Senior lawyer jobs in watford, hertfordshire

Reporting to: Co-Executive Director

Benefits:

25 days annual leave per annum, plus UK public and bank holidays (pro rata)
Office closure for a week in December and August
Annual leave allocation increases annually by one day (up to a maximum of five days)
10% employer pension contribution
Other standard Foxglove benefits 

Application deadline: Monday 19 November 2025 at 9am 

About us

Foxglove is a non-profit that exists to make the use of technology fair for all. When Big Tech companies abuse their power, their workers or the planet – and when governments use technology to oppress, exclude or discriminate – we litigate and campaign to fix it.  

Big Tech companies have become so large – gobbling up a huge slice of the global marketplace and an unprecedented treasure hoard of user data – that they’re now more powerful than many states. The harmful effects of this concentration of power are everywhere – threats to our democracy, to our privacy, decimated workers’ rights and platforms rife with disinformation and hate. Big Tech and AI data centres are rapidly expanding, resulting in huge strain on energy and water supplies. Worldwide governments are ploughing ahead with the use of algorithms and mass data systems to cut costs and increase efficiency often resulting in digital tools that entrench unfairness and leave the most vulnerable in society in crisis. All these problems are only getting worse with generative AI. 

Foxglove works to bring the rule of law to the tech and AI giants who have upended our public square, workplaces, and social lives. We have a strong track record. We’ve launched landmark cases seeking structural changes to big tech’s harmful business models, supported 180+ Facebook content moderators fired for trying to form a union to sue Facebook and their outsourcing company, Sama – winning world-first judgements. We're urging competition regulators worldwide to stop Google’s theft of independent news. We’ve filed the UK’s first legal challenge to a data centre permission decision over the government’s failure to properly assess their environmental impact. We’ve forced disclosure of secret contracts between tech giants and the NHS, stopped a racist Home Office visa streaming algorithm, helped make grading fair for UK A level students, forced the government to pause the NHS Data Grab and challenged the Department of Work and Pension’s use of an algorithm unfairly flagging disabled people for benefit fraud investigations.

We are a small but growing team of lawyers, communications experts, and campaigners. Our work is global, and we work in partnership with lawyers, civil society, unions, and people impacted by Big Tech.

The role

As Head of Operations, you will lead all operational functions of Foxglove. You will ensure that our finance, HR, legal compliance, fundraising, systems and internal processes enable the organisation to carry out its mission effectively. You’ll work across Foxglove and closely with leadership, as well as with external partners to build a resilient and well-governed organisation, able to manage growth and complexity while staying mission driven. This role manages one member of staff and multiple consultants. 

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Financial Management & Accounting

1.Oversee financial operations: budgeting, forecasting, cash flow, expenditure controls, financial reporting, payroll.

2.Ensure compliance with accounting standards, audit requirements and donor / funder financial reporting obligations.

3.Manage relationships with external accountants, auditors, banks, and financial service providers.

4.Ensure appropriate and best practice financial policies and controls are in place. 

5.Ensure financial risk is identified and managed appropriately.

Fundraising & Development

1.Contribute to the organisation’s fundraising strategy in collaboration with the Co-Executive Directors and Head of Strategy.

2.Ensure systems are in place to track and manage grants, philanthropic donations, and other income streams.

3.Support the preparation of funding proposals and reports and ensure accurate and timely reporting to funders.

4.Support relationship management with key donors, foundations and partners.

Operational Systems & Processes

1.Develop and maintain efficient operational processes and systems (e.g. finance, HR, IT, data protection, office management).

2.Ensure proper policies and procedures are in place for procurement, vendor management, travel & expenses, and record-keeping.

3.Oversee the infrastructure that supports remote / hybrid working, ensuring tools and systems support collaboration, security, and productivity.

Compliance, Risk & Governance

1.Lead on organisational compliance: legal, regulatory, health & safety, data protection / GDPR, employment law.

2.Ensure the organisation’s policies and procedures are best practice, legally compliant and up to date.

3.Establish and monitor risk management frameworks and our risk register.

4.Support governance structures (internal reporting, director meetings etc.), ensuring decisions are well informed and documented.

Human Resources & People Operations

1.Oversee recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and staff development.

2.Ensure policies on equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing are embedded in how we work.

3.Foster a positive culture in line with Foxglove’s values.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

1.Lead the operations team, ensuring clarity of roles, responsibilities, performance and support.

2.Work closely with the rest of organisation including the legal teams and advocacy to ensure operations enables, not hinders, impact.

3.Contribute to organisational strategy, helping translate strategic ambitions into operational plans.

Person specification

Below are the essential and desirable criteria for a successful candidate.

