About the role
Managing Counsel
From £85,000 + Bonus + Pension + PMI + ShareSave + 6.6 weeks holiday + Hybrid Working
Southampton, Store Support Office
Reporting into B&Q’s Head of Legal, this role supports the Head of Legal in leading B&Q’s Commercial Legal Team in partnering and protecting the business. As trusted strategic partners, the Legal team play a critical role in delivering business goals in the right way, aligned with B&Q’s Purpose and Behaviours.
Key responsibilities
The role is exciting, hugely varied and fast paced. No one day is the same, but you will manage legal risk, advise and support the Business on all manner of commercial contracts and new projects as well as provide advice on competition law, intellectual property, insolvency, data protection, litigation and much more. You will help lead the Legal Team to partner our business and drive growth, whilst protecting B&Q, Kingfisher, our colleagues and our assets.
Key Accountabilities / Responsibilities:
- Working with the Head of Legal and the Business to prioritise workload for B&Q’s Commercial Legal Team.
- Reviewing, drafting and negotiating complex commercial/strategic contracts for all relevant Business areas including for both digital and non-digital channels and for goods not for resale and goods for resale arrangements.
- Partnering the Business on project strategy on an end-to-end basis and act as "lead lawyer" as required.
- Advising on templates/precedents.
- Supporting the Business on data protection law compliance, including interactions with Regulators and advise and support on data incidents/investigations and complex data subject complaints.
- Case managing commercial litigation including deciding tactics and strategy.
- Advising on competition law compliance and training including dawn raid training programmes and interactions with Regulators.
- Advising on Intellectual Property matters: including managing B&Q's IP portfolio; advising on IP infringement risk and IP licences; and liaising with Kingfisher Legal Team on Kingfisher Group IP matters.
- Managing compliance within Kingfisher Group’s/B&Q's Authority Limits and policies.
- Providing excellent customer service with sound legal, commercially focussed advice.
- Regularly interacting with Kingfisher Group’s Legal Teams and panel law firms (managing outsourcing costs effectively and efficiently).
- Providing day to day support to the other 6 in-house lawyers in the team (including our apprentice).
Required skills & experience
Experience:
- Qualified as a Solicitor (in England and Wales) with significant relevant experience, ideally in-house.
- Excel at providing commercial, legally sound, strategic advice.
- Broad and extensive legal knowledge with sound experience in commercial law in a retail or similar environment.
- Strong knowledge of data protection law and competition law.
- Excellent technical skills and ability to give clear, simple, pragmatic advice to all levels of stakeholder.
- Management skills and an ability to create and manage a culture to motivate the Commercial Legal Team within Kingfisher's/B&Q’s culture and objectives.
- Strong judgement and communication skills (both written and verbal).
- Ability to focus on commercially and legally important matters.
- Ability to find effective, legally compliant and Business focussed solutions to legal and commercial issues.
- Ability to negotiate with external and internal parties to ensure B&Q’s and its customers’ best interests are protected.
- Be experienced in leading projects including complex negotiations and regulatory matters.
Skills:
- Be an effective influencer.
- Have a proven track record in building excellent stakeholder relationships.
- Ability to prioritise and manage multiple matters concurrently and to work to tight deadlines.
- Resilience to handle high volume/multiple deadlines and evolving environment.
- Problem solver and decision maker - able to find solutions to support the Head of Legal drive the Legal Team and its work forward positively.
What's in it for me?
As part of a great team, you’ll be valued for who you are. We’re committed to making B&Q more diverse and representative of the communities we serve, where everyone can feel they belong and have equal opportunities. You will have access to a range of networks that represent our colleagues and allies and help us to continue to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our business.
We also recognise that wellness means different things to different people, and we want to help colleagues be at their best and feel well by offering a range of benefits to help you. As well as a competitive salary, our benefits package includes an award-winning pension scheme, bonus, ShareSave options, 6.6 weeks holiday, payroll giving, an Employee Assistance Programme, shopping discounts, colleague wellbeing benefits and lots more!
So we can support you during the application or interview process, please contact ssorecruitment@b-and-q.co.uk for any recruitment adjustments.
We want to ensure that all employees, future employees and applicants to all Kingfisher companies are treated equally regardless of age, gender, marital or civil partnership status, colour, ethnic or national origin, culture, religious belief, philosophical belief, political opinion, disability, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation.
If you require any additional support or adjustments to help you make an application, please contact us at recruitment@b-and-q.co.uk.
Rewards &
benefits
Discount card
The one we all love! Get 20% discount on your purchases at B&Q in-store and online, after you've been with us for 1 month.
Share schemes
Share in the success you help create. With our shareplans, from just £5 per month, you can build up a savings pot, or use what you save to be a Kingfisher share holder.
Life assurance
If the worst should happen, Life Assurance ensures those close to you have some protection.
Employee assistance programme
We offer free and confidential support and counselling to help you through matters such as wellbeing, divorce, legal, and financial management.
