Junior Legal Counsel

UKHSA’s legal team sits within the Chief Operating Officer Group and plays a central role in supporting the organisation’s mission to protect people from health threats. The team provides high-quality, strategic and solutions-focused legal advice across the full breadth of UKHSA’s activities, working closely with operational, scientific and policy colleagues.

We are seeking a newly qualified solicitor to join this growing and dynamic team. This role offers an excellent opportunity to develop as an in-house lawyer in a uniquely varied and impactful environment. You will gain exposure to a broad mix of legal work across UKHSA’s functions, including commercial and research agreements, information governance, and public law issues, including Freedom of Information requests, coroner’s inquests and public inquiries.

You will have a particular focus on life sciences, information law and public health law. This will include advising on scientific research collaborations, material transfer arrangements, the lawful use and sharing of data, and the regulatory frameworks underpinning UKHSA’s work, enabling you to build specialist expertise in areas that are central to UKHSA’s mission and at the forefront of public health.

You will be encouraged to take ownership of your work while being supported by experienced colleagues in a collaborative team environment and line managed by a Senior Legal Counsel.

Reporting to a Senior Legal Counsel, you will be expected to:

• Provide legal advice primarily in the areas of life sciences, information law and public health law;
• Support the Commercial, Vaccines and Countermeasures Department (CVCD) vaccine sector industry engagement programme, including the Moderna/UK Strategic Partnership;
• Support UKHSA’s scientific teams and business development teams on contractual and regulatory matters, including a range of commercial agreements typical to the life sciences sector;
• Advise on data protection and freedom of information matters;
• Provide legal support to outbreak management activities, including the lawfulness of information sharing, and the interpretation and application of public health legislation;
• Demonstrate good communication and collaboration skills when working with internal stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams;
• Manage a varied caseload and work with internal clients, government lawyers, external law firms and counsel as required;
• Contribute to the wider team by taking a proactive role in areas such as knowledge management, training and projects; and
• Work flexibly across different legal disciplines and undertake such other duties as required.

This is not an exhaustive list.

Essential criteria

• Newly qualified solicitor with a current practising certificate and admitted to the roll of solicitors in England and Wales (regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority).
• Demonstrable interest and experience in life sciences (including intellectual property, commercial contracts and regulatory requirements), information law (including data protection and Freedom of Information) and public health law.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied caseload effectively.
• Sound legal judgement, analytical ability and an appreciation of legal risk, with the confidence to provide clear, balanced and risk-based advice.
• A solutions-focused and commercially minded approach, with the ability to think strategically, understand the wider context of legal issues, and respond in an agile and timely way.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate clearly, confidently and sensitively with stakeholders, including those unfamiliar with legal processes and concepts.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of working in an in-house legal team.
• An understanding of the government and wider public sector context, or experience in a similar size organisation

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