Legal Counsel - 12-Month Fixed Term Contract

At SEPHORA UK, beauty isn’t just what we sell - it’s who we are. It’s the freedom to express yourself, the thrill of discovering something new, and the power of belonging to a community that celebrates every identity. From our beginnings in France to becoming part of the LVMH family, we’ve always pushed boundaries through creativity, innovation, and inclusivity.

Today, as we continue our exciting expansion across the UK, we’re looking for passionate, driven individuals to help shape the future of prestige beauty in one of the world’s most dynamic retail markets.

The Opportunity

At SEPHORA UK, we're looking for an experienced and commercially minded In-House Counsel to join our Legal team on a 12-month fixed-term contract .

Reporting to the Senior Legal Counsel, you'll play a key role in supporting our growing business by providing pragmatic legal advice, managing commercial risk and ensuring compliance across a wide range of business activities.

Working closely with stakeholders across Retail, Marketing, E-commerce, IT, Procurement and Operations, you'll help enable business growth while protecting Sephora's interests and upholding the highest standards of governance and compliance.

What you’ll be doing…

• Lead the drafting, review and negotiation of a broad range of commercial agreements, including supplier, distribution, marketing, partnership, technology and retail contracts.
• Provide practical, commercially focused legal advice to business stakeholders across multiple functions.
• Support the business in managing legal risk while enabling growth, innovation and operational excellence.
• Advise on UK and international data protection matters, ensuring compliance with applicable privacy regulations and internal policies.
• Support governance programmes and monitor developments in data protection and privacy legislation.
• Partner with stakeholders to develop compliant processes and best practices across the business.
• Design and deliver engaging legal and compliance training to colleagues across Sephora UK.
• Provide guidance on key compliance areas, including advertising standards, competition law, anti-bribery requirements and modern slavery obligations.
• Review marketing campaigns, promotions and consumer-facing communications to ensure regulatory compliance.
• Collaborate with global and regional legal teams on cross-border initiatives and international projects.
• Support the management of disputes, legal queries and escalations as they arise.
• Contribute to strategic legal projects and continuous improvement initiatives within the Legal function.

What you’ll bring…

You're a proactive and solutions-focused legal professional who thrives in a fast-paced commercial environment. You have strong business partnering skills and are confident translating complex legal concepts into clear, practical advice for non-legal stakeholders. With excellent judgement, attention to detail and a collaborative approach, you're comfortable managing multiple priorities while balancing legal risk with commercial objectives.

• Qualified UK Solicitor (or equivalent) with approximately 3–5 years' post-qualification experience.
• Strong experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial contracts.
• Solid knowledge of UK data protection legislation, including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
• Understanding of advertising regulations, competition law, anti-bribery legislation and modern slavery requirements.
• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills.
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.
• Experience delivering guidance or training to non-legal audiences.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Previous in-house legal experience, ideally within retail, consumer goods or e-commerce environments.
• Exposure to European regulatory frameworks, including GDPR and EU competition law, would be advantageous.
• French language skills would be a bonus.

Beautiful Benefits at SEPHORA UK

When you join SEPHORA, you’re joining a team that we truly value and our benefits reflect that. Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Private Healthcare, Life Assurance and Private Pension from day one.
• Competitive pay that grows with you, including annual salary reviews.
• A generous employee discount across the world’s best beauty brands.
• A paid day off on your birthday.
• Access to a wellbeing and perks platform.
• LVMH Heart Fund support.
• Generous holiday allowance, with the option to buy more.
• And more…

Together, we belong to something beautiful.

SEPHORA is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace for all. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, advancement, or other employment practices. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating and fostering an inclusive environment for all employees.

We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates. Please note that we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role, so applicants must have the right to work in the UK at the start of employment and will be asked to provide relevant evidence.