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Director, UK Head of eDiscovery & Data Operations Counsel

London, United Kingdom

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Date live: 22/06/2026

Business Area: Legal

Area of Expertise: Legal

Contract: Permanent

Reference Code: JR-0000113263

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Barclays Legal

Join the Legal team to protect Barclays, its employees, and its brands while ensuring global competitiveness and compliance with legal standards. Your responsibilities will include risk mitigation, managing strategic transactions, and overseeing business contracts.

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Barclays have an excellent opportunity for a Director, Head of eDiscovery & Data Operations Counsel to join our Global Legal Team. This is a permanent role and can be based in London, Glasgow or Northampton.

Job Summary

To manage eDiscovery matters and drive eDiscovery strategy on matters with internal and external stakeholders, advising legal and other teams on challenges related to identification, preservation, retrieval, culling, analysis and use of data. Provide comprehensive technical expertise for data preservation, retrieval and culling exercises bank wide. Also responsible for supplier management of eDiscovery vendors, management of external eDiscovery spend by vendors and law firms, and relationship management of eDiscovery suppliers (including maintenance of data security and privacy) and collaboration cross functionally on various bank-wide initiatives that impact eDiscovery processes as well as ensuring that eDiscovery activities are aligned with the bank's overall goals and objectives. 

Required Skills

  • Excellent interpersonal skills and be able to communicate equally well with both technical experts and attorneys who lack technical background.
  • An advanced knowledge of litigation processes and rules pertaining to eDiscovery and have a demonstrated ability to act creatively and decisively in resolving eDiscovery challenges. 
  • Advanced knowledge of litigation processes and rules pertaining to eDiscovery and have a demonstrated ability to act creatively and decisively in resolving eDiscovery challenges. 
  • Advanced knowledge of litigation processes and rules pertaining to eDiscovery and have a demonstrated ability to act creatively and decisively in resolving eDiscovery challenges. 
  • UK qualified or equivalent Law degree and at least 10 years of experience in a litigation setting.
  • 6+ years of experience with a proven track record of advising lawyers on eDiscovery strategy—e.g., making recommendations as to the scope of matters, best practices regarding collection of data, and the workflow to be employed to review documents—and experience managing the eDiscovery component of complex cases.
  • 7+ years of experience providing legal analysis on issues of burden, proportionality, and eDiscovery as well as advanced knowledge of the market for eDiscovery services and best practices for management of discovery projects. 
  • 7+ year of demonstrated experience working with eDiscovery vendors and using eDiscovery review platforms

Purpose of the role

Provides legal advice to the company on the discovery/disclosure component of Litigation matters and Regulatory requests globally, including litigations, disclosure orders, regulatory investigations, non-party document requests, and internal investigations. The Director, UK Head eDiscovery & Data Operations Counsel will serve as the senior member of the Legal eDiscovery Team in the UK, leading a team of eDiscovery Counsels, Managers, and Analysts who actively manage the Discovery/Disclosure portion of Legal matters and internal requests. 

Accountabilities

  • Partnership with internal stakeholders, outside counsel and eDiscovery suppliers to formulate appropriate Discovery/Disclosure strategy on Barclays matters, ensuring best practices are implemented with an eye to advocacy, reduction of risk and management of costs.
  • Partner with outside counsel to ensure that the eDiscovery component of each Barclays matter is conducted in a manner consistent with Barclays eDiscovery Target Operating Model and work to implement team initiatives globally. 
  • Management of the UK eDiscovery portfolio of matters (inclusive of Crown Dependencies, EME, & APAC), including overseeing of identification and preservation of relevant data sources, retrieval, search, processing of data, analysis/ review of data for production of data in response to legal or regulatory requests as well as internal investigations and proactive compliance matters.
  • Management of Disposal Hold and Defensible Disposal processes as well as eDiscovery activities in compliance with records and data management standards, including those related to data protection and data retention.
  • Developing and delivering training programmes to educate employees, including Legal colleagues, on legal and regulatory requirements related to eDiscovery and disposal hold processes.
  • Relationship management with eDiscovery vendors, including selecting and retaining vendors, negotiating contracts, and ensuring that vendors provide high-quality eDiscovery services. This includes security and privacy requirements.
  • Development and implementation of eDiscovery and disposal hold policies and procedures, including drafting documentation and opinions related to disposal hold and defensible disposal.
  • Serve as eDiscovery & Legal representative on strategic bank-wide initiatives and projects to reduce cost and risk associated with the use of electronic data.
  • Collaboration and/or consultation with internal and/or external parties to leverage technology to increase efficiency during the retrieval process for new and existing e-comms data sources.
  • Provides strategic oversight of onboarding new data and communication sources into compliant archives, driving key decisions and risk trade-offs to ensure defensible eDiscovery outcomes and scalable governance across evolving platforms.
  • Provides senior oversight of information governance across enterprise forums, contributing to the development of policies, standards, and control frameworks, and ensuring that data management practices meet legal, regulatory, and operational compliance obligations.
  • Management and implementation of data retrieval for UK team according to standard operational procedures for centralised data sources as well as preservation processes.
  • Liaise and maintain relationships with Internal Legal Stakeholders, including the Head of Litigation, Investigations, and Enforcement, EME, UK Head of Data Legal, EIP Legal leads, and others as the senior member of eDiscovery in EME.

