Senior Legal Counsel

We are looking for a Senior Legal Counsel to join our Legal team on a permanent basis in London (hybrid working).

Who we are: Railpen is responsible for the safekeeping and investment of around £34 billion in assets and the administration of several pension schemes, including the Railways Pension Scheme, one of the UK’s largest and longest established pension funds. Our heritage of looking after the pension needs of the rail industry and its employees gives us our name and our unique outlook on how we serve our members. Railpen takes a holistic view, focusing on how we serve members today and how we can positively impact the communities and the world they will retire into.

Role

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will act as a trusted adviser to senior leadership and the business, leading on the most complex legal matters and shaping the organisation’s approach to legal risk. You will play a key role in developing the capability, judgement and performance of legal colleagues, ensuring alignment with Railpen’s values and strategic objectives. This role is responsible for delivering technically excellent, commercially astute and strategically aligned legal advice across a broad range of business areas, including IT, Procurement, HR, Data Privacy, Compliance, Investment Operations and Pensions Administration. A core focus will be on building strong partnerships with senior stakeholders, enabling the business to achieve its objectives while proactively identifying and mitigating risk. You will provide legal leadership on complex, high‑value and high‑risk commercial, data and technology matters, ensuring that Railpen is supported by clear, pragmatic and forward‑thinking advice.

Qualifications

You will be a qualified lawyer with ideally a minimum of seven years’ commercial legal experience, gained within a complex or regulated environment. Previous in‑house experience will be advantageous. You will bring strong technical expertise, coupled with a genuine curiosity and drive to continually develop new skill sets in response to an evolving legal and business landscape. You will demonstrate confidence and credibility in engaging with internal clients and senior stakeholders, with the ability to communicate complex legal matters in a clear, pragmatic and commercially focused way. Your interpersonal skills will enable you to build trusted relationships across the business and influence decision‑making at a senior level.

Benefits

• A competitive salary (depending on experience)
• Generous annual bonus plan

Railpen is committed to creating an inclusive and diverse environment, we value diversity and welcome people from all backgrounds and walks of life.