Associate / Senior Associate - Health Commercial / Data Protection in Liverpool

Hours: Monday to Friday, 09:00 - 17:30 (37.5 hours per week)

Hill Dickinson are proud to be named as a Top Ten Employer for Working Families 2025 for the second year running and so, we are happy to consider flexible working opportunities to help you balance your work and home life.

Location: Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester or Liverpool

Role overview:

We are one of the leading law firms providing legal advice and support to the NHS, independent healthcare, life sciences and health tech organisations. Our Health Commercial & Regulatory team is now looking to recruit an ambitious Associate / Senior Associate to work on a wide range of data protection, information law and commercial matters. The team works for the NHS and private sector organisations operating in the health and life sciences sectors. The role will cover data processing agreements, international data transfers and clinical research agreements as well as drafting broader commercial agreements and licensing arrangements. It will also include data governance work such as advising on data sharing and novel uses of data, privacy notices and subject access requests.

In addition to working for our health sector clients, the successful candidate will also provide data protection support to clients of the firm operating outside the health sector where specialist input is needed. Within this role, you will be given plenty of client responsibility and exposure whilst being part of a supportive and collaborative team.

Introduction to the team:

The Health Commercial & Regulatory team has a strong culture of collaboration, respect and transparency both with our clients and our people, which reflects the Hill Dickinson core values. The team is 30-strong, and has a national presence, with lawyers in all of our UK offices (Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester and Newcastle). Ranked at Tier 1 in the Legal 500 for Health work in Yorkshire & the Humber, London and the Northwest, our expert national team advises NHS bodies and independent sector organisations providing services in the health sector, including health tech and life sciences, on a broad range of contractual, procurement, governance, regulatory and public law matters. As well as NHS Integrated Care Boards, NHS Trusts and primary care providers, the team advises and represents key national organisations including NHS England and the Care Quality Commission, private providers, and health tech developers and adopters.

Key responsibilities:

• Advising a range of major health sector and public sector clients on a wide range of information law issues. This will include use of data by health tech innovators/researchers, data sharing and processing agreements, international data transfers, responding to data breaches and reviewing privacy policies.
• Drafting contractual terms and conditions including framework agreements, call-off terms, bespoke contracts and licensing arrangements with a focus on technology contracts.
• Handling of subject access requests.
• Advising on public law matters connected with the use of data, such as advising on statutory powers and duties and Freedom of Information Act requests.
• Supporting business development strategies of the team and wider business group and presenting as the face of the firm to clients and intermediaries.
• Working with the wider office team to proactively promote and raise the profile of Hill Dickinson, including attending networking events and participating in corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• Developing your own relationships with clients/intermediaries.

What are we looking for:

Important criteria:

• Qualified solicitor
• Proven experience of advising in one of the areas outlined above – this can be within or outside the health sector.
• Excellent communication, organisation, and research skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Demonstrable ability to manage competing demands, achieving strict client deadlines.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team and develop relationships within the wider team.
• Willingness to take responsibility and ownership of client work, with supervision as appropriate.
• Ability to prioritise tasks and work under pressure.
• Willingness to play a proactive part in business development and profile-raising activity.
• Positive attitude and interest in exploring and learning about new and unfamiliar legal areas.
• Ability to work flexibly and proactively.

If you don't meet all of the criteria above but feel that you could add real value to Hill Dickinson, we encourage you to submit an application and if successful, we can help you develop along the way.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

Hill Dickinson is committed to providing fairness and equal opportunity for all regardless of age, gender, gender identity, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, marital or transgender status, nationality, religion or belief. We understand that our power as a firm comes from empowering our people and that it is only by encouraging and enabling individuals to be themselves at work that we can truly benefit from their rich and varied strengths. Hill Dickinson is an equal opportunities employer. All applications received by the firm will be considered based on their merit alone and we welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background and from all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx.

Disability Support:

We are a Disability Confident employer, which means if there is anything that we can do to make your visit easier, so you are able to perform at your best, please let us know. You can contact the HR team at hrteam@hilldickinson.com should you require any adjustments to the application or interview process.

At Hill Dickinson, we welcome applications from individuals that are looking to return to the law as well as all routes to qualification, with both the SRA and CILEx. All successful candidates will be subject to our standard pre-employment screening, including a basic criminal record check via Disclosure and Barring Service. Any offer of employment made is conditional upon completion of all checks. Due to the high response levels we receive for some vacancies, we may expire any of them prior to the advertised closing date and advise you to submit your application as soon as possible.