Find a job 
Featured Companies 
Featured Universities 
For Companies At a Glance
- Tasks: Provide legal advice, draft contracts, and ensure compliance across EIT's innovative projects.
- Company: Join the Ellison Institute of Technology, where science meets real-world impact.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, generous holiday allowance, private medical insurance, and more.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for professional growth and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a mission-driven team tackling humanity’s greatest challenges with your legal expertise.
- Qualifications: Qualified lawyer with 7+ years PQE and a background in life sciences.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ per year.
About EIT
At the Ellison Institute of Technology (EIT), we're on a mission to translate scientific discovery into real world impact. We bring together visionary scientists, technologists, engineers, researchers, educators and innovators to tackle humanity’s greatest challenges in four transformative areas: Health, Medical Science & Generative Biology; Food Security & Sustainable Agriculture; Climate Change & Managing CO₂; Artificial Intelligence & Robotics.
Your Role
As Senior Legal Counsel, you will work closely with the Director of Legal to support all aspects of EIT’s legal affairs, providing commercially focused, pragmatic legal advice across a broad range of matters, helping the organisation navigate risk while enabling growth and innovation. Partnering with colleagues across the business, you will play a key role in supporting innovative programmes and platforms, influencing legal strategy, and ensuring advice is timely, practical, and aligned with EIT’s objectives. You will also champion the use of technology and new ways of working to deliver efficient, modern legal services.
Your Responsibilities
- Excellence in providing legal advice to all areas in the organisation, influencing strategic decision‑making
- Draft, review, and negotiate major and critical contracts, including customer agreements, vendor contracts, partnership agreements, procurement and materials, and data acquisitions
- Ensure the organisation’s compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and standards in the areas in which it operates
- Design, build and improve legal processes and service delivery models
- Recruitment and development of junior members of the Legal Department
- Management of outside counsel
Requirements
Essential Skills, Qualifications & Experience
- Fully qualified lawyer with a minimum of 7 years PQE
- Commercial or general in‑house experience
- Demonstrated ability to manage a broad range of legal matters
- Ability to translate complex legal concepts into actionable advice
- Background in biological sciences, life sciences, or a related scientific discipline
- Understanding of scientific research environments and terminology
Desirable Knowledge, Skills and Experience
- UK qualified
Benefits
- Competitive salary + travel allowance + bonus
- Enhanced holiday pay – 25 days plus 8 bank holidays and an additional 3 days between Christmas and New Year
- Opportunity to purchase an additional 5 days annual leave in January and July
- Pension – Employer contribution 7.5%, minimum employee contribution 5%
- Life Assurance
- Income Protection
- Private Medical Insurance for you, your partner and any dependents, including hospital Cash Plan
- Employee discounts
- Electric car scheme
- Nursery Salary Sacrifice scheme
- Cycle to Work Scheme
- Family Planning
- Neurodiversity support including advice and assessments
- Coaching & Therapy services
Working Together – What It Involves
You must have the right to work permanently in the UK with a willingness to travel as necessary. In certain cases, we can consider sponsorship, and this will be assessed on a case‑by‑case basis. You will live in, or within easy commuting distance of, Oxford (or be willing to relocate).
Senior Legal Counsel employer: Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford
Contact Detail:
Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Legal Counsel
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the legal field, especially those who might have insights into EIT. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by brushing up on your knowledge of EIT’s mission and values. Show us how your legal expertise aligns with our goals in health, sustainability, and innovation. We love candidates who are genuinely passionate about what we do!
✨Tip Number 3
Don’t underestimate the power of follow-ups! After an interview, drop us a quick thank-you email. It shows your enthusiasm and keeps you fresh in our minds as we make decisions.
✨Tip Number 4
Apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen by the right people. Plus, it shows you’re serious about joining our team at EIT.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Legal Counsel
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the Senior Legal Counsel role. Highlight your relevant experience in commercial law and any background in biological sciences, as this will show us you understand our mission at EIT.
Showcase Your Legal Expertise: We want to see your ability to manage a broad range of legal matters. Include specific examples of contracts you've drafted or negotiated, and how your advice has influenced strategic decisions in previous roles.
Demonstrate Your Collaborative Spirit: Since you'll be partnering with various teams, share instances where you've worked cross-functionally. This will help us see how you can support innovative programmes and platforms at EIT.
Apply Through Our Website: Don't forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for the role. We can't wait to hear from you!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ellison Institute of Technology Oxford
✨Know Your Legal Stuff
Make sure you brush up on your legal knowledge, especially around commercial contracts and compliance. Be ready to discuss how you've navigated complex legal matters in the past and how that experience can benefit EIT.
✨Show Your Strategic Side
Prepare examples of how you've influenced strategic decision-making in previous roles. Think about times when your legal advice directly contributed to growth or innovation within an organisation.
✨Get Familiar with EIT's Mission
Understand EIT’s mission and the transformative areas they focus on. This will help you align your answers with their objectives and demonstrate your enthusiasm for contributing to their goals.
✨Be Ready to Discuss Technology
Since the role involves championing technology in legal services, come prepared with ideas on how you can leverage tech to improve legal processes. Share any relevant experiences where you've implemented new tools or methods.