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Legal Counsel - 12-Month Fixed Term Contract (London, GB) @ Sephora

London, England, GBOnsiteFull-time
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About this role

<p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">At SEPHORA UK, beauty isn’t just what we sell - it’s who we are. It’s the freedom to express yourself, the thrill of discovering something new, and the power of belonging to a community that celebrates every identity. From our beginnings in France to becoming part of the LVMH family, we’ve always pushed boundaries through creativity, innovation, and inclusivity.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Today, as we continue our exciting expansion across the UK, we’re looking for passionate, driven individuals to help shape the future of prestige beauty in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets.</span></p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong>The Opportunity </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong> </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">At SEPHORA UK, we&apos;re looking for an experienced and commercially minded In-House Counsel to join our Legal team on a <strong>12-month fixed-term contract</strong>.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Reporting to the Senior Legal Counsel, you&apos;ll play a key role in supporting our growing business by providing pragmatic legal advice, managing commercial risk and ensuring compliance across a wide range of business activities.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Working closely with stakeholders across Retail, Marketing, E-commerce, IT, Procurement and Operations, you&apos;ll help enable business growth while protecting Sephora&apos;s interests and upholding the highest standards of governance and compliance.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong>What you’ll be doing…</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong> </strong></span></p> <ul> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Lead the drafting, review and negotiation of a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier, distribution, marketing, partnership, technology and retail contracts.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice to business stakeholders across multiple functions.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Support the business in managing legal risk while enabling growth, innovation and operational excellence.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Advise on UK and international data protection matters, ensuring compliance with applicable privacy regulations and internal policies.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Support governance programmes and monitor developments in data protection and privacy legislation.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Partner with stakeholders to develop compliant processes and best practices across the business.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Design and deliver engaging legal and compliance training to colleagues across Sephora UK.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Provide guidance on key compliance areas, including advertising standards, competition law, anti-bribery requirements and modern slavery obligations.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Review marketing campaigns, promotions and consumer-facing communications to ensure regulatory compliance.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Collaborate with global and regional legal teams on cross-border initiatives and international projects.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Support the management of disputes, legal queries and escalations as they arise.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Contribute to strategic legal projects and continuous improvement initiatives within the Legal function.</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong>What you’ll bring…</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong> </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">You&apos;re a proactive and solutions-focused legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced commercial environment. You have strong business partnering skills and are confident translating complex legal concepts into clear, practical advice for non-legal stakeholders. With excellent judgement, attention to detail and a collaborative approach, you&apos;re comfortable managing multiple priorities while balancing legal risk with commercial objectives.</span></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Qualified UK Solicitor (or equivalent) with approximately 3–5 years&apos; post-qualification experience.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Solid knowledge of UK data protection legislation, including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Understanding of advertising regulations, competition law, anti-bribery legislation and modern slavery requirements.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Experience delivering guidance or training to non-legal audiences.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Previous in-house legal experience, ideally within retail, consumer goods or e-commerce environments.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Exposure to European regulatory frameworks, including GDPR and EU competition law, would be advantageous.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">French language skills would be a bonus.</span></li> </ul> <p style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"> </p><p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong>Beautiful Benefits at SEPHORA UK</strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong> </strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">When you join SEPHORA, you’re joining a team that we truly value and our benefits reflect that. Here’s what you can look forward to:</span></p> <p> </p> <ul> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Private Healthcare, Life Assurance and Private Pension from day one.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Competitive pay that grows with you, including annual salary reviews.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">A generous employee discount across the world’s best beauty brands.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">A paid day off on your birthday.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Access to a wellbeing and perks platform.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">LVMH Heart Fund support.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">Generous holiday allowance, with the option to buy more.</span></li> <li style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">And more…</span></li> </ul> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong><em>Together, we belong to something beautiful.</em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt"><strong><em> </em></strong></span></p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">SEPHORA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, advancement, or other employment practices. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating and fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-family:arial, helvetica, sans-serif;font-size:12.0pt">We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the start of employment and will be asked to provide relevant evidence.</span></p>

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