Essential

·Qualified accountant (e.g. ACA, ACCA, CIMA or equivalent), with proven experience in financial oversight and reporting 

·Minimum of 5-7 years of senior operations / finance / business operations experience, including line management 

·Strong experience of budgeting, forecasting, audit & financial compliance 

·Excellent strategic thinking and planning skills, able to bridge between high-level strategy and operational detail 

·Strong risk-management and governance experience; familiarity with compliance, data protection / GDPR, employment law etc. 

·Highly organised and able to manage multiple priorities; excellent time-management skills 

·Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to present complex operational, financial or legal information clearly 

·Strong collaboration skills; ability to work across teams; good leadership and people management skills

Desirable

·Experience of operating in non-profit / mission-driven / legal organisations 

·Legal or compliance experience

·Experience of international operations, dealing with cross-border legal / regulatory issues 

·Experience of change management and scaling teams or systems 

·Understanding of, or interest in, legal, tech justice issues 

·Experience of hybrid / remote team leadership 

·Experience with fundraising finances, grants management, donor reports

Please note we know this role is wide in scope, if you meet some but not all the criteria and are interested in applying please reach out – we are keen to hear from you. 

Length and salary

This is a permanent full-time role with six-month probation period. 

How to apply

Please make your application via Applied here, answering the application questions and uploading your CV. We will not review applications sent via a job board or to our email. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis with first round interviews likely to take place in mid to late-November for selected candidates.

Foxglove does not use AI in its recruitment processes, except to detect applications for AI use. As a tech-justice organisation, we ask the same of our candidates.

Foxglove is growing and we are striving to build a team that is inclusive. We will create a diverse and adaptable environment where we support people to do their best work. We believe an effective and creative team is made up of people from different walks of life. You can read more about how we work and what we offer our staff here. 

If you require any reasonable adjustments to complete this process, or have any questions, please get in touch with us.

If you would like to know more about how we process your data as part of the recruitment process you can read our recruitment data use policy here.

The IOP exists to help physics and the physics community deliver on their potential for our lives, our society, our planet.

Together with our members and leaders from the world of physics and beyond, we have identified three priorities of Skills, Science and Society which must shape our work over the next five years if we are to achieve our mission.

We are very proud of our new innovative strategy, our priorities and our principles.

Here at the IOP we are looking for a People & Policy Partner (Maternity Cover) until mid-November 2026 to support us in our mission.

What is it like working at the IOP?

The IOP is a friendly and ambitious organisation. Inclusion and diversity are central to our work and we have a ‘work anywhere’ in the UK policy to make working at the IOP as flexible as possible. This is complemented with competitive salaries, professional development opportunities and generous benefits.

Our comprehensive benefits package including:

• An excellent pension scheme - (up to 12% company contribution)
• Private medical insurance, life assurance, dental insurance, health care cash plan (via salary sacrifice) eye care vouchers, annual flu vaccinations, long service awards, employee assistance programme
• Floating bank holidays (choose when to take your bank holidays throughout the year)
• Generous annual leave (25 days starting as a standard)
• Flexible working

The Role

The role is ideal for someone with strong ER and policy writing experience and good knowledge and understanding of UK employment legislation, key HR legislation and HR systems to appropriately advise and lead on ER cases. Ideally you would need to be CIPD part qualified or studying towards a qualification.

We are looking for an organised, resilient and dependable individual who has proven ability to work within a small team, as well as under their own initiative, and who can communicate effectively across the organisation both in written and oral form. 

Strong interpersonal skills with ability to listen, discuss, negotiate and provide advice on difficult, complex or sensitive issues is essential.

What will I be doing?

• First point of contact on IOP’s ER issues and responses, replying to queries in a timely manner
• Taking the lead on IOP HR policies, assessing and updating them on an ongoing basis in line with employment law changes
• Soley managing employee relations’ activities, ensuring that outcomes are proportionate, reasonable, timely and in line with legislation and the Institute’s policies
• Guiding, advising and assisting management and senior management through employee relations processes
• Providing people management advice and support to line managers, to enable them to fully undertake their people management role and ensure they are fully aware of the risks / implications associated with their decisions

Who will I work with?

• Internally, the role works across all departments as well as IOP Publishing HR and Finance
• Externally, the role works with employment lawyers, occupational health providers and EDI professionals

Ideally, your skills include:

Essential Criteria

• A sound knowledge of employment legislation and its application
• Strong sense of professional boundaries and the importance of confidentiality
• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to listen, discuss, negotiate and provide advice on difficult, complex or sensitive issues
• Experience working in a busy and varied role in a fast-paced environment, autonomously
• Strong working knowledge of employment law and HR best practice
• Absolute attention to detail
• HR qualification

Desirable

• Level 5 CIPD qualification (or working towards it)
• Experience using HR systems, ideally iTrent (Electric Theme)

Application

Alongside your CV, please ensure you include a brief cover letter stating how you meet the person specification. 

