Legal Counsel - Commercial
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Position Overview & Specifications
UCL’s Legal Services Team, which is part of the Office of the General Counsel, is responsible for providing advice on a wide range of legal matters relating to the University.
The Legal Services Team is headed by Alex Hall, Director of Legal Services, who reports to the General Counsel, Natasha Lewis.
The Legal Counsel – Commercial will be a key member of the University’s Legal Services team and will be responsible for providing advice on a wide range of legal matters relating to the University.
You’ll provide legal advice on commercial matters across the breadth of UCL’s activities including: drafting and negotiating complex agreements, advising on intellectual property issues, research agreements, charity matters, governance issues, student matters, research ethics and the legal aspect of funding agreements.
You will be responsible for leading on specific projects within the Legal Services team and will support the Director of Legal Services in ensuring an effective and highly respected Legal Services team.
It's a role offering a great deal of variety and challenge. It’s also a chance to join a key department in one of the world’s top Universities, providing essential support to an organisation that’s leading the way in research and teaching.
Please note: This role does not meet the eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa certificate of sponsorship under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL will not be able to sponsor individuals who require right to work in the UK to carry out this role.
For this job you’ll need several years’ relevant post–qualification experience at a high calibre law firm, or equivalent in-house role. You’ll have experience dealing with a range of legal issues on a self-standing basis and a willingness to take on new tasks in unfamiliar areas and to react confidently and quickly to emerging issues.
You will need to have strong knowledge of contract law and advising on/negotiating a range of contracts and issues. You will also need to demonstrate an up to date technical knowledge, excellent analytical skills and sound judgement, and demonstrable experience operating and influencing at senior management and board level.
Appreciation of the dynamics of higher education and an empathy with academic endeavour without necessarily having worked in the HE sector is desirable. As is experience of managing colleagues and delegating.
As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:
- 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
- Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
- Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
- Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
- Immigration loan
- Relocation scheme for certain posts
- On-Site nursery
- On-site gym
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
- Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
- Discounted medical insurance
For more information on our benefits, please visit our staff benefits webpage. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.
These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
Read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
Candidate Selection & Onboarding Process
Application & Resume Screening
Submit your tailored CV/Resume directly to the talent acquisition portal.
Technical & Competency Interviews
Virtual interviews with the hiring manager and multidisciplinary team.
Formal Offer & Benefits Negotiation
Written agreement outlining compensation, equity, retirement vesting, and relocation allowances.
Onboarding & Corporate Integration
Equipment provisioning, team orientation, and commencement of duties.
United Kingdom Right to Work & Skilled Worker Visa Guide
Employment in the United Kingdom requires legal Right to Work verified under the Home Office Points-Based Immigration System:
Sponsoring employers must hold an active Home Office A-rated Sponsor License and assign a valid Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS). Role must meet the general minimum salary threshold (£38,700) or occupation going rate.
Continuous employment under Skilled Worker status establishes eligibility for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) after 5 continuous years, leading to British Citizenship.
Candidate Preparation Blueprint: Colleges & Universities
Based on transatlantic hiring benchmarks for Legal Counsel - Commercial roles across University College London's corporate sector, successful applicants typically excel across three core dimensions:
Demonstrated portfolio evidence, architecture/system design case studies, or validated professional certifications directly applicable to Colleges & Universities.
STAR method competency responses highlighting cross-functional leadership, conflict resolution, and delivering measurable enterprise ROI under tight timelines.
Total compensation expectation aligned within the benchmarked £69,578 - £69,578 bracket, including retirement vesting and health parity.
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