Director, Legal & Business Affairs, Employment
- Universal Music Group
- Kings Cross, London
- Feb 20, 2025
Job Description
Music is Universal
It’s the passionate and dedicated team at Universal Music who help make us the world’s leading music company. From A&R to finance, legal to digital, sales to marketing, Universal Music is the place to grow and develop your career within a truly commercial and innovative business that leads in everything it does.
Everyone is welcome to apply for our roles, and we are determined to ensure that no applicant or employee receives less favourable treatment because of gender, race, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief, age, marital status, background, pregnancy, or caring responsibilities. We also recognise the importance of diversity of thought within our teams and are fully committed to embracing the talents of people with autism, dyslexia, ADHD, and other forms of neurocognitive variation.
We will always seek to make appropriate adjustments to recruitment, workplaces, and work processes to be fully inclusive to people with different needs and working styles. If you need us to make any reasonable adjustments for you from application onwards, including alternatives to the online form or to disclose a neurocognitive condition, please email UniversalMusicCareers@umusic.com.
An exciting opportunity for an experienced employment lawyer to provide expert legal advice and counsel to senior management and the People, Inclusion & Culture (PIC) department on a wide range of UK and international employment law issues.
The role requires:
Strong technical knowledge of employment law and the ability to apply this in a global matrix business environment
Excellent judgment and ability to assess risk and formulate clear, pragmatic verbal and written advice
Attention to detail and strong drafting skills
Confidence to operate with significant autonomy
Solid communication skills and the ability to build trusted relationships with PIC, the broader Legal team and business leaders
Key Responsibilities
Drafting and negotiating senior executive contracts, bonus schemes, long term incentive plans, equity documentation and settlement agreements in the UK and EMEIA
Drafting and negotiating consultancy agreements and ensuring compliance with any applicable status determination processes
Providing day to day advice and guidance to the business and functional teams on the full range of employment matters
Managing and overseeing employment-related litigation and disputes, collaborating with external legal counsel as needed
Advising on the employment aspects of acquisitions and divestments at each stage of the process (due diligence, deal documentation, consultation and post-completion integration planning)
Drafting, reviewing and updating policies
Supporting with workplace investigations, and responding to reports submitted to the Company’s hotline
Advising on the employment law aspects of redundancy/TUPE consultation
Managing conflict of interest disclosures and preparing summaries for the Conflicts Committee
Supporting with data privacy issues that arise in the employment context
Collaborating with a range of internal stakeholders to develop and implement effective employment strategies that align with business goals and legal requirements
Monitoring and analysing changes in employment law in the UK and EMEIA, and advising the organisation on the potential impact and any action required
Developing and delivering employment law and compliance training sessions for PIC and employees as required
Reviewing, updating and supporting with global compliance training
Supporting with European Works Council meetings and pre-work
Experience
At least 8 years’ post-qualification experience in employment law, ideally gained in a multinational law firm and/or in house
Solid track record in UK and international employment law, managing external advisers as well as the ability to take the lead in coordinating local and regional employment law projects.
Significant experience in transformation, reorganisation and related employment activities
Experience of successfully leveraging communication skills, taking a collaborative approach to navigating employment issues
Just So You Know…
The company presents this job description as a guide to the major areas and duties for which the jobholder is accountable. However, the business operates in an environment that demands change and the jobholder's specific responsibilities and activities will vary and develop. Therefore, the job description should be seen as indicative and not as a permanent, definitive, and exhaustive statement.
Job Category:
People, Inclusion & Culture
We are UMG, the Universal Music Group.
We are the world’s leading music company.
In everything we do, we are committed to artistry, innovation and entrepreneurship.
We own and operate a broad array of businesses engaged in recorded music, music publishing, merchandising, and audiovisual content in more than 60 countries.
We identify and develop recording artists and songwriters, and we produce, distribute and promote the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful music to delight and entertain fans around the world.
Our vast catalog of recordings and songs stretches back over a century and comprises the largest, most diverse and culturally rich collection of music ever assembled.
As digital technology refashions the world, our unmatched commitment to lead in developing new services, platforms and business models for the delivery of music and related content empowers innovators and allows new commercial and artistic opportunities to flourish.
Knowing that music, a powerful force for good in the world, is unique in its ability to inspire people and bring them together, we work with our artists and employees to serve our communities.
We are the home for music’s greatest artists, innovators and entrepreneurs.
Together, we are UMG, the Universal Music Group.