Senior Legal Counsel - 12 month maternity cover

at  LifeArc

ABOUT YOU:

You will be responsible for the following:

• Being a strategic legal business partner to the Motor Neuron Diseases (“MND”) and Global Health (“GH”) Translational Challenges, proactively seeking out information to anticipate and deliver all relevant legal support.
• Developing strategies for delivering that support, including triage and delegation within the Legal team.
• Setting up new collaborations, grant funding initiatives, licences and other contractual arrangements by advising on the structure of these projects and by drafting and negotiating agreements.
• Advising and supporting the Partnerships team on existing relationships to manage LifeArc’s existing funding projects and collaboration and LifeArc’s and others’ technologies, platforms and IP.
• Leading and supporting Legal team initiatives, including training to the business and embedding new IT assets.
• Obtaining and pragmatically applying advice from external counsel, as appropriate.
• Managing competing priorities whilst balancing the needs of the team and the organisation.
• Providing occasional support to other parts of the organisation, including the Science and Procurement teams.
• Developing and applying an understanding of relevant aspects of charity law and Data Protection law to advise the business and mitigate related risks.
• Advising on developments in legislation and legal practice as they impact commercial, IP and other activities in LifeArc; as appropriate, cascade that information into the organisation.

SKILLS AND EDUCATION:

• Significant post qualification experience gained in Intellectual Property and commercial law.
• A solicitor or barrister qualified to practice law in England and Wales.
• Experience advising on life sciences and/or medical research matters also advantageous.
• Highly proficient at drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Experience of charity law and/or working with charity or not-for-profit clients highly advantageous.

ABOUT US:

At LifeArc, our ambition is to make life science life changing. We do this by advancing scientific discoveries beyond the lab, faster, so that they can shape the next generation of diagnostics, treatments, and cures.
Working at the cutting edge of translational science and as the early-stage translation specialists, we progress scientific discoveries on their journey to becoming a medicine, diagnostic or intervention that improve patients’ lives. Our work begins by seeking out innovative science, then helping to develop this to a point where there is a clinical and commercial pathway for others to invest the time and money to take it further forward.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU:

Focused on finding life changing solutions for underserved patients, our people thrive in an inclusive, and supportive environment that prioritises their health and wellbeing. Our multidisciplinary approach guarantees our people growth opportunities, while our culture of innovation and collaboration drives the impact we make delivering on our purpose of ‘putting patients at the centre of everything we do’.
We are dedicated to creating a diverse, flexible, equitable and happy work environment so our colleagues can thrive as their truest selves. We act with courage, curiosity, care & commitment to deliver quality & excellence for our patients and each other Join us, and you’ll be given the scope to develop your professional skills and experience in a safe, supportive and challenging environment
Salary will be determined by qualifications and experience along with other exceptional benefits. Because we understand everyone has different requirements, our flexible benefits allow you to choose those which are important to you. Our pension scheme offers employer contributions of up to 12%, private health insurance, and annual leave of 31 days PLUS bank holidays.
Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, for example, are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At LifeArc we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so whatever your background or lived experience, if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. Our top priority is finding the best candidate, and you may be just right for this or other roles.
We all have potential. At LifeArc, you’ll discover what you can really do with it.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This role sits within our legal team and will be the legal business partner for the Motor Neuron Disease and Global Health Translational Challenges (“TCs”) within LifeArc providing specialist legal support on a wide range of grant funded projects and strategic collaborations. The role will support on all legal aspects of the structuring and execution of projects and will advise on a range of commercial, charity law, intellectual property and life science and medical research-related legal matters.
You will be a professional advisor and counsel to senior leadership and operational staff, especially the Head and senior members of the Partnerships Team (including BD Project Leads) and the TC Leaders, and will work in cross-functional teams to find solutions for delivering strategic projects.
You will work closely with the contract managers in the Legal team to coordinate and manage the contractual needs of the organisation, including delegation and supervision and generally being a collegiate member of the Legal team providing advice, training and supervision to both colleagues in the team and across the organisation.

You will be responsible for the following:

• Being a strategic legal business partner to the Motor Neuron Diseases (“MND”) and Global Health (“GH”) Translational Challenges, proactively seeking out information to anticipate and deliver all relevant legal support.
• Developing strategies for delivering that support, including triage and delegation within the Legal team.
• Setting up new collaborations, grant funding initiatives, licences and other contractual arrangements by advising on the structure of these projects and by drafting and negotiating agreements.
• Advising and supporting the Partnerships team on existing relationships to manage LifeArc’s existing funding projects and collaboration and LifeArc’s and others’ technologies, platforms and IP.
• Leading and supporting Legal team initiatives, including training to the business and embedding new IT assets.
• Obtaining and pragmatically applying advice from external counsel, as appropriate.
• Managing competing priorities whilst balancing the needs of the team and the organisation.
• Providing occasional support to other parts of the organisation, including the Science and Procurement teams.
• Developing and applying an understanding of relevant aspects of charity law and Data Protection law to advise the business and mitigate related risks.
• Advising on developments in legislation and legal practice as they impact commercial, IP and other activities in LifeArc; as appropriate, cascade that information into the organisation