Why should I want to work for the IOP?

The Institute of Physics (IOP) is the professional body and learned society for physics in the UK and Ireland - we seek to raise public awareness and understanding of physics and support the development of a diverse and inclusive physics community. As a charity, we’re here to ensure that physics delivers on its exceptional potential to benefit society.

Should you require any reasonable adjustments to support you in your application and / or throughout the recruitment process please do not hesitate to reach out to us for support.

The Institute of Physics is an open and inclusive organisation that welcomes and celebrates diversity.

To apply for this role please click the link below, best of luck with your applications!

What if your expertise in legal, risk, or assurance could shape how we navigate complex challenges at scale? You could be embedding excellence and credibility that protects and empowers our mission to end the devastation of dementia.

About the opportunity

As Head of Legal, Risk and Assurance, you'll lead three critical disciplines that form the backbone of trust, safety, and risk-informed decision-making at Alzheimer's Society. This is a people-focused leadership role within our Finance & Assurance directorate, overseeing professional teams delivering legal, risk management, and assurance services. You'll bring these areas together as one team, joining the dots to create real impact through compassionate, strategic leadership.

We're in the midst of an ambitious transformation programme, and you'll play a central role in ensuring this change is embedded effectively. Working in close partnership with management and trustees, you'll be a senior, credible, and visible voice. Influencing decisions, elevating standards, and building a culture where risk awareness and legal clarity empower rather than constrain our work.

This role brings together three disciplines, each led by experienced subject matter experts who will report into you. We're not expecting you to be an expert in all three areas. However, you should have significant professional experience in at least one, with strong knowledge and curiosity about the others. Above all, this is a people-focused position. Your ability to lead, develop, and inspire your teams, and those around you, will be just as important as your technical expertise.

If you're a strategic leader who thrives on building relationships, driving continuous improvement, and creating lasting impact in a cause-driven environment, we'd love to hear from you.

About you:

You're an accomplished leader with proven experience in legal, risk, or assurance. You'll bring both technical credibility and a track record of effective stakeholder management and people leadership. You're passionate about developing others, building high-performing teams, and creating an environment where professionals can thrive. You understand that when risk, legal, and audit is done best, it's done in collaboration. Keeping the end goal in mind, and enabling the best possible decisions that protect what matters most.

You'll have:

- Professional qualification in at least one discipline (qualified lawyer, risk professional, and/or chartered internal auditor) with demonstrable knowledge across legal, risk, and assurance areas.
- Significant line management experience, with a track record of leading, coaching, and developing teams through periods of change and growth.
- Proven ability to work in partnership with senior stakeholders, including trustees and executive leadership, providing clear, valuable, and risk-based guidance.
- Experience overseeing professional services that are visible, valued, and proactively consulted across an organisation.
- Strong communication and influencing skills, able to challenge constructively while building strong relationships, and translate complex technical matters into clear guidance for diverse audiences.
- A collaborative mindset and evidenced ability to drive continuous improvement, bringing best practice from across sectors to elevate standards and maturity.

What you'll focus on:

- Leading the legal, risk, and assurance teams, creating a culture of high performance, continuous learning, and professional excellence.
- Working in close partnership with executive management and trustees. Providing strategic advice and reporting on legal matters, risk landscape, and assurance findings to inform critical decisions.
- Driving forward our transformation programme, ensuring governance frameworks support rather than hinder change, and that legal, risk, and assurance considerations are embedded from the outset.
- Elevating the profile and maturity of all three disciplines. Making them visible partners across directorates and ensuring they're proactively consulted on key initiatives rather than brought in as an afterthought.
- Overseeing the facilitation of robust risk management systems, leading comprehensive assurance programmes, and ensuring legal services are professional, credible, and responsive to organisational needs.
- Managing departmental budgets, resource allocation, and capacity planning to ensure your teams can deliver first-class services that enable the Society's strategic objectives.
- Building and maintaining impactful external networks, using horizon scanning and sector best practice to keep the Society ahead of emerging risks and regulatory changes.
- Deputising for the Associate Director Risk and Assurance as required, representing Finance & Assurance at senior forums.

Can you see yourself as a trusted partner who helps Alzheimer's Society navigate complexity with confidence? Are you ready to lead teams where legal, risk, and assurance considerations are increasingly incorporated into decision-making? Can you join the dots between these disciplines to ensure the joint outcomes protect and enhance our ability to transform lives affected by dementia?
 
To be successful in this position, you may have existing experience in the following roles; Head of Internal Audit, Head of Risk Management, Head of Internal Audit and Risk, Head of Legal and Risk or other similar roles. We also welcome applicants with transferable skills.

