Job Description

Paralegal (In-house)

£26,500 - £27,500 plus excellent benefits (Work Level 6B)

Manchester city centre - in this role you’ll work in a hybrid way splitting your time between home and the office (find out more about our hybrid working policy at https://jobs.coop.co.uk/hybrid-working-policy).

We're looking for a Paralegal to join our in-house Legal team at Co-op. In this role, you'll work across a broad range of legal matters, supporting colleagues across the business while managing your own caseload. You'll work closely with experienced solicitors, helping to provide practical legal advice and solutions that support Co-op's day-to-day operations and long-term goals.

Why this role matters

This is a great opportunity to build your legal career in a collaborative in-house environment where no two days are the same. You'll gain exposure to a wide variety of legal work, develop relationships across different parts of the business, and learn from experienced legal professionals who are committed to supporting your growth. If you're looking to broaden your legal experience, take ownership of meaningful work, and make a real impact in a purpose-led organisation, this role offers plenty of opportunity to do just that.

What you’ll do

• Manage your own workload and provide legal advice to a variety of business areas on a wide range of legal issues
• Review, draft and negotiate a wide variety of legal documents and advise internal partners on legal risk, receiving support from solicitor colleagues
• Identify legal issues and collaborate with our in-house legal specialists
• Support solicitors and other paralegals on larger projects and pieces of work
• Assist with legal know-how and horizon scanning and create guidance documents/training materials for colleagues and other teams in the Co-op
• Undertake legal research on a broad range of topics
• Get involved in Co-op community initiatives, events, and activities

What you’ll bring

We’re committed to making our roles as accessible as possible, so we only ask for the minimum criteria. To thrive here, you’ll need to bring:

• A law degree or graduate diploma in law (at least 2:1 or commendation)
• The ability to demonstrate commercial awareness and understand a variety of business requirements gained through employment and/or work experience
• Good relationship-building skills, with the ability to collaborate with colleagues across the business
• Strong prioritisation and organisational skills
• A proactive approach with a passion for learning

Why Co-op?

At Co-op, we’re owned by our members. And because we’re owned by you, we can do right by you. So when you join us, you’re not just taking a job, you’re joining a movement. We’re an organisation that puts people and communities first, and we’re powered by purpose. We want this to be a place where you can thrive, so you’ll also receive:

• An annual bonus (based on personal and business performance)
• 28 days holiday (rising to 32 with service) plus bank holidays
• A pension with up to 10% employer contributions
• Access to a subsidised onsite gym (at our Manchester HQ)
• 30% discount on Co-op products and 10% off other brands
• Stream – early access to a percentage of your pay as you earn it
• Virtual healthcare including GP appointments, mental health support, nutrition and fitness advice
• 24/7 colleague support service
• Training and support for your development and career progression
• Cycle-to-work scheme

A place you’ll belong

We’re building diverse and inclusive teams that reflect the communities we serve. We welcome applications from everyone and are committed to creating a workplace where colleagues can feel like they belong, supported by our inclusive policies and the ways we work.

We’re proud to be part of the Disability Confident scheme and offer interviews to disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for a job. If you need any adjustments during the recruitment process, we’ll support you.

Learn more about our recruitment process at jobs.coop.co.uk/apply-process and our inclusion commitments at jobs.coop.co.uk/diversity-inclusion

Please note that we may close applications for this role early.

As part of your application, you'll need to complete an online assessment. This assessment typically takes up to 50 minutes. If you're a current Co-op colleague, this does not need to be completed.