercial and technology contracts.
• Strong commercial contracting experience across procurement, supplier agreements and strategic commercial transactions.
• Experience partnering directly with senior business stakeholders and influencing commercial outcomes.
• Experience independently leading significant negotiations and projects from instruction through to completion.
• Experience balancing legal risk with commercial objectives in a fast-moving environment.

Desirable Experience:

• In-house experience within a large, matrixed organisation.
• Experience advising on technology, SaaS, cloud, AI, outsourcing, software licensing or digital transformation projects.
• Experience working across multiple jurisdictions.
• Experience managing external legal providers.

Benefits and perks

There's one thing people can't stop talking about when it comes to life at Sky: the perks. Here’s a taster: 

• Free Sky TV, including Sky Sports and Sky Cinema  
• Pension package with up to 9% employer contribution
• Private healthcare with mental health support 
• Aviva Digital GP and dental insurance 
• Discounts on Sky products, including Sky Mobile, Sky Broadband, Sky Glass and Sky Protect 
• Sharesave and Tech schemes 
• A range of Sky VIP rewards and experiences

How you’ll work

We've adopted a hybrid working approach to give more flexibility on where and how we work. The hybrid working expectations for this role are 3 days in the office per week. 

Your office base  

Osterley

Our Sky Group HQ. Equipped with state-of-the-art technology and workspaces, there’s plenty of space to see your big ideas come to life. Here you’ll find 13 subsidised restaurants and cafes. You can re-energise at our gym, catch the latest films at our cinema, get your car washed and even get pampered at our beauty salon.

Our Osterley Campus is just a 10-minute walk from Syon Lane train station, or you can get one of our free shuttle buses from Osterley, Gunnersbury and Ealing Broadway stations. Plus, there’s free onsite parking available for cars, motorbikes and bicycles.

Who we are

We’re Sky, a leading media and entertainment company who connect millions with entertainment, sports, news and arts through innovative products and services. Working with us means you’ll be bringing the joy of a better experience to more people, every day. All so we can do better and deliver better for our customers, colleagues and society.

We’re an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We're a Disability Confident Accredited Employer, and welcome and encourage applications from all candidates. We will look to ensure a fair and consistent experience for all and will make reasonable adjustments to support you where appropriate. Please flag any adjustments you need as early as you can.

Just so you know: if your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a criminal record check. And depending on the role you have applied for and the nature of any convictions you may have, we might have to withdraw the offer. 

To be eligible for this role you are required to have the appropriate right to work in the UK. Please be aware Sky does not offer sponsorship for this position.

To find out more about working with us, search #LifeAtSky on social media.

Please note: We reserve the right to close this advertisement at any time once we have received a sufficient number of applications