Salary/Bonus
We offer competitive salaries for all roles, and benchmark them, to ensure that we’re getting it right. And, as we value the contribution of all our colleagues equally, whether they are 17 or 70, our rates of pay for each job is the same.
Pension
You’ll have access to the award-winning Kingfisher Pension Scheme, and we’ll put money in alongside your savings too.
Medical
We have a number of medical benefits available depending on your role to help you and your family look after yourselves.
Leave
All work and no play is no fun! So, you can enjoy 6.6 weeks' leave, plus we'll reward you with additional leave and cash rewards to celebrate long service anniversaries and milestone years.
Flexible working
The chance to achieve more balance between work and your other commitments.
Shopping discounts
Take advantage of fantastic discounts on loads of products and services, just for being a B&Q colleague!
Gym discounts
We have a network of over 3,300 health clubs offering discounts to colleagues and their partners of up to 25% on self-paid gym memberships.
Eye care
If you use a computer regularly for work, then we pay for your eye test every two years. If you do require glasses, then you’ll also get £50/€70 towards single focal lenses and frames too.
Cycling to work scheme
Whether you are thinking green, trying to get fit or saving money, our cycle to work scheme helps colleagues spread the cost and save money on any bike and safety equipment through salary sacrifice.
Long service
Just like most families, we like to celebrate anniversaries and milestone years. For every 10 years up to 40 years’ service we give extra annual leave and a cash payment.
“What I enjoy most is getting to see behind the scenes of our ever-evolving business.”
Training &
development
Learn & Develop at B&Q
When you join B&Q, we want you to be all you can be. From the minute you walk through our doors to the exciting moment you make that next career move, we're here to help you make the most of every opportunity. Thanks to our friendly learning system, LEO, we make sure you always have the support you need to take on every challenge and fit your learning around your life. Here, we know that the best way to grow is together.
Flexible learning with Leo
LEO is your every day, on the go learning and development partner. Helping you build the knowledge you need now and in the future. With LEO, you can access training and content, anywhere, anytime and on any device. You can even influence the type of training on offer by rating and recommending content, and letting us know what we can do to improve. Award-winning and featuring over 500 different learning activities - like short videos, articles, workshops and webinars - think of LEO as your 24/7 training pal, designed to help you make the most of your B&Q career journey.
Developing in role
Learning never stops at B&Q. Whether you've been in your role for one day or five years, there's always something to be curious about. It's why we're always creating learning opportunities and experiences that'll give you the chance to develop your skills. Like our First Line Manager programme: a course that helps our newest line managers build their confidence and management skills. Or our Leadership Development programme that challenges our more experienced leaders to reflect on and adapt their approach for our ever-evolving ways of working.
Building expertise and know-how
We believe anyone can learn the technical skills to do their job with excellence. It's all about attitude and behaviour here. So, if you're passionate about customer service and design, we'll teach you how to create beautiful kitchens. If you're someone who loves being outdoors, we'll help you learn about our garden ranges. And, if you're someone who just loves what we do but doesn't know where to start, we'll help you find the perfect role for you to grow into.
Accelerated Development Talent Programmes
Whatever goal you're working to at B&Q, we want to help you get there. We do this by designing a number of programmes which help you to practice your skills and learn new ones, gain valuable experiences, learn from others and jump on opportunities that are right for you. From leaders taking their first steps into management to those simply looking for a new challenge, we're there to make sure you achieve your ambitions.
Induction
At B&Q, we want every new colleague to understand our values, our customers, and how we work together to achieve our purpose. That’s why we’ve designed an induction programme that’ll give you real insight into our business, our culture and help you feel included from day one. For your first few weeks on the job you’ll work with your team and line manager, mixing online learning with practical tasks, to grow your knowledge a little every day.
A day in the life
Emily, Corporate Auditor
Organisation is key in this job, and we work to a risk-based annual plan which we share with the wider audit team. We often present to our Board too, which gives us a real opportunity to make a difference and for our ideas to be heard at a senior level.
Explore our
store support office
Facilities
In B&Q house, you’ll enjoy an onsite gym, a subsidised Costa, a canteen and restaurant, prayer room, plus open plan and cosy work spaces, an outdoor picnic area, and bike sheds for those who cycle in.
Sustainability
B&Q House has a biomass boiler, solar panels and a rainwater harvesting system. Our building also makes use of upcycled and recycled furniture and fittings, and features natural ventilation, heat retention and CO2 management, all via our very own weather station on the roof.
Why
choose us?
Why Finance & Legal at B&Q?
Our many Finance and Legal teams work hand-in-hand across the board, at the heart of B&Q. From operational finance and business performance to financial planning and analytics, they underpin our business and contribute to every bit of progress we make.
Why B&QReady to apply?
Step 1:
Apply via bandqcareers.com
Step 2:
We'll contact you for a phone interview
Step 3:
We’ll carry out a face to face or online interview (and we may request a 2nd interview if the role you're applying for is more complex).
Step 4:
We’ll contact you with feedback, and maybe even a job offer.
Check out our FAQs for more information about interviewing at B&Q.