Junior Legal Counsel
UK Health Security Agency
London, E14 4PUView on map(opens Google Maps in a new tab)
Salary
£46,310 to £52,113
Contract
Permanent
Hours
Not specified
Closing date
29 October 2026
10 days leftJob description
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 f...
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 UKHSAs 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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours, experience and technical skills.
Stage 1: Application & Sift
You willbe requiredto complete an application form. You will be assessed onthe listed7 essentialcriteria,and this will be in the form of:
- an application form(Employer/ Activity history section on the application)
- a 1500 wordsupporting statement.
This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V please beadvisedyou will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.
Longlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:
- Meets all essential criteria
- Meets some essential criteria
- Meets no essential criteria
If used, the pile Meets all essential criteria will proceed to shortlisting.Shortlisting: In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on:
- 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.
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.
If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview and assessment.
Feedback will not be provided at this stage.
Stage 2: Interview
You will be invited to a remote interview via MS Teams.
Behaviours, experience and technical skills will be tested at interview.
The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:
- Working together (Lead behaviour)
- Communicating and influencing
- Managing a quality service
Interview dates are to be confirmed.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ in London (Canary Wharf).
We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, averaged over a month) on-site.
We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.
UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers
Application form and supporting statement
Essential: - Application form and supporting statement
Behaviours
Essential: - Working together; - Managing a quality service; - Communicating and influencing
How to apply
Applications are handled entirely by the employer on the original advert. We do not collect CVs, supporting statements or application data.
Provenance
Source
NHS Jobs
First seen
15 October 2026
Last checked
16 October 2026
Salary, closing date and description are taken from the employer's advert. The original advert always takes precedence.
About the employer
NHS organisation
This listing was structured from NHS Jobs. Vacancy details and the application process remain the responsibility of the original source.
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