Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel (Manchester – Hybrid)

About Finova 

Finova is the UK’s largest financial services technology provider, supporting one in every five mortgages nationwide. Our agile, cloud-native solutions enable over 60 banks, building societies, specialist lenders, equity release providers and a network of 2,400+ brokers to stay ahead in a competitive market.

Built on open architecture and backed by deep industry expertise, our platform is designed to scale. Each year, we process over £50 billion in loans, manage nearly £50 billion in savings, and support the digital servicing of more than 650,000 UK borrower accounts.

Be part of a team that’s driving innovation, enabling growth and shaping the future of UK lending.

For Lenders 

Finova offers a flexible, modular technology suite designed to help lenders move faster, scale efficiently and deliver standout digital experiences.

Financial Institutions use Finova to launch products faster, process applications up to 50% more efficiently and reduce operational costs — all while staying fully compliant in a fast-moving market. 

About the Role:

This Senior Legal Counsel role will primarily focus on commercial contracts with a strong SaaS, software, hosting and technology focus. The position will report to Finova’s General Counsel and join a small Legal team with one Senior Paralegal. Key responsibilities will include drafting and negotiating complex and high value master service agreements and commercial transaction documents, along with ancillary data protection and security appendices. Finova’s customer base consists of a wide range of Financial Services organisations, so contract negotiations are all within a Financial Services regulatory context. 

About you:

• UK qualified solicitor with at least 5 years PQE
• Significant SaaS, software and cloud contracting experience
• Strong Data Protection background
• Familiarity with UK Financial Services regulation as it applies to technology providers, such as security, resilience and business continuity requirements
• Understanding of AI contracting considerations
• Solid commercial acumen that translates to business focussed advice
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to interact effectively when negotiating with customers, liaising with colleagues across various departments, and briefing senior leaders
• Ability to manage competing demands under time pressure, ensuring that deals progress at pace.

What will you be doing?

• Drafting and negotiating customer facing SaaS, software and hosting agreements
• Reviewing and updating contract templates and playbook positions
• Advising on data protection matters, as related to Finova’s product offerings
• Acting as a trusted adviser and a primary point of contact for the Sales and Customer Success teams, enabling commercial deals while managing risk
• Reviewing NDAs, Partner Agreements, Vendor Agreements and similar contracts as necessary to support business needs
• Utilising a contract management system, managing legal workflows, using Legal AI tools and assisting with managing shared legal inboxes to ensure efficient distribution of workload across the Legal team
• Supporting strategic initiatives and ad hoc projects within the Legal team, as required.

What We Offer:

Hybrid working: At Finova, we believe the best outcomes come from working together - and having the flexibility to work in a way that suits both our people and our business. We operate a hybrid working model, with most teams spending around three days a week in the office and with our customers. This time together helps us stay connected, collaborate more effectively, and solve complex challenges as a team. We also know that flexibility matters. Our approach is designed to support a healthy balance, combining in-person collaboration with the freedom to work remotely where it makes sense.

Holiday: 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, bank holiday trading and holiday purchase options, the opportunity to work from anywhere in the world for up to 4 weeks per year.

Looking After You: Life Assurance, Group Income Protection, Private Medical Insurance, a pension scheme via Salary Exchange, an Employee Assistance Programme, and access to a Virtual GP.

Family-Friendly Policies: Enhanced maternity and paternity pay, as well as paid time off for fertility treatments and pregnancy loss.

Extra Perks: Cycle to Work Scheme, discounts on shops, restaurants, and gym memberships, free fresh fruit daily, and opportunities to join colleague networks and social groups.

Giving Back: One paid volunteering day annually and the Give-As-You-Earn scheme to support your favourite charities.

Equal Opportunity Statement

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. If you’re passionate about this role but don’t meet all the criteria, please reach out, we’d love to discuss how your skills and experiences align with our needs.