IP Lawyer

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: D

CONTRACT TYPE: Twelve month fixed-term contract, Full-time

DEPARTMENT: BBC Legal, part of the Chief Operating Officer Group

LOCATION: London. The team is typically in the office on Wednesdays and Thursdays, with flexibility to work from home or the office on other days

PROPOSED SALARY RANGE: £62,000 - £75,000pa, plus London Weighting (£5,441pa), depending on relevant skills, knowledge and experience. The expected salary range for this role reflects internal benchmarking and external market insights.

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you'd like to, please indicate your preference in the application - though there's no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

This is an exciting opportunity to join the BBC as an IP Lawyer at a time when the intellectual property landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by advances in technology, AI and changing audience behaviours.

You’ll provide legal advice across the BBC Group on a wide range of intellectual property matters, supporting both business and creative teams. Working closely with colleagues across content, business affairs and technology, you’ll help protect and maximise the value of the BBC’s content, brands, products and innovations. The team also supports BBC Studios, providing IP advice across production, distribution and commercial activities.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

As an IP Lawyer, you’ll work directly with stakeholders across the BBC, providing practical legal advice and solutions on a broad range of issues. You’ll collaborate with colleagues from across television, radio, podcasts, online services, BBC News and technology teams, becoming part of a supportive and highly regarded legal function. You’ll help deliver the strategy for legal matters implementing and delivering legal work and grow your expertise through training and hands‑on experience-all within a supportive, friendly, and collaborative environment.

We’re committed to delivering high-quality legal advice while maintaining a healthy work‑life balance. There are also opportunities to get involved in pro bono initiatives and contribute to our Legal for Everyone programme, which promotes inclusion and diversity across the legal profession.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES AND IMPACT

You’ll manage a varied caseload covering a broad range of intellectual property matters, including advisory work and, where required, dispute‑related issues. The role spans the full range of IP rights, with particular focus on patents, technology, copyright, confidential information and brand protection.

Key responsibilities include:

• Supporting the negotiation and drafting of agreements relating to technology and R&D activities, including NDAs, collaboration agreements, open‑source matters and other commercial arrangements.
• Advising on intellectual property risks and helping stakeholders navigate legal requirements in relation to innovation and technology projects.
• Supporting Senior Counsel and Senior Lawyers on patent‑related matters, including standard essential patents (SEPs), patent pools, licence requests, patent claims and patent application processes.
• Working with senior colleagues to support the BBC’s archive activities, liaising with teams across Content Rights, Business Affairs and content divisions.
• Advising on contractual and copyright related issues, including commissioning agreements, collective licences, content exploitation matters and disputes.
• Acting as a first point of contact for content creators on copyright queries and supporting the Brand Enforcement team as required.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL

• Qualified Solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (CILEX) with a current practising certificate or the ability to obtain one before starting the role.
• Experience gained within a law firm, specialist IP practice or in‑house legal team with a strong interest in intellectual property law and experience across a range of IP rights.
• Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with the ability to provide practical, timely and commercially focused legal advice. This will be combined with your commercial awareness and an understanding of the issues affecting the BBC and the wider media sector.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and work collaboratively with stakeholders at all levels. This will be supported by your excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to non‑legal audiences.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines in a busy environment.

DESIRABLE

• Previous in‑house legal experience, particularly within a media, technology or creative organisation.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Contracts of Employment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

DISCLAIMER

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

For any general queries, please contact: bbchr@bbc.co.uk

Redeployment

The BBC is committed to redeploying employees seeking suitable alternative employment within the BBC and they will be given priority consideration ahead of other applicants. Priority consideration means for those employees seeking redeployment their application will be considered alongside anyone else at risk of redundancy, prior to any individuals being considered who are not at risk.

This is your BBC

At the BBC you can create and innovate in an inclusive environment while contributing to some of the world's best loved content, and the BBC's mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Life at BBC

Here you will benefit from:

• Fair pay and flexible benefits including a competitive salary package, a flexible 35-hour working week, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy an extra 5 days, a defined pension scheme and discounted dental, health care and gym.
• Excellent career and professional development.
• Support in your working life, including flexible working which you can discuss with us at any point during the application, selection or offer.
• A values-based organisation where the way we do things is important as what we do.

Benefits may vary if you are joining on an FTC basis or on an orchestra conditions contract.

Learn more about life at the BBC and our values in our candidate pack.

You belong

We have a working environment where we value and respect every individual's unique contribution, so all our employees feel that they can belong, thrive and achieve their full potential.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people to join us. The more diverse our workforce, the better able we are to respond to and reflect our audiences in all their diversity.

We welcome applications from individuals, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, socio-economic background, religion and/or belief.

Diversity, inclusion & belonging strategy

Disability confident

We are a disability confident employer. If you need to discuss adjustments or access requirements for the interview process, or to carry out this role, please contact us via email and we'd be happy to discuss: reasonable.adjustments@bbc.co.uk