Job Description
About HOST
HOST supports social change initiatives around the world by providing fiscal hosting, operational infrastructure and governance support. Our Legal function ensures that our work is safe, compliant and aligned with our mission, enabling our partners to operate with confidence in complex environments.
The Role
HOST seeks a qualified solicitor to establish and lead its internal legal function. The role requires expertise in UK contract and charity law, applied in an international nonprofit context. You will support hosting, grantmaking, partner support, and global operations, ensuring contracts, due diligence, and legal frameworks are robust, proportionate, and operationally effective.
This role combines hands-on legal review with systems design, risk oversight, and practical guidance for non-legal teams, working closely with the Executive Director and Operations leadership. As this is a newly created position, the scope and priorities of the role will naturally evolve over time in discussion with the Legal Circle. We recognise that establishing effective legal processes, procedures, and documentation will take time, and we value a thoughtful, iterative approach to building the function well.
This is a part-time role (approximately 2 3 days per week / 0.4 0.6 FTE , to be agreed).
Experience working in-house, and experience operating primarily in a remote working environment, would be an advantage.
Key Responsibilities
Legal Oversight & Contracts
Review and approve agreements and maintain standard templates.
Provide clear, practical risk-based advice to internal stakeholders.
Manage legal requests through a structured, auditable intake process.
Engage and liaise with external law firms where specialist advice or jurisdictional expertise is required, managing those relationships appropriately.
Due Diligence & Risk
Assess higher-risk matters (e.g. sanctions, safeguarding, governance, employment, data protection).
Align legal processes with Finance and Operations.
Maintain clear and proportionate risk records.
Legal Systems & Governance
Develop and maintain key policies and template documents.
Embed appropriate legal workflows across the organisation.
Support governance and compliance improvements.
Scope
Will Do:
Lead legal review, maintain templates and policies, deliver accessible legal guidance, oversee a structured and transparent legal workflow, and coordinate external legal support where appropriate.
Will Not Do:
Lead commercial negotiations, manage operational delivery, approve retrospective decisions, or act outside the legal remit of the role.
Support & Resources
You will have access to appropriate online legal research tools and resources, subject to discussion regarding organisational needs and associated costs.
HOST will support Continuing Professional Development (CPD), with scope and funding agreed based on identified needs and budget.
HOST will cover the cost of the annual practising certificate (currently approximately £300 £400 per year).
About You
Requirements:
Practising solicitor in England & Wales, authorised to work in-house.
Skills:
Strong grounding in UK contract and charity law.
Experience drafting and interpreting agreements.
Ability to communicate legal advice clearly and pragmatically to non-legal colleagues.
Desirable:
Experience in data protection, employment law, sanctions, international law, or risk and compliance frameworks.
Previous in-house experience.
Experience working effectively in remote-first or distributed organisations.
Personal Qualities:
Collaborative, pragmatic, solutions-focused, mission-aligned, and confident guiding non-legal teams through complex issues.
Success Measures
Legal intake is consistent, auditable, and predictable.
Templates and policies are clear, compliant, and trusted by teams.
Advice is privileged, proportionate, regulatory-aligned, and enables partners to operate confidently.
