At a Glance
- Tasks: Provide high-quality legal advice and support the British Museum's operations and compliance.
- Company: Join the iconic British Museum, a leader in cultural heritage.
- Benefits: Enjoy free exhibition access, generous leave, and a strong pension scheme.
- Other info: Hybrid role with opportunities for professional development and a vibrant team culture.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a prestigious institution while developing your legal career.
- Qualifications: Qualified solicitor or barrister with at least 3 years of relevant experience.
The predicted salary is between 49829 - 49829 £ per year.
The British Museum is seeking a talented Legal Counsel to join its Legal Services & Information Governance team. This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified solicitor or barrister to provide high-quality in-house legal advice across a diverse range of legal and commercial matters. Working closely with the General Counsel and wider legal team, you will support the Museum's operations, strategic objectives and compliance obligations while helping to protect one of the world's leading cultural institutions.
If you have experience practicing in the UK and are looking for a varied, high-impact legal role, we welcome your application!
About you:
- A qualified solicitor or barrister admitted to practice in England and Wales.
- Experienced in providing legal advice either in-house or in private practice, ideally you will have at least 3 years of relevant post qualification experience.
- Able to demonstrate strong knowledge and practical experience of relevant areas of UK law and legal practice.
- Knowledge and experience of the public and/or charitable sector is advantageous.
- Skilled at assessing legal and commercial risk and providing clear, pragmatic advice.
- An excellent communicator, capable of explaining complex legal matters to non-legal audiences.
- Able to manage a varied workload and work effectively to competing priorities and deadlines.
- A collaborative team player with strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
Key areas of responsibility:
- Provide high-quality, practical and commercially focused legal advice across the organisation, including guidance on matters of policy, compliance, governance and conflict of interest.
- Assist with commercial negotiations and contract drafting to secure effective outcomes and value for money.
- Manage relationships with external legal advisers and counsel where required.
- Maintain and develop standard contract templates and legal documentation.
- Advise on legal risk and support effective organisational decision-making.
- Help ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
- Work closely with colleagues across Legal Services, Information Governance and Rights teams.
- Deliver legal training and guidance to internal stakeholders.
- Monitor legal developments and recommend updates to policies, procedures and practices as required.
Benefits:
- Free exhibition entry for you and guests, exclusive private views, ICOM and reciprocal museum access.
- Civil Service Pension Scheme defined benefit with 28.97% employer contribution.
- 25 days' annual leave plus bank holidays and 2.5 privilege days (and +5 days after 10 years).
- Learning and development through courses, mentoring and Athena as well as support for professional qualifications.
- Employee Assistance Programme available 24/7 for counselling, wellbeing support and more.
- Enhanced parental leave including maternity, paternity, adoption and shared parental leave.
- Support for carers through Employers for Carers.
Our Values:
- Care Deeply
- Embrace the Unknown
- Spark Curiosity
- Value Many Voices
These are a core part of how we recruit. Throughout the application, interview and selection process, we look for examples of how candidates demonstrate these behaviours in their own work and experiences. We encourage you to familiarise yourself with our values and reflect them in your application.
Additional details:
If you have any additional needs that we should be aware of to support you with your application, please provide details.
Right to Work: The British Museum holds a Skilled Worker sponsor licence. Applicants are responsible for determining whether the advertised salary and role meet current UKVI sponsorship requirements and for ensuring they have, or can obtain, the appropriate right to work in the UK. The Museum cannot provide immigration advice, and eligibility should be checked before submitting an application. The Museum also adheres to the HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) for pre-employment screening of Civil Servants.
Legal Counsel employer: THE BRITISH MUSEUM
The British Museum is an exceptional employer, offering a dynamic work environment in the heart of Bloomsbury where creativity and collaboration thrive. With benefits such as free exhibition entry, generous annual leave, and a robust Civil Service Pension Scheme, employees are supported in both their professional and personal lives. The museum fosters a culture of growth, providing opportunities for career development while working on high-profile projects that engage and inspire the public.
