General Counsel - Steam Thermal Solutions
Location:Cheltenham, UK or STS Italy (Milan)
Benefits:(UK only) 27 days holiday plus Wellbeing day,Private Medical Insurance, Bonus scheme, Sharescheme, Enhanced pension plan,Life assurance, Discount scheme.
Role Overview:
We are seeking a dynamic and strategicGeneral Counselto lead the legal function forSteam Thermal Solutions (STS), a key business unit within the Spirax Group. This is a senior leadership role, reporting directly to theGroup General Counsel & Company Secretary(solid line) and theManaging Director of STS(dotted line). The role is hybrid, with regular presence required at ourUK HQ in Cheltenhamand/orSTS Italy.
As a member of the STS Executive Leadership Team, you will define and execute the legal strategy, ensuring alignment with STS’s “Customer First” approach. You will lead a global legal team, drive legal innovation, and play a pivotal role in shaping the business’s strategic direction.
Your objectives and responsibilities will focus on…
Strategic Leadership
- Define and implement the long-term legal strategy aligned with STS’s business roadmap.
- Act as the primary legal advisor in strategic decision-making, M&A, and risk management.
- Lead legal innovation across commercial, regulatory, and technology initiatives.
Legal Operations
- Oversee legal support delivery across STS, ensuring performance and accountability.
- Direct complex commercial transactions and embed a balanced risk culture.
- Maintain governance and compliance across 50+ jurisdictions.
Transformation and Growth
- Champion digital legal transformation through automation and contract lifecycle tools.
- Lead legal structuring for M&A, divestments, and cross-border investments.
- Use data analytics to reduce legal exposure and enhance service quality.
People Leadership
- Manage and develop a global team of 8+ legal professionals.
- Build succession pipelines and foster a high-performance legal culture.
- Act as a strategic enabler for change through leadership and collaboration.
Your previous experience is likely to include….
- Working as a qualified lawyer with a law degree and admission to practice in a recognised jurisdiction.
- Extensivepost-qualification experience, including leadership of legal functions in industrial, process, or B2B manufacturing sectors.
- Proven track records in:
- Strategic legal leadership and M&A execution.
- Embedding legal risk frameworks in global organisations.
- Leading international legal teams and scaling services through digital tools.
To be successful in this role you will demonstrate…
- Company Core Values at all times
- Strategic Leadership:Visionary with the ability to drive execution through others.
- Business Acumen:Strong understanding of commercial drivers and P&L impact.
- Change Leadership:Confident in navigating ambiguity and leading transformation.
- Digital Fluency:Skilled in legal tech and automation tools.
- Communication:Influential and trusted advisor at senior levels.
- Cultural Agility:Effective across diverse teams and legal systems.
- Personal Attributes:Resilient, self-directed, collaborative, and values-driven.
The Steam Thermal Solutions business is one of three businesses within Spirax Group. Spirax Sarco and Gestra, are our two brands that form Steam Thermal Solutionsand are global leaders in the supply of engineered solutions for the design, provision and maintenance of efficient industrial and commercial steam systems.Steam Thermal Solutions has global coverage across 67 operating units (called OpCos), organised into four Divisions: EMEA, APAC, Americas, Gestra.
Spirax Groupis a FTSE100 and FTSE4Good multi-national industrial engineering Group with expertise in the control and management of steam, electric thermal solutions, peristaltic pumping and associated fluid technologies.
Our Purpose is to create sustainable value for all our stakeholders as we engineer a more efficient, safer and sustainable world. Our technologies play an essential role in critical industrial processes and industrial equipment across industries as diverse as Food & Beverage, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology, Power Generation, Semiconductors and Healthcare. With customers in 165 countries, we provide the solutions that sit behind the production of many items used in daily life, from baked beans to mobile phones!
Our Purpose, supported by our inclusive culture and Values, unites us, guides our decisions and inspires us everywhere that we operate. We support our colleagues to make their difference for each other as well as customers, communities, suppliers, our planet and shareholders by creating a truly equitable working environment where everyone feels included.
Benefits
You will receive a competitive salary (and a discretionary bonus), flexible working and excellent benefits including 27 days holiday allowance (before bank holidays), 3 days’ paid volunteering leave, comprehensive private healthcare, enhanced pension plan, life assurance, optional participation in a Share Ownership Plan, free onsite parking, flexible benefits, and access to a personal discounts’ portal. We also offer a range of additional support and benefits through our Everyone is Included Group Inclusion Plan, detailed below.
Everyone is Included at Spirax Group
We are passionate about creating inclusive and equitable working cultures where everyone can be themselves and achieve their full potential. For us, that means supportive teams and strong relationships where everyone’s contribution is valued - across social and cultural backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, gender identities, abilities, neurodiversity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, and everything else that makes us human and unique.
We want everyone to be able to make their difference here, so we will always consider requests for flexible working.
We know that everyone needs some extra help from time to time too, so we have introduced a range of additional benefits through our Group Inclusion Commitments. These include gender-neutral parental leave, 15 days of extra paid caregiver leave, paid time off and support for anyone experiencing pregnancy loss or domestic abuse, menopause-friendly workplace principles and more. Learn more athttps://www.spiraxgroup.com/en/life-at-spirax/our-inclusive-group/our-inclusion-commitments.
We are also a Disability Confident Committed Employer. If you would like to apply using this scheme, please select this option in our application form or notify our recruitment partners.
