Head of Risk & Compliance (6 Month FTC)

Our mission is to make the law accessible to everyone.

The legal industry is built on technology and process that hasn’t been updated in hundreds of years - that's why we've reinvented the entire model from the ground-up with our own bespoke AI operating system at the core.

Lawhive is a regulated law firm with an AI-native platform built to amplify expertise and revolutionise the way people practice law, leading to exceptional outcomes for clients and lawyers.

Lawhive Labs is how we bring this vision to life. It's our frontier lab that combines top engineering, design, AI and legal talent from around the world, joining forces to build the future of law.

We’re backed by top-tier investors including Google Ventures, Balderton Capital and TQ Ventures and in December 2024 we secured $40M Series A funding round to facilitate international expansion and to grow our team, representing one of the five largest Series A rounds in Europe for 2024.

We’re headquartered in London and in 2025 successfully launched in the US…and we’re just getting started.

We are both one of Europe’s fastest-growing tech startups and an SRA-regulated Alternative Business Structure (ABS) on a mission to make legal help accessible to everyone. Backed by top-tier investors including Google Ventures, Balderton Capital, and TQ Ventures with a $40M Series A behind us, we are growing fast and reimagining what a general-practice law firm can be through our bespoke AI operating system.

Lawhive Limited is our technology company; Lawhive Legal Ltd is our SRA-regulated law firm through which all legal services are delivered. Within a clear Three Lines of Defence (3LoD) framework, we operate a technology-native law firm that supports an extensive network of consultant lawyers across the UK alongside an in-house delivery model.

To support our rapid growth, we are looking for a Head of Risk & Compliance to step in as our designated COLP, MLCO, MLRO, and DPO. In this independent Second Line role, you will take full ownership of our compliance framework, complete the embedding of remaining platform capabilities, and ensure our controls continue to operate seamlessly alongside our cutting-edge tech.

As Head of Risk & Compliance, you will serve as the reliable, independent Second Line authority for compliance across Lawhive Legal Ltd. Holding the core statutory roles (COLP, MLCO, MLRO, and DPO), your mission is to maintain uncompromised adherence to regulatory principles while demonstrating sharp commercial awareness to enable business growth safely. Having nearly completed an extensive programme to strengthen our firm-wide framework, this role offers a high degree of ownership and direct access to the Board.

• →
  • →

    Previous experience formally holding a COLP, MLRO, MLCO, or DPO role.

  • →

    Experience working within a technology led, hybrid, or fast-paced legal startup environment.

  • →

    Familiarity with modern operational and workflow tools (e.g., Intercom, Airtable, Slack).

Someone who will establish themselves as the go-to Second Line compliance authority across Lawhive Legal Ltd. You are unflinching on core regulatory principles, yet possess the commercial dexterity to help a fast-scaling tech platform thrive within regulatory boundaries. You enjoy taking ownership of established systems, embedding new tools, and running tight compliance operations autonomously with sound judgment.

• Introductory call with our Talent team

• 1:1 with your hiring manager

• Practical skills assessment & Final Q&A

• We offer!

At Lawhive we know that diversity of thought is critical to delivering outlier outcomes. As such, we’re always working hard to ensure we build a diverse, inclusive team. We’re not yet where we want to be but as we scale we’ll only ever increase the focus we apply to this.