Senior Legal Counsel

Unit4
Harrogate
1 year ago
Applications closed

Related Jobs

View all jobs

Senior Football Data Scientist

Legal Technologist - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

Benefit Risk Management Center of Excellence Data Scientist

Machine Learning Team Lead

Call for Associate Editor Applications: Computation, AI and Machine Learning

Senior Machine Learning Engineer

Job Description

Job Description

As a Senior legal counsel for CE (France) and Lead Privacy Counsel you will provide broad legal advice and assistance to the business in CE for all French speaking countries (e.g. France, Belgium, Luxembourg) and will work together as part of the Go-To Market team with legal colleagues to address legal issues across the globe.

As a Senior Legal Counsel you will be responsible for negotiating, drafting and reviewing a broad range of agreements and assisting with disputes. You may also be asked to assist the Unit4 French business with day to day legal advice on corporate, HR and finance matters.

As Lead Privacy Counsel you will oversee Unit4’s approach to data protection matters under GDPR and in other jurisdictions. You will take responsibility for driving Unit4’s approach to data protection and AI matters as this field expands and as Unit4 finds more uses for AI and machine learning within its product set working closely with our R&D team as well as our Chief Data Officer and other teams around Unit4.

As part of the global legal team, you will enhance legal awareness in the business, by providing training and advising management on relevant legal development that could affect our business. You will be involved in strategic projects critical to the business and engage directly with senior executives (including with respect to AI as mentioned above). 

You will be part of a global legal team of around 12 people. Unit4 is growing fast and advancing its technology into many new areas which provides for a great number of exciting projects where legal is leading the business in best practice and compliant ways of transacting business.

Key Responsibilities

  • Commercial Contracts:
    • Draft, review, and negotiate a wide range of commercial contracts, including SaaS (sales) agreements, service agreements, non-disclosure agreements, and joint venture agreements.
    • Provide legal advice on contract interpretation and dispute resolution.
  • French Commercial Law:
    • Advise on French commercial law matters, including corporate governance, competition law, and consumer protection.
    • Stay up-to-date on French legal developments and provide training to internal stakeholders.
  • Privacy, Data Protection and AI:
    • Advise on all aspects of data privacy and protection compliance, including GDPR, e-Privacy Directive, and local data protection laws.
    • Conduct data privacy impact assessments (DPIAs) and provide guidance on data minimization and retention policies.
    • Manage data breach response processes (working closely with the CISO) and coordinate with relevant stakeholders.
    • Represent the company in data protection audits and investigations.
    • Involvement in company’s AI committee and all related projects.


Qualifications

Education

French Law Degree (preferably masters level) (IP law, Economic law or Business law)

Knowledge and Skills

  • Strong project management skills;
  • Excellent presentation skills in both informal and formal situations;
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills in French and English;
  • Good interpersonal skills and relationship management skills;
  • Self-starter so therefore also a quick learner;
  • Team player;
  • Ability to work collaboratively with senior staff in management and other disciplines;
  • Committed to excellent performance and a practical understanding of how to deliver results;
  • Be hands on and have a Can Do mentality;
  • Energetic individual with unusual initiative;
  • Ability to work under pressure and be flexible;
  • Strong work ethic and enthusiastic about new challenges; and
  • Creative thinker and resourceful problem solver.

Experience

  • Qualified to practice law in France;
  • A minimum of 5 years post qualification experience;
  • Experience in private law firm; and
  • In-house experience in a globally operating IT/tech company.



Additional Information

Join Unit4 and you’ll be part of one of the most exciting journeys in the cloud software space today. We’re a fast-paced and high-growth people-centric cloud player offering a host of benefits & development opportunities for individuals serious about their career.  At Unit4, you have the freedom and autonomy to be successful. An attractive salary while working in a challenging international environment. Enthusiastic colleagues who like to learn from each other. At Unit4 we invest in your personal and professional growth. We don't focus on how many days you work, we trust you on delivering results - thus, we have an unlimited vacation policy.

Subscribe to Future Tech Insights for the latest jobs & insights, direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy and terms of service.

Industry Insights

Discover insightful articles, industry insights, expert tips, and curated resources.

The Skills Gap in AI Jobs: What Universities Aren’t Teaching

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept. It is already reshaping how businesses operate, how decisions are made, and how entire industries compete. From finance and healthcare to retail, manufacturing, defence, and climate science, AI is embedded in critical systems across the UK economy. Yet despite unprecedented demand for AI talent, employers continue to report severe recruitment challenges. Vacancies remain open for months. Salaries rise year on year. Candidates with impressive academic credentials often fail technical interviews. At the heart of this disconnect lies a growing and uncomfortable truth: Universities are not fully preparing graduates for real-world AI jobs. This article explores the AI skills gap in depth—what is missing from many university programmes, why the gap persists, what employers actually want, and how jobseekers can bridge the divide to build a successful career in artificial intelligence.

AI Jobs for Career Switchers in Their 30s, 40s & 50s (UK Reality Check)

Changing career into artificial intelligence in your 30s, 40s or 50s is no longer unusual in the UK. It is happening quietly every day across fintech, healthcare, retail, manufacturing, government & professional services. But it is also surrounded by hype, fear & misinformation. This article is a realistic, UK-specific guide for career switchers who want the truth about AI jobs: what roles genuinely exist, what skills employers actually hire for, how long retraining really takes & whether age is a barrier (spoiler: not in the way people think). If you are considering a move into AI but want facts rather than Silicon Valley fantasy, this is for you.

How to Write an AI Job Ad That Attracts the Right People

Artificial intelligence is now embedded across almost every sector of the UK economy. From fintech and healthcare to retail, defence and climate tech, organisations are competing for AI talent at an unprecedented pace. Yet despite the volume of AI job adverts online, many employers struggle to attract the right candidates. Roles are flooded with unsuitable applications, while highly capable AI professionals scroll past adverts that feel vague, inflated or disconnected from reality. In most cases, the issue isn’t a shortage of AI talent — it’s the quality of the job advert. Writing an effective AI job ad requires more care than traditional tech hiring. AI professionals are analytical, sceptical of hype and highly selective about where they apply. A poorly written advert doesn’t just fail to convert — it actively damages your credibility. This guide explains how to write an AI job ad that attracts the right people, filters out mismatches and positions your organisation as a serious employer in the AI space.