Senior Lawyer

£53,301, rising to £58,225, pro rata if part time. Full Time, Permanent - Professional Services.

The Role

There is one post available and this is offered as a permanent opportunity – either full‑time or at least 0.8 FTE part‑time. Reporting directly to the Director of Legal Services & Deputy Chief Financial Officer, the Senior Lawyer role is responsible for performing in‑house legal work at a senior level and acting as a business partner to key University teams. The role requires the post‑holder to handle a demanding workload which includes novel and imaginative treatment of contracts and compliance/commercial issues plus contributing expertise to the training and case‑management of other University staff. No staff are managed by this post.

About the Team

The Senior Lawyer is an integral part of the University’s Legal Services team which is registered with the Solicitors Regulation Authority as a professional legal practice. The team fronts most of the legal work arising from the University's varied activities such as contract and procurement issues, administrative law, common law liability, statutory compliance, and the University’s various capacities (employer, higher education provider, shareholder, tenant, premises licensing).

What Will I Be Doing?

• Perform senior in‑house legal work concerning matters such as contract and procurement, statutory compliance, intellectual property, employment law, land law, litigation, corporate law, and out‑of‑jurisdiction aspects.
• Handle deadline‑ridden transactional work (some complex and urgent) and provide input into corporate processes and decision‑making.
• Negotiate, verbally and in writing, on legal positions, especially for high‑profile, high‑value, or sensitive projects.
• Give advice on the statutory or corporate position of the University or its subsidiaries.
• Work with key University teams on partnerships and recruitment, employer engagement, charitable accountability, effective use of resources and contracting including aspects of the academic offer to students.
• Bring legal, regulatory and corporate propriety issues, such as conflict of interest or Charities Act compliance, to the attention of senior management.

What Skills Do I Need?

• Qualified as a Solicitor or Barrister with a current certificate to practise as a Solicitor/Barrister in England.
• Experience in devising robust but novel solutions to enable business change within legal and accounting rules.
• Demonstrable confidence in exercising judgement in a complex business environment.
• Strong drafting skills and the ability to speak and draft in clear, unambiguous English.
• Proficiency in using IT and self‑managing your workload.

About the Location

The team has its own five‑desk office within recently refurbished offices on the Headington Campus. While the principal location of work is the campus, the nature of modern in‑house legal work often allows for a blend of on‑campus and remote working, which can be discussed with the Director of Legal Services & Deputy Chief Financial Officer. The campus is in Oxford and is generally well‑served by public transport.

Benefits

As an Oxford Brookes employee, you will enjoy a minimum of 25 days holiday, rising with your service, plus 8 Bank Holidays and approximately 5 additional University concessionary days per year. The University currently supports hybrid working where the role allows and provided that you have the necessary equipment to work securely and flexibly. We have a competitive Local Government pension scheme with a 19.2% employer contribution rate, as well as providing all staff with financial education and a comprehensive employee assistance helpline. We prioritise the well‑being of our employees – physically, mentally and financially – with a comprehensive benefits package.

Additional benefits include:

• Discounted rates for the University’s sports & gym facilities
• On‑site nursery
• Discounted travel options
• Relocation scheme (for moves over 30 miles)
• Training and development opportunities
• Connected community – a wide variety of staff networks that support, guide and foster a vibrant and inclusive workplace.

Equality, diversity and inclusion

At Oxford Brookes, inclusivity is one of our five guiding principles: we take positive steps to create an environment in which we celebrate, value and provide equal opportunity to all. We are committed to recruiting from the widest possible pool and welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates who embrace our values, regardless of their background. As a Disability Confident Employer we guarantee to interview any disabled applicant who meets the essential selection criteria. We are an equal opportunities employer. We comply with the Equality Act 2010.