Legal Counsel - Privacy, Consumer & Commercial

Why the Liberty Global Legal Counsel Role Signals a Career Inflection Point for Privacy Lawyers

The legal recruitment market is witnessing a seismic shift. As traditional law firm associate roles face billing pressure and automation, the most ambitious lawyers are pivoting toward high-growth scale-ups where legal strategy sits at the boardroom table. The Legal Counsel - Privacy, Consumer & Commercial position at Believ—the EV charging arm of telecoms giant Liberty Global—exemplifies this trajectory. Posted just days ago on LinkedIn with 86 early applicants, this London-based role is not merely a vacancy; it is a gateway to owning the legal architecture of the UK's critical green infrastructure.

Insider Perspective: "In-house roles at scale-ups backed by blue-chip parents like Liberty Global and Zouk Capital offer the 'goldilocks' zone: the autonomy of a startup with the risk mitigation and resources of a FTSE 100 company. For a privacy lawyer, leading the GDPR function for a national EV network is a career-defining mandate."

Decoding the Believ Proposition: More Than Just a Charge Point Operator

To understand the weight of this opportunity, one must look beyond the job description. Believ, formerly Liberty Charge, operates as a Charge Point Operator (CPO) with a mandate to deliver the UK's most reliable EV charging network at zero cost to local authorities. This model—funded by Liberty Global (owner of Virgin Media O2) and Zouk Capital (manager of the Government's Charging Infrastructure Investment Fund)—places the legal function at the intersection of public procurement, regulated energy markets, consumer tech, and heavy infrastructure rollout.

Unlike a static corporate legal role, this position demands agility across three distinct, high-stakes pillars:

• Data Privacy Leadership: Acting as the primary business contact for GDPR, shaping policies, managing DSARs/breaches, and embedding Privacy by Design into hardware/software products.
• Consumer & Marketing Law: Drafting customer-facing terms, advising on promotional mechanics, and navigating the evolving landscape of consumer protection (CMA guidelines, Digital Markets Act implications).
• Commercial Engine Room: Negotiating energy supply contracts, hardware procurement, network roaming agreements, and supporting public/private tenders.

The Strategic Value of "First Legal Hire" Energy in an Established Structure

The job description explicitly states this is a "newly created role" pivotal to expansion. This phrasing is a green flag for career strategists. It signals that the successful candidate will not inherit a rigid playbook but will write the playbook. You are being hired to transition the privacy function from external counsel (DPO/advisor) to an independent, in-house center of excellence.

This trajectory—moving a function from "outsourced" to "owned"—is the single fastest route to a General Counsel or Head of Legal track in the modern market. It demonstrates:
1. Strategic Trust: The business invests in internal capability over external spend.
2. Cross-Functional Visibility: You become the bridge between Engineering, Product, Sales, and the Board.
3. Regulatory Foresight: You own the horizon scanning for ISO certifications, Ofgem interactions, and ICO guidance.

Competitive Intelligence: What the 86 Applicants Likely Miss

With nearly 90 applicants in 48 hours, the volume is high, but the quality of tailored applications is typically low. Most candidates will submit generic privacy CVs. To differentiate, your application must evidence sector-specific fluency:

• Energy/Telecoms Regulatory Overlap: Highlight any experience with Ofcom, Ofgem, or network code compliance. The EV charging sector sits precisely at this nexus.
• Hardware/Software Supply Chains: Cite specific negotiations involving IoT device procurement, SIM connectivity agreements, or SaaS platform terms (OCPP/OCPI protocols are the lingua franca here).
• Public Sector Procurement: Believ's "zero cost to local authorities" model implies heavy reliance on concession contracts and framework agreements (e.g., Crown Commercial Service). Experience here is a force multiplier.
• ISO 27001/27701 Implementation: The job spec mentions maintaining ISO certifications. Practical experience aligning GDPR Art. 32 controls with ISO 27001 Annex A is a distinct talking point for interview.

Crafting the Winning Narrative: From "Privacy Lawyer" to "Commercial Legal Partner"

The job title includes "Commercial" for a reason. Liberty Global does not need a pure-play DPO; they need a lawyer who can review a network roaming agreement on Monday, advise on a consumer promotion on Tuesday, and lead a data breach tabletop exercise on Wednesday. Your CV and cover letter must scream commercial pragmatism.

Actionable CV Audit Checklist:

• Remove academic theory; insert business outcomes (e.g., "Reduced DSAR response time by 40% via automated workflow," "Negotiated £2M SaaS agreement with favorable liability caps").
• Create a "Key Projects" section detailing a cross-functional initiative you led (Privacy by Design in product launch, consumer terms overhaul post-CMA guidance).
• Quantify stakeholder management: "Advised Product/Engineering/Sales leads across 3 geographies."
• Signal "Scale-up Readiness": Mention experience in Series B-C environments, or managing legal ops/budget for the first time.

