Head of Legal Operations

Job Description

At Believ, formerly known as Liberty Charge, we're committed to sustainable transport being accessible to everyone. We're a Charge Point Operator (CPO) on a mission to create the UK's most reliable electric vehicle charging network that doesn't cost the earth and leaves no one behind. Providing equitable access to electric vehicle charging, and achieving cleaner air for all, is at the heart of the Believ mission. We work closely with local authorities and businesses to deliver reliable, high quality charging networks at pace, at scale and at zero cost.

We offer all the advantages of being a scale-up business, but with the added security and long-term backing from well-known parents - Liberty Global (who also own our delivery partner, Virgin Media O2) and Zouk Capital (who manage the Government's Charging Investment Infrastructure Fund).

You'll be joining this exciting journey during our scale-up phase and working with us to hit the ambitious targets our shareholders have set. You'll become part of a passionate and supportive team in a fast-paced, dynamic and result-driven environment.

About The Role

Reporting into the Legal Director, you will provide strong leadership in overseeing, supporting and developing a team of UK based lawyers currently consisting of: 2 senior legal counsels, 1 legal counsel and 1 paralegal. This team oversees all aspects of Believ's EV charge point network including securing property / land interests, planning, design & construction and operations & maintenance.

You will be instrumental in shaping Believ's legal, regulatory and compliance function.

Overseeing Network Operations

• Manage a busy pipeline of Public Sector and Private Sector transactions in England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, ensuring these are appropriately resourced. Partnering with key internal stakeholders to ensure clear visibility of the pipeline.
• Manage all aspects of property acquisition including title due diligence, putting in place Concession Contracts, Framework Agreements, Agreements for Lease, Leases, Licences etc, attending to SDLT and Land Registry registration.
• Manage all supply side agreements relating to the operation of the EV charge point network including: IT software & hardware purchasing, services and outsourcing, construction contracts, energy purchasing / supply agreements. In the absence of an in-house procurement function, working with the Business to define requirements, pricing mechanisms, service levels and remedies for supplier non-performance.
• Maintain your own contract workload which may consist of: introducer / commission agreements, network roaming agreements and the property and supply side agreements mentioned above.
• Partner with the tenders & Sales teams on RFIs, RFPs and advise on public procurement challenges and issues.
• Develop initiatives to reduce contract negotiation times with local authorities and private landlords.
• Proactively identify, manage and mitigate risks whilst enabling the Business to move forward on its objectives, including ensuring contract termination / renewals and variations are progressed in a timely manner.
• Prepare and have oversight of legal budgets, monitoring Legal spend and conducting regular reviews of external law firms and conduct RFPs for Legal Services as required.
• Ensure templates and contract negotiation playbooks are continually revised and updated.
• Drive the adoption and optimisation of legal technology including AI and contract management systems.
• Build strong working relationships with key stakeholders, provide regular training and encourage business partnering between Legal and Business teams.

Leading on General Compliance Role

This is an evolving role with the aim of embedding a culture of legal engagement and compliance across the Business. This role will initially entail:

• Manage and maintain Believ's ISO certifications including ISO audit preparation, applications for new ISOs and liaising with external auditors and internal stakeholders as necessary.
• Manage and maintain Believ's B-Corp certification.
• Oversee Believ's insurance requirements to ensure all areas of Business operations are adequately covered.
• Support Business areas on contract lifecycle management, tracking contractual obligations and advising on strategy and mitigations against known-breaches.
• Oversee Believ's compliance with key legislation - e.g. Public Charge Point Regulations reporting obligations.
• Monitor regulatory developments and industry trends being mindful of evolving product offerings in the EV space (e.g. (e.g. solar power canopies, vehicle to grid, battery storage).
• Draft and revise corporate policies such as Modern Slavery, Anti-bribery, Business Continuity, Privacy etc.
• Develop and implement legal procedures and policies to ensure adherence to best practice and compliance with law.
• Attend industry working groups and co-ordinate Believ's response to public consultations.

Other

• Work closely with the Legal Director to help turn legal priorities into practical business strategy and support the company's growth from the legal side
• Deputise for the Legal Director at SLT and Board meetings.
• On an as needs basis: company secretariat activities, overseeing Believ's trade mark portfolio, GDPR & data protection, supporting on M&A activity.

About You

At Believ, we are building a culture that attracts and retains the best talent. We are a dedicated and high-performing team, accustomed to working at pace in an ever-evolving industry, and we are looking for people who are as passionate as us about cutting carbon emissions and providing cleaner air for all. The successful Candidate will be a qualified solicitor (SRA) in England & Wales with the following attributes and skills:

• Minimum of 10 years of post-qualification experience including in-house ideally in a fast-paced environment.
• Significant experience in negotiating and advising on commercial contracts.
• Significant experience with property law and negotiating Leases and Licences.
• Previous network infrastructure roll out experience (e.g. EV, mobile, broadband, electricity) or demonstrable experience of learning new sectors.
• Experience of coaching and developing team members.
• Demonstrable experience of designing and implementing pre and post contracting processes and procedures and driving and leading deals towards completion.
• Thrives working in a scale-up environment where goal posts are constantly moving and new solutions / business models are being trialed.
• Commercial acumen to understand how to structure advice and approach in a start-up and new industry environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Above all, you will be up for the challenge and have a willingness to really embed yourself in the Business by rolling you sleeves up and diving in!

Benefits

• Competitive salary and bonus scheme
• 25 days' annual leave, plus the usual 8 UK Bank Holidays and the option to purchase up to 5 additional days per year*
• Access to wellbeing and mental health benefits such as the Calm app, personal medical insurance, critical illness cover, dental, optical & travel insurance, income protection and life assurance
• Pension contribution matched up to 10%
• Access to our car benefit scheme and cycle to work scheme
• Access to our online learning platform to continue to develop and grow your career with us.
• 16 hours a year Volunteer Time Off to support causes that are important to you
• Virgin Media / O2 discounts and offers
• Access to VIP Arena Suites at the O2 Arena (London) and First Direct Arena (Leeds)
• Enhanced parental leave policies
• This perk can only be availed for the following calendar year by employees who started before 1st December

Location

The business is currently based in our office in Southwark. The position is full time, hybrid with 3 days (Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday) based in the Southwark office, however, applicants who are able to attend our Cardiff or Edinburgh offices will also be considered. Believ is an equal opportunity employer. We embrace diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our people.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.