Formula E is looking for a proactive, experienced and highly effective Commercial Legal Director to manage and oversee the contractual and legal framework relating to the commercial activities of Formula E. Reporting to the General Counsel, the Commercial Legal Director will be responsible for the development of key media, sponsorship, and commercial projects across the business, as well as supporting the implementation of legal AI tech tools to assist with streamlining processes across the legal team. In addition to working with the General Counsel and the wider legal team, this role will also interact closely with other senior stakeholders within the business.
This is a newly created role which is highly commercial in nature and provides significant scope for strategic input, personal development and genuine ownership of crucial growth areas of Formula E’s business.
Duties & Responsibilities:
The Commercial Legal Director will have overall responsibility and accountability in the following areas:
- Contractual process for sales and renewals in respect of Formula E’s media and sponsorship partners;
- Championship commercial matters including race team commercial agreements and other sporting arrangements,
- Key media projects including production services agreements, technical services agreements and digital media agreements;
- Contractual process in respect of our merchandise, retail and licensing partners, E-Sports and gaming initiatives;
- Marketing, comms and digital services framework agreements and SOWs, and agreements for marketing activations;
- ESG related initiatives;
- Talent-related matters, including the contracting process for talent such as presenters and live music performances;
- IP related matters, including Formula E's trademark portfolio and other licensing matters; and
- AI adoption and integration to assist with all processes within the legal team.
The expectation is that the Commercial Legal Director will be able to take ownership and accountability for these matters (once settled into the role), with appropriate oversight from the General Counsel. The role will involve managing a small team who currently work on many of the above workstreams but will also require a leading and active hands-on involvement in liaising with the commercial team, drafting / negotiating documentation and closing deals, particularly the more complex matters.
This is a fast-paced role which has extensive exposure to the business. Building effective relationships (internally and with other members of the Formula E ecosystem) and a willingness to broaden experience on impactful business change programmes will be key. There will also be scope to assist the operations legal team on certain matters.
Required experience and qualifications:
- 2:1 higher education degree (law or law conversion);
- 10-12 PQE lawyer qualified in England;
- substantial private practice and commercial in-house experience; and
- experience drafting and negotiating sponsorship agreements, media rights / media production agreements; and a broad range of general commercial agreements.
Desirable experience:
- experience within a sports rightsholder and/or sporting team environment;
- experience drafting and negotiating operational agreements including venue hire, ticketing, host city and procurement;
- experience managing IP trademark portfolios; and
- experience engaging external counsel and managing budgets.
Required skills and aptitudes:
- strong technical lawyer;
- excellent drafting skills and attention to detail;
- ability to manage a large matters’ list;
- effective team manager;
- confident negotiator;
- strong work ethic and ‘can-do’ attitude with an ability to build relationships;
- commercial and proactive approach with a common-sense mind-set; and
- ability to cut through complexity and ‘get the job done’.
