Senior Legal Counsel - IP

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced IP professional to join Superdry’s highly-regarded in-house legal team.  The legal team at Superdry sits at the heart of the business and works in close, trusted partnership with a number of key business decision-makers.  It plays a pivotal and highly-visible role in empowering and supporting Superdry to deliver success. Superdry’s brand is fundamental to that success.

We are looking for a passionate, engaging, delivery-focussed team leader to drive innovation and play a key role in supporting and executing Superdry’s IP and Brand Protection strategy.  Fundamental to the role will be an ability to build and maintain collaborative relationships with the aim of leading, driving and coordinating Superdry’s brand protection efforts across all our functions and markets with the skill to position brand protection at the heart of Superdry’s brand strategy. 

Reporting to the Head of Legal  the role will be based at Superdry’s Head Office in Cheltenham.  However, Superdry embraces agile working so some flexibility will be possible.

You Will

• Manage and coordinate the effective design and delivery of a market-leading global brand protection and IP strategy which fully aligns with Superdry’s strategic objectives for its brand and its product.
• Work to build collaborative and valuable relationships which ensures that brand protection is central to Superdry’s wider brand execution strategy across product design through to digital marketing, performance marketing and product sale – both through physical retail and ecommerce.
• Embrace technology, market insight and data to generate meaningful business-centric intelligence to help drive commercial decisions.
• Work closely with design and brand teams and Superdry’s Centre of Excellence to understand new IP developments so that creativity can be harnessed, protected and monetised in the right way.
• Identify, understand and monitor the risks, threats and on-going emerging activities affecting the security and integrity of Superdry's brand, leading a strategy to mitigate those risks.
• Review and continually develop the management, footprint and effectiveness of Superdry's IP portfolio and maintain processes to ensure it supports the brand protection strategy.
• Manage external counsel on IP infringement, trade mark registry and enforcement matters, receiving updates and providing instructions on existing and new matters.
• Review, develop and monitor surveillance and enforcement resources – both online and offline - to address perceived risks and threats to our brand.
• Provide training and education to ensure that our colleagues around the world understand: how to identify counterfeit/ genuine product; our track & trace capabilities; how to identify trademark infringement or passing off; issues-management from a communications perspective; and how to report concerns.
• Work in close collaboration with the sourcing and logistics teams to investigate, evaluate and recommend alternative authentication, track and trace, and security technologies.
• Deliver regular reports to the Executive Committee on brand protection activities and results.
• Proactively drive continuous improvement in the wider legal team including the use of technology and other solutions to drive process improvements and manage risk.
• Think laterally and drive practical and innovative commercial solutions to problems.
• Be responsible for managing a small, capable team while also playing a vital role in the leadership, direction and ethos of the team.
• Manage a budget and, where required, the effective instruction of external counsel and other service providers.

You Are

• Likely someone with litigation experience and experience of developing or advising on a corporate brand protection strategy and who knows what best in class looks like in this area.  Technically capable with deep knowledge of the laws, regulations and processes which govern the key soft IP rights – particularly trade marks, copyright and designs.
• Passionate about tech with an understanding of how technology and data can drive and support commerce and transformational change.
• Commercially-minded, with an understanding of business operations, commerce and finance.
• Experienced in working in a relevant in-house environment whether through secondment or through a previous in-house role.
• Meticulous and take personal pride in your work, instilling this approach throughout your team, striving to run a team that produces high quality work.
• A proven leader of people, with the ability to motivate, drive, guide, develop and shape your team and your peers.
• A strong communicator able to present confidently to senior level decision makers.
• A highly organised, diligent person with exceptional attention to detail.
• A team player able to work effectively and collaboratively with the whole team.
• Passionate, driven, high energy, resilient, and have an approach that embraces change, and an unflappable nature that helps you stay calm and functioning in challenging times.

Working for Superdry has never been so rewarding…

• 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, we also offer a holiday buying scheme
• An additional day off to celebrate your Birthday
• Family is massively important to us, so we have a broad range of family-friendly working policies in place, including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Company Pension scheme
• All employees are covered by our Life Assurance policy whilst working at Superdry. We feel it’s important to offer protection for your family and loved ones in such a situation and to support this we offer life assurance cover which pays a lump sum equivalent either twice or four times your annual salary
• A big staff discount – naturally. Because we know that you love to wear Superdry, you’ll benefit from a 50% discount in store and online
• Our Head Office is home to our very own store for staff only where you can treat yourself to heavily discounted sample stock
• A health cash plan is open to all employees.
• Flexible working and core working hours between 10am – 4pm to help you achieve that all-important work-life balance
• Access to onsite parking and as part of our sustainable development goals, we have a selection of electrical car parking points freely available to staff.
• A range of learning and development materials to help you in your career and grow with us
• We like to give back, so we allow our employees time off for volunteering work
• A global employee assistance plan in place that you can access anytime you want - it’s free and confidential
• You’ll also have access to a Cycle To Work Scheme and an excellent Car contract hire/purchase scheme
• A range of local discounts with businesses across Gloucestershire

• At Superdry, everyone has a voice and we want to hear it. We create environments where individuality can flourish and is celebrated as part of who we are as a brand. We’re incredibly proud that over 90% of our people feel strongly that they can be themselves at work.

  We want to meet people with varied backgrounds because we understand that diversity of thought encourages new ideas to thrive, fuelling creativity and enabling us to do better work. We want to build a team which represents a variety of backgrounds, styles, perspectives, and skills; we hire people based on their merit and potential.

  We also welcome conversations about flexible working for all roles at Superdry and will always accommodate it where possible.

  Please also have a look at our career website. Here you can find information about the Growing Futures Programme, a scheme that supports applicants from ethnic minority backgrounds to apply for roles at our HO in Cheltenham.

Please note that some jobs may be closed earlier than the published closing date if we get a high volume of applications. We therefore advise that you complete your application at your earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.

Who we are

Superdry is a British, founder-led brand with a truly global presence. We’ve been proudly creating world-class product for almost two decades, offering genuine choice to our customers with our curated style collections. 

Our mission is to be the No. 1 sustainable style destination, delivering product that is authentic with unmatched quality and true integrity, much like our people. 

We are on an ambitious, style-obsessed journey and need talented people to join us on the adventure. Are you ready for everything?

Please note that some jobs may be closed earlier than the published closing date if we get a high volume of applications. We therefore advise that you complete your application at your earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment.