Senior Legal Counsel

Our Mission

At Vertical Aerospace, we are pioneering the way for electric aviation. The VX4, our eVTOL (electric, vertical, take-off and landing), ‘zero emissions’ aircraft will set a new safety standard for how we will navigate the sky.

We won’t realise our mission following the same legacy processes and traditions our predecessors followed, instead, we want to ‘redefine’ aerospace best practices.

We are growing quickly from a prototype business to a scaling SME, and the next few years will be critical to our success and delivering on our ambitious goals of having the VX4 in service by 2030.

What to expect

You will be Senior Legal Counsel at VA, reporting to the Head of Procurement and Legal (Commercial) within our Legal and Corporate Affairs team. You will be required to work closely with both our Commercial team (selling our aircraft and services) and our Procurement team (sourcing parts for the aircraft as well as parts and services for Vertical itself), as well as advising on any commercial disputes, R&D agreements, questions of internal governance and other matters typically dealt with by in-house legal teams. 

What you'll do

• Drafting and negotiating high-value contracts, including amongst other things, supply agreements, complex international engineering and manufacturing contracts and customer contracts;

• Supporting and advising on the legal and contracting process from RFI/RFP through to contract award;

• Supporting and advising the business on the resolution of any commercial disputes;

• Using your legal knowledge, data and insights to highlight potential issues and pro-actively manage risks;

• Working with the Commercial and Procurement teams to think strategically about how the relationships with key partners will develop and how to use the contract to the advantage of both VA and our counterparties’ business priorities;

• Supporting the corporate legal team on an ad hoc basis, including in regulatory disclosures and due diligence relating to commercial sourcing;

• Supporting the wider business with advice and guidance on the range of legal issues and questions which will inevitably crop up relating to VA’s business; and

• Developing and implementing legal, contract and compliance policies, processes and procedures.

What you'll bring

• Experience working as a PQE Solicitor or Barrister, Senior Legal Counsel with relevant experience spent in an in-house environment.

• Extensive commercial legal experience with a good understanding of international trade, IP, development and design / manufacturing contracts.

• Strong verbal and written communication, able to advise and explain complex legal issues and processes clearly and accurately.

• You will be proactive, a problem-solver, who thrives in a team environment.

• A skilled contracts drafter and negotiator, familiar with putting together complex agreements.

• You will be able to juggle multiple priorities and work in a fast paced, start-up environment.

• Commercial acumen and the ability to build lasting relationships with internal stakeholders  

• Knowledge or experience working in the manufacturing or engineering sector is a plus but not essential.

What can you expect from us?

We're on a mission. Where others see limits, we see opportunity, and we work at pace. Working at Vertical isn't your average role but for those seeking a challenge, a flexible, supportive organisation and an incredible team; working here is an opportunity to do the best work of your career.

Our approach promotes ingenuity and courage, while our environment builds success through diligence in safety and being open in the way we work. The only way we're going to assure the next chapter of aviation history is by working as a team, relentlessly, towards our goal. 

Our benefits

Our people matter - we're not going anywhere without them. Which is why our company benefits go beyond the essentials.

• 26 days holiday, plus bank holiday

• 5 extra days per year to buy (or sell)

• 5 extra days holiday when you get married or enter a civil partnership

• Additional 4% of your salary to spend on extra benefits

• Award-winning digital health and wellbeing service (Help@Hand)

• Company performance based bonus - rewarding company and individual performance

• Company Share Scheme - open to every Vertical employee

• Company Pension Scheme - 5% and we match it

• Breakfast on us, every day

We may just be the hardest job you've ever had, but we're confident it will be the most rewarding. Join the team today and help us shape the future of Advanced Air Mobility.

Disclaimer Statement

We encourage you to apply even if you may not have all the experience listed in the advert. We recognise that talent comes in various forms and we are committed to providing opportunities that create an environment of growth, diversity, and inclusion for everyone. As part of our desire to review and make our processes fair, we may ask you questions related to these aspects during the application process. For more information on how we will use your data, see our Legal section.