Legal Counsel Director

We are seeking an experienced and strategic Legal Counsel Director to lead and oversee our National Legal and Compliance function. This is a pivotal leadership role responsible for ensuring robust governance, effective risk management, and regulatory compliance across the organisation.

As a trusted advisor to the senior leadership team, you will provide expert legal and compliance guidance that supports commercial objectives, enables sustainable growth, and protects the organisation's interests. You will play a key role in shaping and implementing legal and compliance strategies, translating business priorities into practical, commercially focused solutions.

You will champion a culture of integrity, ethics, and accountability, ensuring compliance is embedded throughout the business while safeguarding our reputation and promoting best practice. In addition, you will lead, develop, and inspire a high-performing Legal and Compliance team, driving exceptional service delivery, continuous improvement, and operational excellence.

If you're always striving to improve and want to join a really important part of the business, apply to join today!

Your New Role

• Provide strategic legal and compliance counsel to executive leaders and key stakeholders across the business.
• Lead the management of legal risk, identifying proactive and commercially focused solutions to support operational and strategic objectives.
• Oversee the delivery and continuous improvement of legal and compliance programmes, ensuring alignment with regulatory requirements and business needs.
• Develop and implement policies, processes and best practices that strengthen governance and compliance standards.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments, advising business leaders on emerging risks, opportunities and required actions.
• Lead compliance risk assessments, investigations and monitoring activities, ensuring appropriate controls and accountability are in place.
• Manage whistleblowing and other compliance reporting processes, ensuring matters are handled effectively and confidentially.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external legal advisors and other key stakeholders, ensuring efficient and cost-effective support where required.
• Collaborate with international legal and compliance colleagues, sharing best practice and supporting cross-functional initiatives.
• Represent the Legal and Compliance function in senior leadership forums and contribute to organisational decision-making.
• Lead, coach and develop team members, fostering a culture of high performance, collaboration and professional growth.
• Early identification of legal risks and managing these appropriately (e.g. new laws, litigation trends or business model changes resulting in new legal risk profiles).
• Active management of external counsel, incl. deciding on the involvement and exact scope of work outsourced, challenging advice, challenging scopes and risk calls to challenging fee arrangements.
• Contract template creation (or overview if outsourced), contract review and advice.
• Corporate law matters, incl. corporate housekeeping.
• Advice on existing and new regulations and respective implementation.
• Advice on legal questions related to product safety (recalls, labelling, etc.).
• Advice on consumer protection matters incl. pricing strategies and communication/advertising.
• Advice on claims (green claims).
• Steering advice or providing advice on IP infringement allegations raised by third parties.
• Managing litigation by or against ALDI.
• Legal counterpart for global legal on implementation of centrally steered projects, policies, programs, contracting/templates, etc.
• Holds the National Compliance Officer role, which entails specific responsibilities, including to report defined matters to the national CEO and/or the Group Compliance Officer directly.

About You

• Qualified solicitor of England and Wales holding a current, valid SRA practising certificate.
• Legal generalist with strong professional skills and expertise in compliance.
• Experience advising on consumer protection legislation, pricing strategies, marketing communications, and advertising compliance.
• Demonstrable experience advising on environmental and sustainability claims, including the assessment and management of "green claims" risk.
• Experience managing intellectual property matters, including responding to and resolving third-party infringement allegations.
• Proven track record of managing litigation and dispute resolution matters, including coordinating legal strategy and stakeholder engagement.
• Experience supporting the implementation of group-wide legal policies, programmes, projects, and contractual frameworks in partnership with international or central legal functions.
• Ability to provide commercially pragmatic legal advice to senior stakeholders, balancing legal risk with business objectives.
• Knows how to navigate an organisational matrix and works collaboratively within country and on global level.
• Strong interpersonal skills, ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• Able to work independently, "hands-on" and proactively with high intrinsic motivation.
• Convinces with sound business-oriented solutions and takes clear and pragmatic positions whilst ensuring integrity.
• Understands the overarching company strategy while communicating and modelling the core values of the organisation to create a sense of teamwork and membership among employees.

What You'll get in Return