Senior Counsel - R&D Legal Team

Overview

You will be part of the R&D Legal Team which supports the Respiratory, Immunology and Inflammation R&D programmes and the platform teams driving discovery and development of medicines and vaccines (including R&D Technologies, Translational & Development Sciences, Development Operations and Drug Development and Supply). Team members bring deep understanding of the R&D business and science and are legal subject‑matter specialists on the regulatory landscape affecting these activities. You will be a trusted legal partner to R&D teams in the UK and abroad, advising across research and development and providing clear, timely legal advice that helps teams move science forward while managing legal and regulatory risk.

We value practical judgment, collaborative spirit and a drive to learn. This role offers growth, meaningful impact and alignment with GSK's mission of uniting science, technology and talent to get ahead of disease together. It is an individual contributor role and provides the opportunity to lead key activities to progress your career.

Key Responsibilities

• Be the primary lawyer for key R&D pipeline assets, accountable for all aspects of legal advice and working closely with other legal and cross‑functional partners for input where needed.
• Represent legal on cross‑functional project teams and governance forums related to these pipeline assets.
• Provide support to key development operations organisations such as the UK Cambridge Clinical Unit and the Asia R&D team.
• Draft, review and negotiate key R&D agreements such as research, collaboration and clinical trial agreements.
• Advise on legal matters relating to clinical development, human biological samples, informed consent, data protection and privacy, and ethical considerations.
• Support precision medicine initiatives, including the use of biomarkers, companion diagnostics and data‑driven research, and advise on associated contractual and regulatory issues.
• Manage and instruct external counsel when needed and contribute to improving legal processes, templates and guidance.

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer admitted to practice in England and Wales.
• Significant post‑qualification experience advising life sciences R&D, clinical trials or related areas.
• Relevant private practice and/or in‑house experience advising clients active in the discovery, development and/or commercialization of medicines and vaccines, including experience with clinical and commercial contracting, collaborations and intellectual property licensing, data privacy, regulation of clinical trials and medicinal product approval.
• Practical knowledge of data protection and privacy laws as they apply to clinical and research data.
• Experience working in an international matrixed organisation and partnering with scientific and commercial colleagues worldwide.
• Strong communicator who can explain legal issues clearly to non‑lawyers and deliver pragmatic advice.
• Willingness to undertake domestic and international travel as required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with the use of healthcare technologies in clinical development, including in‑vitro diagnostics and digital health solutions.
• Familiarity with AI/machine learning issues in research and related contractual considerations.
• Experience supporting asset in‑licensing, acquisitions or strategic partnering in R&D, including negotiating academic collaborations.
• Experience of transactions with entities in China.
• Comfort managing external counsel and prioritising legal spend efficiently.

EEO Statement

GSK is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This ensures that all qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, gender identity, and sexual orientation), parental status, national origin, age, disability, genetic information (including family medical history), military service or any basis prohibited under federal, state or local law.