Senior Legal Counsel - 12 month maternity cover

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Job Title: Senior Legal Counsel - 12 month maternity coverLocation: LondonJob Type: Contract

Agencies: We will only work with recruitment partners on our preferred supplier list and will not engage with speculative CVs submitted.

Are you passionate about making life science life changing and delivering impact for patients? We want to hear from you.

About the role:

The role sits within our legal team and is responsible for being the legal business partner for the Science teams within LifeArc. The role will provide specialist legal support on a wide range of strategic collaborations, scientific/research projects, in-and-out licensing of intellectual property rights and scientific assets and connected procurement arrangements.

The Senior Legal Counsel will support on the legal aspects of the structuring and execution of complex scientific projects and collaborations. You will advise on a range of commercial, intellectual property, data protection and life science and medical research related legal matters, as well as supporting the data governance function and projects within LifeArc.

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 business development lead, the Science teams and procurement.

About you:

You will be responsible for the following:

• Being astrategic legal business partner to the Science teams within LifeArc (data science, integrated diagnostics, translational therapeutic platforms, translational matrix group and opportunities assessment group), proactively seeking out information to anticipate and deliver all relevant legal support.
• Supporting the data governance function and projects within LifeArc.
• Developing strategies for delivering that support, including triage and delegation within the Legal team.
• Setting up new strategic collaborations, scientific/research projects, in- and out-licensing of intellectual property rights and scientific assets and connected high-value procurement and other commercial 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 collaborations and LifeArc's and others' technologies, platforms and IP.
• Leading and/or 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.
• Advising on developments in legislation and legal practice as they impact commercial, IP, data governance and other activities in LifeArc; as appropriate, cascade that information into the organisation.
• Developing and applying an understanding of relevant aspects of data protection law and legislation related to artificial intelligence and charity law to advise the business and mitigate related risks.
• Working closely with contract managers in the Legal team to coordinate and manage the contractual needs of the organisation, including delegation and supervision.
• Providing advice, training and supervision to colleagues in the team and across the organisation.

Education required:

A solicitor or barrister qualified to practice law in England and Wales.

Skills & abilities:

• Extensive post qualification experience gained in Intellectual Property, commercial and contract law is essential.
• Demonstrable experience in advising on life sciences and/or medical research matters.
• A good understanding of data protection law.
• Experience advising on data science and/or artificial intelligence matters would be very advantageous.
• Highly proficient at drafting and negotiating complex contracts.
• Strong communication skills and pragmatic mindset.
• Experience of charity law and/or working with charity or not-for-profit clients would be advantageous but not essential (subject to the ability to quickly absorb the key aspects of charity law).

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.