Recruiter Reality Check: Hiring managers at Believ will screen for "can this person operate without a safety net?" The mention of initial external DPO support "expected to lead independently" is the ultimate test. Your interview answers must prove you have moved beyond "issue spotting" to "risk-based decision making under uncertainty."

The Long Game: Where This Role Leads in 24-36 Months

Viewing this role through a 3-year lens reveals its true ROI. The UK EV charging market is consolidating rapidly. Believ's backing by Liberty Global and Zouk Capital positions it for either aggressive M&A (acquiring smaller CPOs) or a strategic exit/IPO. A Legal Counsel who builds the privacy/commercial function from scratch today positions themselves for:

• Head of Legal / General Counsel (UK): As the entity scales to 200+ headcount.
• Group Privacy Officer / DPO (Liberty Global Group): Leveraging the Believ mandate to influence the wider Virgin Media O2 / Liberty Global privacy strategy.
• Portfolio Career: The "Privacy + Commercial + Regulated Sector" trifecta makes you highly attractive to PE-backed energy transition platforms, Climate Tech funds, and Big 4 legal consulting arms.

Application Mechanics & Timing Strategy

The LinkedIn "Easy Apply" mechanism lowers the barrier to entry, inflating applicant numbers. Do not rely solely on the LinkedIn button. Execute a parallel track:

1. Identify the Hiring Manager: Search LinkedIn for "Legal Director Believ" or "Head of Legal Liberty Global UK". Connect with a contextual note referencing the role.
2. Leverage the Virgin Media O2 Network: Liberty Global's integration with VMO2 means legal teams collaborate. If you have contacts in VMO2 Legal, request an internal referral—it bypasses the ATS pile.
3. Prepare a "First 90 Days" Memo: If you secure a screen, bring a one-pager on: GDPR gap analysis approach, consumer terms audit plan, and commercial contract repository setup. This demonstrates the "independent leadership" they crave.

Final Verdict: A Rare Confluence of Mission, Mandate, and Market Timing

Roles offering genuine functional ownership in a mission-critical sector (net zero infrastructure), backed by deep-pocketed, long-term investors, appear perhaps once a year in the London market. The Legal Counsel - Privacy, Consumer & Commercial role at Believ is that anomaly. For the privacy lawyer ready to shed the "advisor" label and embrace the "architect" mantle, this is the application to prioritize this quarter. The 86 applicants are noise; your prepared, sector-fluent, commercially grounded signal is what cuts through.

Frequently Asked Questions

What PQE level is realistically competitive for this Believ Legal Counsel role?

While not explicitly stated, the scope—leading privacy independently, managing commercial negotiations, and reporting to a Legal Director—typically aligns with 3-6 years PQE. Candidates with 2 years PQE but deep in-house scale-up experience (e.g., at Octopus Energy, OVO, or a high-growth SaaS) can compete if they demonstrate the "independent leadership" trait. Conversely, 7+ PQE candidates from private practice must prove they can operate without precedent banks and large teams.

Does this role require a specific privacy certification (CIPP/E, CIPM)?

Certifications are not listed as mandatory, but CIPP/E is effectively the baseline currency for UK in-house privacy roles at this level. Holding CIPM (Privacy Program Management) or CIPT (Technology) provides a distinct edge, signaling you can build the *program* (policies, training, metrics) not just interpret the *law*. If you lack certs, emphasize practical program-building experience (e.g., "Built RoPA from scratch," "Designed DPIA workflow for product team").

How critical is EV/Energy sector experience versus general TMT/Telecoms background?

Direct EV experience is a "nice to have," not a gatekeeper. Telecoms (VMO2, BT, Vodafone) or Regulated Utilities (National Grid, UKPN, Ofgem-regulated entities) experience is highly transferable. The core parallels are: network infrastructure rollout, wayleave/landlord consents, consumer-facing regulated services, and critical national infrastructure obligations. Frame your experience through this lens: "Managed legal workstream for 5G small cell deployment" ≈ "EV charger site acquisition & connectivity."

What is the likely interview process structure for this Liberty Global role?

Expect a 4-stage process: (1) Recruiter/HR screen (competency & salary), (2) Hiring Manager (Legal Director) - deep dive on privacy/commercial scenarios, (3) Cross-functional panel (Head of Product, CTO, or Commercial Director) - testing stakeholder management and commercial pragmatism, (4) Final conversation with C-suite/Finance Director - cultural fit and strategic alignment. Prepare a case study on a complex commercial negotiation or privacy incident response for Stage 2/3.