Director Expectations

  • To manage a business function, providing significant input to function wide strategic initiatives. Contribute to and influence policy and procedures for the function and plan, manage and consult on multiple complex and critical strategic projects, which may be business wide..
  • They manage the direction of a large team or sub-function, leading other people managers and embedding a performance culture aligned to the values of the business. Or for an individual contributor, they lead organisation wide projects and act as deep technical expert and thought leader, identifying new ways of working and collaborating cross functionally. They will train, guide and coach less experienced specialists and provide information affecting long term profits, organisational risks and strategic decisions..
  • Provide expert advice to senior functional management and committees to influence decisions made outside of own function, offering significant input to function wide strategic initiatives.
  • Manage, coordinate and enable resourcing, budgeting and policy creation for a significant sub-function.
  • Escalates breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
  • Foster and guide compliance, ensure regulations are observed that relevant processes in place to facilitate adherence.
  • Focus on the external environment, regulators, or advocacy groups to both monitor and influence on behalf of Barclays, when appropriate.
  • Demonstrate extensive knowledge of how the function integrates with the business division / Group to achieve the overall business objectives.
  • Maintain broad and comprehensive knowledge of industry theories and practices within own discipline alongside up-to-date relevant sector / functional knowledge, and insight into external market developments / initiatives.
  • Use interpretative thinking and advanced analytical skills to solve problems and design solutions in often complex/ sensitive situations.
  • Exercise management authority to make significant decisions and certain strategic decisions or recommendations within own area.
  • Negotiate with and influence stakeholders at a senior level both internally and externally.
  • Act as principal contact point for key clients and counterparts in other functions/ businesses divisions.
  • Mandated as a spokesperson for the function and business division.

All Senior Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.

All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.

Barclays welcomes applications from all candidates and is committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments (accommodations) are put in place to allow for a fair and inclusive recruitment process. For more information and how to request one, please review Adjustments to the recruitment process.

We’re a global, vital and highly respected financial organisation with an inspiring Purpose. Operating in 39 countries and employing around 100,000 people across the world, we help communities, individuals and businesses thrive. And we’ve created financial solutions and technology that the world now takes for granted. A career with us can offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience, and the chance to learn from some of the best minds in technology and finance.

To find out more about Barclays' strategy please click here.

We are an equal opportunity employer and opposed to discrimination on any grounds. It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, colour, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.

Barclays is required by law to confirm that you have the Legal Right to Work in any role that you apply for. If you currently hold a work visa sponsored by Barclays, or you would require sponsorship from Barclays, you must declare this as part of your application. Sponsored visas are role and entity specific and any changes must be reviewed. It is important that you ensure you are working on the correct visa at all times. Failure to accurately disclose your visa status or Legal Right to Work may result in your application or any employment offer being withdrawn at any time.

This role may be subject to enhanced governance arrangements. If successful, you may be required to comply with additional regulatory and compliance obligations, such as disclosure of personal trading activities and external interest/affiliations.

Further information on these requirements will be provided at a later stage of the process.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

This is Barclays London

Our global HQ is in Canary Wharf, at the heart of London’s financial district. There are over 10,000 colleagues here – a hugely diverse workforce made up of the world’s best financial and tech talent. If you love the buzz of city life, this is the place to be.

Supporting active commuters

Cycle or run to work? We’ve got everything you need – from cycle hire and parking areas to new showering and changing facilities.

Time to connect

CoSpace is our drop-in co-working space, where networks are built, problems are solved collectively and our community is strengthened.

Wellbeing in focus

Our Wellness Suite includes a well-equipped gym and exercise studios, and provides personal training sessions and massage therapy.

Advanced trading floors

Our new trading floors enhance communication, integrate sustainability, and support health and wellbeing through innovative design and British-sourced furniture.

Multicultural ERGs at Barclays

Be you. Be valued. Belong.

We celebrate the unique perspectives and experiences each individual brings, believing our differences make us stronger and drive success.

You can learn more about our commitment to our colleague on our Inclusion and Opportunities page.

Learn more

Application Process

Your application

We’ll ask for information about you, your CV and cover letter.

1

Your assessment

Covering your behaviours and ability at work.

2

Your interview

Exploring your past experiences and skills.

3

Next step

We’ll request additional information so that you can complete our screening process

4
How to ApplyRead our FAQ's
Barclays

Working flexibly

We’re committed to providing a supportive and inclusive culture and environment for you to work in. This environment recognises and supports your personal needs, alongside the professional needs of our business. If you'd like to explore flexible working arrangements, please discuss this with the hiring manager. Your request will be reviewed in-line with the requirements of the role/business needs of the team.

Hybrid working

We have a structured approach to hybrid working, where colleagues work at an onsite location on fixed, ‘anchor’, days, as set by the business area. Please discuss the working pattern requirements for the role you are applying for with the hiring manager. Please note that working arrangements may be subject to change on reasonable notice to ensure we meet the needs of our business.

Barclays is built on an international scale.

Our geographic reach, our wide variety of functions, businesses, roles and locations reflect the rich diversity of our worldwide customer base. All of which means we offer incredible variety, depth and breadth of experience.
And the chance to learn from a globally diverse mix of colleagues, including some of the very best minds in banking, finance, technology and business. Throughout, we’ll encourage you to embrace mobility, exploring every part of our operations as you build your career.

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