Counsellor jobs in Birmingham

Locations: Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, or London - must be within a commutable distance to one of these centres and be in the office 2-3 days a week

1st stage interviews: 16/09 and 17/09 over MS Teams

2nd stage interviews: 25/09 in our Birmingham Centre

At The King's Trust, everything we do is focused on helping young people build the confidence and skills they need to succeed. As Legal Counsel, you'll play a vital role in making that possible. By providing expert legal advice, managing risk and supporting strong governance across the Trust, you'll help ensure our programmes, partnerships and fundraising activities can continue to create life-changing opportunities for thousands of young people.

This is a broad and influential in-house role where you'll work closely with colleagues across the organisation, advising on contracts, charity law, data protection, intellectual property and governance matters. You'll be a trusted partner to senior stakeholders, helping them make informed decisions that balance risk, opportunity and impact.

We're keen to hear from qualified solicitors or barristers who may have gained experience in:

• An in-house legal team within the charity, public or commercial sectors
• Private practice, particularly advising charities or not-for-profits
• Contract negotiation (including private and public sector funding agreements), charity law, governance, data protection and/or intellectual property matters

To hit the ground running, you'll be:

• A pragmatic and solutions-focused legal professional
• Confident working independently and managing a varied workload
• Skilled at translating complex legal issues into clear, practical advice
• Comfortable building relationships with stakeholders at all levels
• Motivated by the opportunity to use your expertise to support a mission-driven organisation

This is an opportunity to combine high-quality legal work with genuine social impact, helping The King's Trust operate with confidence so that more young people can thrive.

What happens next?  

Please submit a CV and Cover Letter that includes your experience, transferable skills and motivation to work for The King's Trust! The Team will be in touch about the next steps shortly after the closing date. 

Why do we need Legal Counsels? 

Last year, we helped more than 40,000 Young People, with three in four young people on our programmes moving into a positive outcome in work, education or training.The young people we help face a range of challenges, such as unemployment, mental health issues or some who have been in trouble with the law. We believe all young people should have the chance to succeed, and that young people are the key to a positive and prosperous future for all of us. We want to continue having a positive impact on young people’s lives, and we couldn’t do this without the important work of Legal Counsels! 

Perks for working at The Trust! 

• Great holiday package! 30 days annual leave entitlement, plus bank holidays. Office closure on the days between Christmas and New Year 
• Flexible working! Where operationally possible, our roles require a combination of office days and working from home (please speak to the hiring manager about this particular role)
• You can volunteer for and/or attend events – The King's Trust Awards, Pride, active events, etc. 
• In-house learning platform! Develop your skills for your career and your role 
• Benefits platform! Everything from health and financial well-being support to discounts on your favourite restaurants, shops and cinemas. 
• Personal development opportunities through our Networks – KT CAN (Cultural Awareness Network), KT GEN (Gender Equality Network), KT DAWN (Disability & Wellbeing Network), and PULSE (LGBTQIA+ Network). 
• Fantastic Family leave! Receive 13 weeks of full pay and 13 weeks of half pay for maternity and adoption leave. Receive 8 weeks of full pay for paternity leave. 
• Interest-free season ticket loans 
• The Trust will contribute 5% of your salary to the Trust Pension Scheme 
• Generous life assurance cover (4 x annual salary) 

Organisation: HOST 

Team:Legal 

Reports to: Legal Lead 

Hours: 0.6 FTE, typically 9:00am-5:00pm UK time 

Location: Remote, with flexibility to meet team and organisational needs 

Salary:Competitive, dependent on experience 

About HOST 

HOST supports climate and social change initiatives around the world by providing project hosting, operational infrastructure, and grantmaking support. We work alongside activists, organisers, and movements across climate and social justice, helping them operate safely, sustainably, and effectively in complex environments. 

As our organisation grows, so does the need for practical, accessible legal support. Our Legal function helps ensure that HOST operates safely, compliantly, and in line with our values, while enabling partners and teams to make informed decisions with confidence. 

About the Role 

We're looking for a qualified Legal Counsel to join our growing Legal team. Reporting to the Legal Lead, you'll provide practical legal advice across a broad range of matters, including contracts, governance, compliance, risk management, and organisational policies. 

This is a hands-on role that combines legal expertise with a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach. You'll work closely with colleagues across the organisation, many of whom are not legally qualified, helping them navigate legal issues and understand risk in a clear and accessible way. 

As a relatively new function within HOST, the Legal team is continuing to develop its processes, systems, and ways of working. You'll play an important role in shaping these foundations, improving legal workflows, developing templates and guidance, and exploring how legal technology and AI tools can support efficient service delivery. 

This is an exciting opportunity for someone who enjoys building systems, improving processes, and applying sound legal judgement within a mission-driven organisation. 

Key Responsibilities 

Contracts and Legal Advice 

• Review, draft, negotiate and approve a wide range of contracts and agreements. 

• Maintain and improve legal templates and precedents. 

• Provide practical, risk-based legal advice to colleagues across the organisation. 

• Manage legal requests through a structured and auditable process. 

• Liaise with external legal advisors when specialist expertise is required. 

Risk, Due Diligence and Compliance 

Working alongside the Legal Lead, you will: 

• Assess higher-risk matters, including sanctions, safeguarding, governance, employment and data protection issues. 

• Support organisational risk management processes. 

• Ensure legal considerations are appropriately aligned with operational and financial processes. 

• Maintain clear and proportionate risk records. 

Legal Operations and Governance 

• Support the implementation of legal technology and AI-enabled tools to improve contract management and legal workflows. 

• Develop and maintain policies, guidance documents and legal resources. 

• Embed efficient legal processes across the organisation. 

• Contribute to governance and compliance initiatives. 

• Support continuous improvement of the Legal function. 

About You 

Essential 

• Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales with a current practising certificate. 

• Strong grounding in English contract law. 

• Experience drafting, reviewing, negotiating and interpreting a wide range of agreements. 

• Excellent judgement and ability to provide balanced, pragmatic legal advice. 

• Strong communication skills, with the ability to explain legal concepts clearly to non-legal audiences. 

• Highly organised and able to manage competing priorities effectively. 

• Comfortable working independently in a remote environment. 

• Previous in-house legal experience. 

Desirable 

• Experience working within the charity, non-profit or social impact sector. 

• Knowledge of charity law and governance frameworks. 

• Experience using legal technology and AI tools to support legal operations. 

• Familiarity with GDPR, data protection and privacy matters. 

• Understanding of employment law, contractor arrangements and international workforce considerations. 

• Knowledge of sanctions, compliance and risk management frameworks. 

• Experience supporting organisations operating across multiple jurisdictions. 

What We're Looking For 

• Collaborative and approachable. 

• Pragmatic and solutions-focused. 

• Comfortable balancing legal accuracy with operational realities. 

• Confident advising managers and colleagues who may be unfamiliar with legal processes. 

• Motivated by continuous improvement and building effective systems. 

• Passionate about HOST's mission and values. 

Why Join HOST? 

This is an opportunity to help shape and grow a legal function within an organisation working at the forefront of climate and social justice. You'll work with colleagues and partners across the globe, contribute to meaningful work, and play a key role in helping HOST operate safely and effectively as it continues to grow. 

To apply, please submit your CV and a short covering statement outlining your suitability for the role.