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Senior Legal Counsel
Application Deadline: 24 July 2026
Department: Legal
Employment Type: Permanent - Full Time
Location: London
Compensation: £115,000 / year
Description
About ARIA
ARIA is a R&D funding agency created to unlock technological breakthroughs that benefit everyone. We fund scientists and engineers to pursue research at the edge of the possible.
From climate change to AI, society faces enormous challenges and opportunities that can be uniquely addressed by science and technology. ARIA was created to activate the UK’s world-class R&D in new ways, so we can meet these head on.
Our success is shaped by one question: how will ARIA transform the lives of the UK’s future generations? Whether that’s a life-changing new technology or a burgeoning new industry, it should be obvious that ARIA played a catalytic role.
Learn more about how we work here.
Role Summary
As Senior Legal Counsel, you will work closely with ARIA’s General Counsel to support ARIA’s programmes, functional teams, and Executive. You will:
- Manage a varied and complex portfolio of legal matters
- Help turn novel legal and governance questions into clear, practical advice
- Support the delivery of grants, research contracts, and other key agreements
- Help build the tools, templates, and ways of working that allow a small legal team to scale
This is a role for an adaptable generalist who wants real responsibility early, can work independently, and is excited by novel legal questions at the edge of science and technology.
What you’ll do
The scope of the role will evolve as ARIA continues to grow, but will broadly involve the following:
- Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of legal documents, including commercial contracts, grant and research funding agreements, and collaboration agreements.
- Work with the General Counsel on higher-risk or more novel matters, including new funding structures and strategic projects.
- Work independently to provide legal advice across the breadth of ARIA’s operations and programmes.
- Help colleagues to identify legal issues early and navigate risk in a practical, solutions-oriented way that helps ARIA’s work move forward at pace.
- Help build and maintain legal templates, playbooks, guidance, approvals processes, and matter tracking so the legal team can operate efficiently and with consistency.
- Effectively build relationships with and manage the use of external counsel.
- Build trusted relationships across the organisation so that the legal team is seen as a useful thought partner, not a blocker.
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Who you are
A successful candidate will bring the following skills/experience:
Essential criteria
- You have strong legal knowledge and you are able to use it to tackle new problems with first principles thinking.
- You are a clear writer and communicator who can explain legal issues in simple, practical terms to non-lawyers.
- You have excellent attention to detail and organisational skills, and can maintain accuracy while working at pace.
- You enjoy the challenge of dealing with new or unfamiliar matters or legal topics and you are able to quickly get up to speed, know when to take ownership, when to escalate, and when to bring in specialist outside support.
- You are deeply interested in how law, science, and technology intersect.
- You have good judgement and you are comfortable taking a risk-based approach, knowing how to help colleagues move forward while protecting the organisation and the public interest.
- You have strong experience in one or more of the following legal practice areas (and a willingness to learn more about those in which you don’t): commercial contracts; grants and research funding; intellectual property; technology; data protection.
- You have a good humoured, low-ego, and hands-on approach to work, willing to tackle the big and the small in service of ARIA’s mission.
- You are a qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent).
- You have high quality work experience and you are keen to develop a wide range of experience rather than pursuing a narrow legal specialism (a minimum of 5 PQE expected but not mandated).
Desirable criteria
- You have some experience in one or more of the following areas (and a willingness to learn more about those in which you don’t): employment law; subsidy control; public law; procurement; corporate structures and joint ventures.
- You have some experience of an in-house environment, through a previous role or a client secondment.
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Qualifications
- Qualified solicitor in England and Wales (or equivalent).
How to apply
Please submit your current CV and a cover letter detailing your suitability. We pride ourselves on reviewing every application personally. A cover letter is required to be considered for this role.
Please note: You may be required, as and when necessary, to travel to different locations around the UK to meet with and support projects.
Benefits
- 27 days annual leave provision, with the option to buy/sell additional days
- Hybrid working arrangements; 60% in office / 40% at home
- Discretionary bonus
- Supportive environment for learning and development opportunities
- Enhanced family leave arrangements
- A free and confidential 24/7 employee assistance programme
- Life Assurance
- 2 days of paid volunteer days
- 5% defined contribution pension scheme with Smart Pension
- Cycle to Work scheme
- An excellent office location in Kings X, London
Not sure you meet 100% of our criteria? Don’t worry! If you believe that you could excel in this role, we encourage you to apply. We want to attract the broadest array of candidates, including those with diverse workplace experiences and backgrounds. Whether you’re new to the field, returning to work after a gap in employment, simply looking to transition, or taking the next step in your career path, we will be glad to have you on our radar. Please use your cover letter to tell us about your interests and what you hope to bring to this role.
If you require any reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, please notify us and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Disclosing any requests are intended to provide ARIA with the best opportunity to support candidates and will have no negative impact on your recruitment process.
ARIA adopts a highly considered approach to ethical and social responsibility. You can read our policy here. Our research and development activity will abide by the 3Rs principle. You can read about those here.
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