Senior Legal Counsel

Role Summary

As Senior Legal Counsel, you will work closely with ARIA’s General Counsel to support ARIA’s programmes, functional teams, and Executive.

You will manage a varied and complex portfolio of legal matters; help turn novel legal and governance questions into clear, practical advice; support the delivery of grants, research contracts and other key agreements; and help build the tools, templates and ways of working that allow a small legal team to scale.

This is a role for an adaptable generalist who wants real responsibility early, can work independently, and is excited by novel legal questions at the edge of science and technology.

• What You’ll Do
• Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of legal documents, including commercial contracts, grant and research funding agreements, and collaboration agreements.
• Work with the General Counsel on higher‑risk or more novel matters, including new funding structures and strategic projects.
• Work independently to provide legal advice across the breadth of ARIA’s operations and programmes.
• Help colleagues to identify legal issues early and navigate risk in a practical, solutions‑oriented way that helps ARIA’s work move forward at pace.
• Help build and maintain legal templates, playbooks, guidance, approvals processes, and matter tracking so the legal team can operate efficiently and with consistency.
• Effectively build relationships with and manage the use of external counsel.
• Build trusted relationships across the organisation so that the legal team is seen as a useful thought partner, not a blocker.

Who You Are

Essential Criteria

• Strong legal knowledge and ability to tackle new problems with first‑principles thinking.
• Clear writing and communication skills, able to explain legal issues in simple, practical terms to non‑lawyers.
• Excellent attention to detail, organisational skills, and ability to maintain accuracy while working at pace.
• Enjoy the challenge of dealing with new or unfamiliar matters or legal topics and able to quickly get up to speed, recognise when to take ownership, when to escalaten and when to bring in specialist support.
• Deep interest in how law, science, and technology intersect.
• Good judgement and comfort taking a risk‑based approach, helping colleagues move forward while protecting the organisation and the public interest.
• Strong experience in one or more of the following: commercial contracts; grants and research funding; intellectual property; technology; data protection.
• Good‑humoured, low‑ego, hands‑on approach to work, willing to tackle big and small tasks in service of ARIA’s mission.
• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent).
• High quality work experience, keen to develop a wide range of experience rather than a narrow legal specialism (minimum of 5 years of post‑qualification experience expected but not mandatory).

Desirable Criteria

• Experience, or willingness to learn, in: employment law; subsidy control; public law; procurement; corporate structures and joint ventures.
• Some experience of an in‑house environment, through a previous role or a client secondment.

Qualifications

Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent).

Compensation and Benefits

• £115,000 per year, discretionary bonus, and a range of benefits including:
• 27 days annual leave provision, with option to buy/sell additional days
• Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
• Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
• Enhanced family leave arrangements
• A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
• Life Assurance
• Paid volunteer days (2 days)
• 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
• Cycle to Work scheme
• Excellent office location in Kings X, London
• Location

King’s X, London; Tuesday – Thursday at HQ, Monday and Friday remote flex.

How To Apply

Please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability.

A cover letter is required to be considered for this role.

You may be required, as and when necessary, to travel to different locations around the UK to meet with and support projects.

Equal Opportunities

ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility.

We welcome applicants from diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds.

If you require reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you.

ARIA will abide by the 3Rs principle in research and development. Further information on our policy and the 3Rs can be found here.

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