Head of Legal

Zinc

Head of Legal leading commercial contracts, UK GDPR, AI governance, and a 5+ person legal team at Zinc, a background screening technology company. Building scalable legal operations and self-serve resources.

Posted 8/11/2026full-timeLondon • 🇬🇧 United KingdomLead💰 £100,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates extensive legal expertise in commercial contracts, UK GDPR compliance, and team leadership within a fast-scaling environment. Capable of developing legal frameworks, managing contract systems, and advising on employment law while fostering collaboration across departments.

Highest-signal resume keywords

7+ Years PQECommercial Contracts ManagementUK GDPR ComplianceTeam LeadershipCLM Systems Experience

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Commercial ContractsUK GDPRData Processing AgreementsDPIAsAI-Assisted DraftingRedliningContract Management SystemsEmployment LawRegulatory ComplianceRisk Management

Soft Skills

Strong Communication SkillsHigh Emotional IntelligenceAbility to Build TrustNegotiation SkillsComfortable with Ambiguity

Tools & Technologies

Contract Management SystemsAI ToolsLegal PlaybooksKnowledge ToolsHR Technology

Industry Keywords

SaaSTechnology BusinessRegTechBackground ScreeningCompliance

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own Zinc’s commercial contracts function end-to-end, including new business agreements, renewals, amendments, and legal work supporting revenue protection
Own the privacy legal framework and advise on UK GDPR, data processing agreements, DPIAs, subject rights, and permissible product practices
Oversee the contract management system and turn the contract book into a searchable, data-rich asset
Build legal playbooks, processes, and infrastructure while operating in an ambiguous, fast-scaling environment
Advise on employment and HR issues in partnership with the People and HR team
Lead a legal team of 5+ specialists, maintaining quality, capacity, and morale
Own and evolve AI deployment across legal systems while enforcing high output standards
Partner with Regulatory Compliance and InfoSec on the Trust Framework, SOC 2, UK GDPR, and customer-facing legal needs
Act as primary legal partner for revenue, retention, and technology functions
Build self-serve legal resources and knowledge tools for the wider business
Manage the legal team’s budget and tooling investment
Report directly to the General Counsel, Hamraj Coakley-Gulamali

Requirements

What you’ll need

7+ years PQE or equivalent, including meaningful in-house or commercial legal experience
Senior lawyer experience with readiness to own a legal function
Experience with hiring decisions, team health, process design, and managing difficult conversations with the General Counsel
Strong commercial judgment and ability to balance risk management with deal velocity
Experience with CLM systems, AI-assisted drafting, and redlining; active curiosity about AI applications in lean legal teams
High emotional intelligence and ability to build trust with direct reports
Strong communication skills for translating legal risk to non-legal leaders, negotiating with customers, and working with external counsel
Comfortable operating with ambiguity and creating incomplete playbooks
Desirable: experience in a fast-growing SaaS or technology business
Desirable: background in UK data protection and GDPR
Desirable: familiarity with employment law or compliance-adjacent areas
Desirable: knowledge of background screening, HR technology, or RegTech

Benefits

Comp & perks

24 days holiday + Bank Holidays + your birthday off 🎉
£1200 annual benefits allowance (ThanksBen, from month 2)
Early finish Fridays (16:00)
Yearly company retreat abroad ✈️
30 days to Work from anywhere 🌍
Enhanced Maternity, Paternity, and Adoption Leave (13 weeks full pay, 17 weeks half pay, then SMP for maternity, 1 month full pay for paternity/adoption) 🐣
Statutory pension with NEST (3% employer, 5% employee)
Zinc shares, issued through the EMI Scheme
Unlimited access to Spill Therapy
Company socials, quarterly team socials
Free Monday lunches
Nursery workplace benefit scheme (Yellownest)
Option to lease an electric car through Electric Car Scheme
Celebrated Zinc anniversaries 🥳