Legal Counsel

Job Description

At Aberdeen, our ambition is to be the UK’s leading Wealth & Investments group.

Strengthening talent and culture is one of our strategic priorities. We strive to make Aberdeen a great place to work so that we can attract and retain the industry’s best talent.

Our people put our stakeholders at the heart of everything they do by helping us to make a positive difference to the lives of our clients, customers, colleagues, shareholders, and society.

We are focused on growing our direct and advised wealth platforms and repositioning our specialist asset management business to meet client demand. We are committed to providing excellent client service, supported by leading technology and talent.

Aberdeen comprises three businesses, interactive investor (ii), Investments, and Adviser, each of which focuses on meeting and adapting to our clients’ evolving needs:

• interactive investor, the UK’s second largest direct-to-consumer investment platform, enables individuals in the UK to plan, save, and invest in the way that works for them.
• Our Adviser business provides financial planning solutions and technology for UK financial advisers, enabling them to create value for their customers.
• Our Investments business is a specialist asset manager that focuses on areas where we have both strength and scale to capitalise on the key themes shaping the market, through either public markets or alternative asset classes.

About the Role

This role sits within the Technology, Commercial and Litigation team which is part of the Legal, Secretariat, Public Affairs and Corporate Sustainability (LSPS) function.

The successful candidate will provide legal advice and support across the Aberdeen Group on commercial, contractual and technology‑related matters, with a focus on enabling strategic and operational objectives while effectively managing legal, regulatory and commercial risk.

The role will support a broad range of activities, including commercial contracts, strategic supplier arrangements, and technology and infrastructure services, alongside advisory support to business stakeholders on areas such as data protection, AI and intellectual property/brand.

Working closely with stakeholders, colleagues across LSPS and (where appropriate) external counsel, the role will support effective contract lifecycle management, risk identification and mitigation, and the delivery of commercial outcomes aligned to the Group’s priorities.

The role requires strong technical and commercial capability, sound judgement and the ability to operate confidently at senior stakeholder level.

The role will actively support modern ways of working across the LSPS function, including the responsible use of technology and AI‑enabled tools, process improvement and knowledge sharing. The successful candidate will be expected to work flexibly across team and functional boundaries, contributing to an integrated, forward‑looking legal service that supports innovation and data insights while maintaining robust legal and risk standards.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide high-quality legal, technical and commercial advice to business stakeholders in relation to a wide range of commercial and contractual matters, including key strategic projects and supplier arrangements.
• Draft, review and negotiate contracts, including technology, outsourcing and complex commercial agreements, ensuring that legal and commercial risk is appropriately managed.
• Support the identification, assessment and mitigation of legal, regulatory and reputational risk arising from contractual, operational and technology-related activities.
• Advise stakeholders on contractual interpretation, performance, dispute risk and commercial issues, including escalation and resolution strategies as required.
• Provide legal input into strategic transformation programmes, technology initiatives and operational change projects, ensuring alignment with legal and regulatory requirements.
• Advise on and support the business in relation to data protection, AI, intellectual property and brand matters, developing practical and proportionate solutions (or demonstrate a willingness to build capability in these areas)
• Work closely with stakeholders to ensure legal advice is pragmatic, commercially focused and enabling of business outcomes, while maintaining appropriate risk discipline.
• Support the efficient instruction and management of external counsel and suppliers, where required.
• Contribute to effective governance and decision‑making in relation to commercial matters affecting the Aberdeen Group.
• Develop and maintain strong, trusted relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure legal advice is practical, proportionate and delivers best value to the business.
• Identify opportunities to improve or enhance the delivery of legal services, including through process improvement, use of data, use of technology (including AI) or evolving legal and regulatory developments.
• Contribute to the responsible use of legal technology and AI‑enabled tools, including supporting risk assessment, efficiency, insight generation and knowledge management, in line with Group policies and governance.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing and continuous improvement within the Litigation & Investigations team and the wider LSPS function.

About the Candidate:

• Qualified lawyer with relevant post‑qualification experience in commercial contracts and commercial advisory work.
• Circa 2-4 years’ post‑qualification experience.
• Strong experience of drafting and negotiating commercial and technology agreements.
• Good understanding of legal and regulatory frameworks relevant to financial services and technology environments (or the ability to develop this quickly).
• Awareness of data protection, AI, IP/brand and cyber risk considerations (depth can be flexible depending on experience).
• Commercial judgement and ability to balance legal risk with business objectives.
• Ability to communicate clearly and influence key stakeholders.
• Collaborative and adaptable, with the ability to work across teams and priorities.
• Comfortable working in an evolving environment, including the use of legal technology and AI‑supported tools, with sound judgement as to risk and appropriateness.

• Experience of asset management and/or investment platforms and knowledge of regulatory frameworks applicable to asset managers and investment platforms.
• Experience of, or keen interest in, innovation, technology or process improvement within legal service delivery.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Committed employer. If you have a disability and would like to apply to one of our UK roles under the Disability Confident Scheme, please notify us by completing the relevant section in our candidate questionnaire. One of our team will reach out to support you through your application process.

Our benefits

There's more to working life than coming home with a good salary. We have an environment where you can learn, get involved and be supported.

When you join us, your reward will be one of the best around. This includes 40 days’ annual leave, a 16% employer pension contribution, a discretionary performance-based bonus (where applicable), private healthcare and a range of flexible benefits – including gym discounts, season ticket loans and access to an employee discount portal. You can read more about our benefits here.

Our business

Enabling our clients to be better investors drives everything we do. Our business is structured around three distinct areas – our vectors of growth – focused on our clients’ changing needs. You can find out more about what we do here.

An inclusive way of working

Whatever way you like to work, if you have the talent and commitment to join our team, we’d like to hear from you.

At Aberdeen we’ve adopted a ‘blended working’ approach. This approach combines the benefits of face-to-face collaboration, coaching and connecting in our offices with the flexibility of working from home. It enables colleagues to find a balance that works for their roles, their teams, our clients and our business.

An inclusive culture, where diverse perspectives drive our actions, is at the core of who we are and what we do. If you need assistance with your application, or a reasonable adjustment to your interview arrangements – for example, because you are neurodivergent, or have a physical, sensory, cognitive, mental, visible or invisible disability – please let us know and we’ll be happy to help.

We’re committed to providing an inclusive workplace where all forms of difference are valued and which is free from any form of unfair or unlawful treatment. We define diversity in its broadest sense – this includes but is not limited to our diversity of educational and professional backgrounds, experience, cognitive and neurodiversity, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, religion or belief and ethnicity and geographical provenance. We support a culture that values meritocracy, fairness and transparency and welcomes enquiries from everyone.

If you need assistance or an adjustment due to a disability please let us know as part of your application and we will assist.