Senior Legal Counsel

Job Type: Permanent

Location: This role is based in our London offices with time spent working in the office and at home.

Flexible working: All roles are open to part-time, job-share and other types of flexibility. We will discuss what is important to you and balancing this with business requirements during the recruitment process. You can read more about flexible working here.

Closing Date: 12th November 2026 (23:55)

Salary and benefits: Starting from £110,000 - £140,000 (dependent upon experience) plus an indicative bonus range of 30-60%, private medical cover, 38 days annual leave, up to 12% employer pension contribution, 12x salary life assurance, career breaks, income protection, 3x volunteering days and much more

Who are we? 

We’re Standard Life, a retirement specialist focused entirely on retirement savings and income. We champion the belief that everyone’s journey to and through retirement can be better, and for more than 200 years, we’ve been helping our customers plan and prepare for their financial futures.

Life today is increasingly complicated, uncertain and unpredictable. People move through different careers, face unexpected moments and navigate important choices. We offer our colleagues flexibility, trust and benefits that work for whatever life brings. In return we expect curiosity, connection, accountability and high standards. We make room for what matters - so you can bring your best, every day.

The role  

Join the Retirement Solutions & Asset Management legal team as Senior Legal Counsel, primarily supporting Standard Life’s Private Markets Asset Management team, which oversees more than £290 billion of Group assets. You will advise investment teams on the origination, structuring, execution and management of private debt and real asset investments.

Working with investment professionals, credit, risk and external counsel, you will deliver complex transactions and provide pragmatic, commercially focused legal support throughout the investment lifecycle. This is an opportunity to develop your expertise within a growing, best-in-class in-house asset management function.

Transaction Execution

• Lead legal support for private debt, real estate finance, infrastructure debt and other illiquid investments.
• Review and negotiate term sheets, confidentiality agreements and financing documents.
• Manage legal workstreams through execution and closing.
• Act as the main liaison between investment teams and external counsel.
• Support acquisitions, disposals, restructurings, amendments, waivers and consents.

Investment Structuring

• Advise on investment structures, fund vehicles, co-investments, top-ups and securitisations.
• Support new investment products and asset classes.
• Assess the legal and regulatory impact of proposed investment strategies.

Risk & Governance

• Identify and manage legal risks from investment activity.
• Support investment approval and credit committee processes.
• Advise on insurer-specific regulation, including Matching Adjustment eligibility.
• Develop and maintain legal policies, procedures and precedents.

Stakeholder Partnership

• Build trusted relationships across investment, credit, risk, compliance and finance teams.
• Give pragmatic, commercial advice that balances legal risk and business objectives.
• Deliver training and legal updates to investment and operational teams.
• External Manager & Supplier Support
• Manage external legal advisers for efficient, cost-effective delivery.

What are we looking for?

Essential

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales or Scotland.
• Post-qualification experience gained through a mix of in-house and private practice.
• Background in finance transactions, commercially minded and solutions focused.
• Experience negotiating term sheets, loan agreements, security documents, intercreditor arrangements and related finance documentation.
• Demonstrable ability to manage complex transactions from origination through execution.
• Excellent drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills. Pragmatic, resilient and outcomes driven.
• Strong commercial judgement and ability to provide practical solutions whilst working independently and collaborating effectively across teams.

Highly Desirable

• Real estate or Infrastructure finance experience.
• Direct lending or private credit experience.
• Experience acting for institutional investors, banks, debt funds or insurance companies.
• Familiarity with insurer investment requirements and capital frameworks.
• Experience supporting private markets or real assets investment teams.

We want to hire the whole version of you.

We are committed to ensuring that everyone feels accepted and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. If your experience looks different from what we’ve advertised and you believe that you can bring value to the role, we’d love to hear from you.

If you require any adjustments to the recruitment process, please let us know so we can help you to be at your best.

We’re reviewing applications as they come in, so apply early to avoid missing out.

Find out more about working at Standard Life

Guide for Candidates: standardlifeplc.pagetiger.com/guideforcandidates

Find or get answers from our colleagues: www.standardlifeplc.com/careers/talk-to-us