4,000 professionals, 0 days wasted, 1 incredible purpose. Together, we are beating cancer. 

Senior Solicitor

Salary: £95,000 - £105,000 pa depending on experience

Reports to: Director of Legal (Research)  

Department: Research & Innovation

Contract: 12 month fixed-term contract

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (other flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs)

Location: Stratford, London with high flexibility (we would expect you to be in the office 1-2 days per month)

Closing date: Wednesday 6th November at 23.55. This vacancy may close earlier if a high number of applications are received or once a suitable candidate is found, so please do not delay submitting your application to avoid any disappointment.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

We are professionals with purpose, beating cancer every day. But we need to go much further and much faster. That’s why we’re looking for someone talented, someone who wants to develop their skills, someone like you.

We have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Senior Solicitor to join the Cancer Research Horizons (CRH) team.  In this role you’ll advise a range of internal clients across CRH on a broad range of life sciences-related activities. This will include drafting and negotiating complex life sciences agreements, strategic alliances and partnerships, collaborations and licensing activities, as well as working with our Commercial Partnerships team to support spin-out companies and their route to IPO. You’ll make a significant contribution to the management and delivery of the legal function within CRH, e.g. delivering training, mentoring other team members and developing links with external counsel as appropriate. This is a contract role for 12 months covering maternity leave.

What will you be doing?

• Work independently to provide timely, proactive, pragmatic, high quality and commercial legal advice and solutions to the organisation

• Develop a strong understanding of CRH’s business areas, building excellent working relationships across CRH and CRUK, as well as with internal and external clients

• Oversee the reviewing, drafting and negotiating of a broad range of legal agreements relating to collaborative research and the protection and commercial exploitation of intellectual property

• If requested, line manage and mentor staff within the legal team. Ensure delivery of operational goals and service excellence and develop staff so that they can operate increasingly independently

• Promote the team and its role within CRH, CRUK and among stakeholders

• Proactively identify, monitor, address and report on legal and regulatory developments of particular impact to CRH

• Make contributions to broader strategic discussions

• Keep abreast of legal developments, sharing relevant insights within the legal team and contribute to legal know-how resources

• Advise on spin-out activity and drafting and negotiating relevant agreements

• Plan and deliver on project-related goals as part of a “deal-team” or other project team

• Deliver legal training sessions to business managers and others

• Review and update template agreements

• Provide ad-hoc advice in relation to various legal issues

• If required, instruct and manage external legal advisers

• Assist CRUK in formulating policy in relation to its translational research activities and intellectual assets

What skills are we looking for?

• Degree level qualification in law with relevant qualification either as a solicitor or barrister or equivalent overseas (common law) qualification

• Significant experience in an in-house or private practice role

• Excellent working knowledge of commercial law and best practice; intellectual property law (particularly patents)

• Much of what Cancer Research’s scientists and deal-doers do is cutting edge and bespoke – a willingness to work collectively with others in new areas, to assess risk and determine a sensible way of doing things to achieve Cancer Research’s goals

• Track record of successfully negotiating and drafting a wide range of agreements (especially with an intellectual property dimension, including high value and complicated licence and collaboration agreements)

• Ability to demonstrate a good understanding of company law and the regulatory environment relating to life sciences and pharmaceutical product development

• Understand, or be able to demonstrate an aptitude to understand quickly, the context in which CRH’s business operates and the needs and sensitivities of its stakeholders and have the skills and commitment to network to improve these and support the development of CRHs’ business

• Passion to contribute an important part in advancing discoveries to beat cancer

• Ability to demonstrate leadership behaviours and propose and constructively critique ideas for the better management of the legal team and CRH as a whole

Our organisation values are designed to guide all that we do. 

Bold: Act with ambition, courage and determination   

Credible: Act with rigour and professionalism    

Human: Act to have a positive impact on people   

Together: Act inclusively and collaboratively 

We’re looking for people who can believe in and embody these organisation values and can use them to drive forward progress against our mission to beat cancer. 

What will I gain?

We create a working environment that supports your wellbeing and provide a generous benefits package, a wide range of career and personal development opportunities and high-quality tools. Our policies and processes enable you to improve your work-life balance, take positive steps in your career and achieve your personal wellbeing goals. 

You can explore our benefits by visiting our careers web page. 

How do I apply?

We operate an anonymised shortlisting process in our commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion. CVs are required for all applications; but we won’t be able to view them until we invite you for an interview. Instead, we ask you to complete the work history section of the online application form for us to be able to assess you quickly, fairly, and objectively.

For more updates on our work and careers, follow us on: Linked In, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

Please note: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK is not able to offer visa sponsorship.

Our vision is to create a charity where everyone feels like they belong, benefits from and participates in, the work we do. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented.

We want to see every candidate performing at their best throughout the job application process, interview process and whilst at work. We therefore ask you to inform us of any concerns you have or any adjustments you might need to enable this to happen. Please contact [email protected] or 020 3469 8400 as soon as possible. 

Unfortunately, we are unable to recruit anyone below the age of 18, so that we can protect young people from health & safety and safeguarding risks.