Head of - Legal at Virgin Atlantic

Crawley, England, United Kingdom -

Full Time

Start Date

Immediate

Expiry Date

28 Jun, 26

Salary

0.0

Posted On

30 Mar, 26

Experience

10 year(s) or above

Remote Job

Yes

Telecommute

Yes

Sponsor Visa

Skills

Legal Strategy, Risk Management, Commercial Ambition, Regulatory Compliance, Corporate Decisions, Legal Operating Model, Stakeholder Influence, Commercial Agreements, Corporate Activity, Risk Framework, External Counsel Management, Process Improvement, Team Leadership, Litigation Oversight, Data Protection, Negotiation

Industry

Airlines and Aviation

Description

Location: Hybrid working, 3 days per week at VHQ, Crawley Hours: 37.5 hours per week, full time Contract Type: Permanent Salary: Competitive Closing Date: 12th April 2026 We review applications on a first come, first served basis and may close the application window early if we receive a high volume of applications. In a nutshell This is a pivotal leadership role at Virgin Atlantic, sitting at the heart of how we operate, grow and protect our future. As Head of Legal, you will shape a legal strategy that enables bold commercial ambition while safeguarding our licence to operate in a complex, global and highly regulated industry. This role goes beyond managing risk. You will proactively influence major commercial, operational and corporate decisions, ensuring we move at pace with clarity and confidence. You’ll bring a blend of private practice rigour and/or in-house commercial judgement, using your experience to guide high-impact decisions across the business. You will design and lead a modern, high-performing legal operating model that supports transformation, resilience and disciplined growth. Working closely with the Senior Leadership Group, you will help create value while ensuring we operate with integrity, credibility and sound judgement. Day to day * Act as a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Group, influencing key commercial, operational and corporate decisions * Lead legal input on high-value commercial agreements, partnerships, alliances and supplier negotiations * Advise on and support corporate activity including financing, restructuring and strategic initiatives * Own and evolve the Group’s legal risk framework, ensuring clear governance, escalation and decision-making discipline * Design and embed a scalable legal operating model aligned to business priorities * Optimise use of external counsel, driving quality, efficiency and cost control * Introduce improvements across legal processes, systems and ways of working, including use of technology and data * Lead, structure and develop the legal team, ensuring clear accountability and succession planning * Oversee litigation, disputes, investigations and regulatory engagement * Act as Legal lead in high-profile or time-critical situations, including data protection escalation where required About you * We’re looking for a leader whose experience is clearly evidenced through delivery, progression and scope. * A qualified solicitor or barrister with ~10+ years PQE, with a career history that shows progression into senior leadership roles within legal functions * A background that includes time spent in private practice (ideally at a top tier firm), combined with in-house experience in a commercial organisation, or a proven Private Practice Lawyer with a commercial understanding and breadth of experience. * Demonstrable experience working within a regulated or complex industry (e.g. aviation, transport, infrastructure, financial services or similar), evidenced through roles, clients or transactions * A track record of leading and delivering on complex commercial matters, such as: * Negotiating and closing high-value contracts or partnerships * Supporting or leading on corporate transactions (e.g. financing, restructuring, M&A or strategic deals) * Experience of operating at senior stakeholder level, with clear examples of influencing or advising executive or board-level decision making * Evidence of leading, structuring and developing legal teams, including line management, organisational design or capability building * Demonstrated ownership of end-to-end legal delivery, showing accountability for outcomes rather than advisory input alone * Broad legal capability across commercial, regulatory and/or corporate matters, rather than a narrow technical specialism * Experience managing external counsel, including panel selection, performance management and cost control Be yourself – Our differences make us stronger Our customers come from all walks of life and so do our colleagues. That’s why we’re proud to be an equal opportunity employer and actively encourage applications from all backgrounds. At Virgin Atlantic, we believe everyone can take on the world - no matter your age, gender, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disabilities, religion, or beliefs. We celebrate difference and everything that makes our colleagues unique by upholding an inclusive environment in which we can all thrive. So that everyone at Virgin Atlantic can be themselves and know they belong. To make your journey with us accessible and individual to you, we encourage you to let us know if you’d like a little extra help with your application, or if you have any individual requirements at any stage along your recruitment journey. We are here to support you, so please reach out to our team, (recruitment@fly.virgin.com) feeling confident that we’ve got your individual considerations covered. Our recipe for Leadership At Virgin Atlantic, our leaders empower teams to thrive through collaboration, innovation, and excellence. Explore our Leadership Recipe and discover the 20 core ingredients that define what it means to lead with us, driving our mission to be the most loved travel company and achieve sustainable profit. Want to learn more? Click here

Responsibilities

The Head of Legal will act as a strategic partner to the Senior Leadership Group, influencing key commercial, operational, and corporate decisions while leading legal input on high-value agreements and corporate activities. This role also involves owning and evolving the group’s legal risk framework and designing a scalable legal operating model aligned with business priorities.