Important Dates

The deadline for applications is 23:59 on Sunday 2nd November 2025.
Interviews will begin week commencing Monday 10th November 2025 and will be a 3 stage interview process which will include a presentation task at 2nd Stage.

About Alzheimer's Society

Dementia is the UK’s biggest killer. One in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia in their lifetime.

At Alzheimer’s Society, we’re the UK’s leading dementia charity and the only one to tackle all aspects of dementia by giving help and hope to people living with dementia today and in the future. We give vital support to people facing the most frightening times of their lives, while also funding groundbreaking research and campaigning to make dementia the priority it should be.

Together with our supporters, we’re working towards a world where dementia no longer devastates lives.

Our values make sure that our focus is clear for the challenges and opportunities ahead and remind us of what we all stand for.

Our commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging

We need to ensure the voices around our table better reflect and understand the communities we exist to serve. We strongly encourage individuals to apply who have a disability, impairment or health condition or individuals who identify as Black, Asian or from another minority ethnic background, as these groups are currently under-represented at Alzheimer's Society.  

We want everyone we work with, as a colleague, volunteer, supporter, or someone we support, to feel included and that they belong at Alzheimer's Society. 

Our Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy here along with our internal employee forum and Employee Lived Experience network groups help us promote inclusion and belonging, becoming an engaged and inclusive organisation for all our people. 

Our hiring process

During your recruitment process we want to make sure that you bring your whole self and can be at your best. We are working hard to ensure our recruitment process is as inclusive as possible, so please do inform us of your experience and anything you think we could do better by completing our candidate survey when you apply.  Please also contact Alzheimer’s Society Talent Acquisition Team for application support or any adjustments you might need.

To ensure fairness and consistency to select the best candidate for this role, all our applications are anonymised up until an interview has been confirmed. We recognise the benefits of AI, but if you're considering using it to submit your application, we encourage you to reflect on the value it truly adds. AI tools often lack the personal touch and authenticity that set candidates apart. We want to hear your unique perspective, experiences, and skills, so we encourage you to showcase them in your own voice.

We try to avoid closing roles early where possible, however if we receive a high volume of applications, we may close earlier than the advertised closing date. Should this occur, we will aim to provide you with at least 48 hours' notice.

We are committed to safer recruitment and ensuring the welfare of those we work with, due to the nature of some of our roles, we might need to carry out a DBS check at the relevant level.

Giving back to you

Our employees work hard every day to make a true difference in people's lives. We are proud to support them with a range of benefits, recognition and many options for working agilely, all contributing to a strong work life balance. We also have various learning programmes to support you in your development and help you grow to realise your potential and shape a career with Alzheimer's Society. 

You can also visit our Working for Us pages, which give you more information about what it’s like to be an employee at the Society.

Commercial Financial Accountant

Are you an experienced financial professional? Pilgrims' Friend Society is expanding, and we need a Commercial Financial Accountant to work across the organisation with a Commercial mindset while aiming to achieve charitable impact. Reporting to the Financial Controller, the Commercial Financial Accountant will be responsible for managing and completing relevant projects.

Our focus is providing a loving and caring environment for our “family members” (our residents) and maintaining the Christian ethos that is important to many of them.

The group operates on 20 sites with over 700 staff and an annual income of c.£20m.

Responsibilities:

• Growth and renewal plans
• Organisation Governance which will involve Company and Charity governance including projects that simplify the group structure
• Pilgrims' Friend Society Loans – covenant reporting and management
• System improvement projects
• Assist Director of Finance with banking relationships, including defining and implementing investment and reserves policies 
• Responsibility for internal audit and controls within the Finance team 
• Maintain a good working relationship with relevant Care Home and Housing Scheme Managers.
• Carry out any other duties reasonably required to ensure the smooth operation of the Society’s business. 

For more details please take a look at the Job Description

About you:

• Minimum of 5 years experience working in a finance team;
• Finance qualification (ACA/CIMA/ACCA, etc) 
• Advanced Excel skills
• Charity accounting and governance knowledge (Charity SORP, etc) (beneficial but not essential) 
• Experience with Sage 200 (desirable but not essential);
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Able to work in a cohesive team.
• Ability to work flexibly and to take initiative
• *Applicants must be evangelical Christians (This role has an Occupational Requirement to be filled by a Christian under the provisions of the Equality Act (2010).).

Hours:

Full time contract, working 35 hours a week Monday to Friday.

Hybrid working 2 days in the office 3 days at home

Benefits:

• Hybrid working
• Flexible working hours
• 5 Weeks' paid holiday per year, as well as bank and public holidays
• Life assurance scheme
• Medicash
• Perkbox – including an Employee assistance programme.
• Longstanding service rewards
• Birthday rewards
• Social events
• Pension scheme