Counsel - Trade Controls in London

Location: Frimley. We offer a range of hybrid and flexible working arrangements - please speak to your recruiter about the options for this particular role.

Salary: £76,000+ depending on experience.

What you’ll be doing:

• Provide in-depth, professional, timely and pro-active legal support to internal customers.
• Provide advice in relation to complex export control and sanctions matters across the Function, Line of Business and/or Head Office Department including ensuring the provision of the best available legal advice on a timely and cost effective basis.
• Contribute effectively to business performance in an advisory and consultative capacity, providing advice in simple language that is easy for the business client to understand.
• Manage the provision of external legal support to the business to deliver the highest quality of legal advice in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Contribute fully as a member of the global legal community and leverage/share knowledge and capability accordingly, including effective collaboration across the function and business to help deliver strategy.

Your skills and experiences:

Essential:

• Qualified solicitor or barrister in England & Wales with good graduate qualifications and relevant experience at a law firm/appropriate in-house experience.
• Negotiation & influencing skills through sound and rational argument to persuade and influence.
• Good understanding of commercial legal and business practice in a range of international markets ideally with experience of Export Control and Sanctions law and regulations.

Desirable:

• US Export Control (ITAR) experience.
• Ideally experience within the Defence Sector, or in other relevant sectors, including on contracting, commercial law and other specific issues.

Benefits:

As well as a competitive pension scheme, BAE Systems also offers employee share plans, an extensive range of flexible discounted health, wellbeing and lifestyle benefits, including a green car scheme, private health plans and shopping discounts - you may also be eligible for an annual incentive.

The Group Export Control team:

As part of the Group Export Control team, you will provide specialist English law advice in relation to export control and sanctions matters to the relevant Line of Business, Function and/or Head Office Department. This is a high profile and diverse role within a team that ensures the business knows when export authorisations are required and guide us through the process of obtaining and maintaining complex export licences and approvals. The team also provides deep subject matter expertise and makes sure we’re up to speed on the latest regulatory policy changes and updates.

Why BAE Systems?

This is a place where you’ll be able to make a real difference. You’ll be part of an inclusive culture that values diversity of thought, rewards integrity, and merit, and where you’ll be empowered to fulfil your potential. We welcome people from all backgrounds and want to make sure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you have a disability or health condition (for example dyslexia, autism, an anxiety disorder etc.) that may affect your performance in certain assessment types, please speak to your recruiter about potential reasonable adjustments.

Please be aware that many roles at BAE Systems are subject to both security and export control restrictions. These restrictions mean that factors such as your nationality, any nationalities you may have previously held, and your place of birth can restrict the roles you are eligible to perform within the organisation. All applicants must as a minimum achieve Baseline Personnel Security Standard. Many roles also require higher levels of National Security Vetting where applicants must typically have 5 to 10 years of continuous residency in the UK depending on the vetting level required for the role, to allow for meaningful security vetting checks.

Closing Date: 25th February 2026. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.