UK Research & Innovation

Salary: £58,589 per annum

Band: UKRI Band F

Contract Type: Open ended 

Hours: Full-time (flexible working available)

Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire or Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Didcot, Oxon (Hybrid working available)

Closing Date: 22nd February 2026

About the role

You will work within the UKRI legal team and report to the Deputy Head of Legal (Commercial), providing sound, pragmatic and business-focused legal advice on a wide range of commercial legal issues affecting the functions and operation of UKRI. The work of UKRI Legal is broad and increasing in variety and complexity and the team’s commercial work currently spans areas including large-scale projects and contracts, procurement, IP, property, company law, subsidy control and grant-giving. You will be expected to take a flexible approach and be able to quickly get up to speed with new and unfamiliar areas of law as the remit of UKRI Legal grows to meet the developing needs of the wider business. 

Your responsibilities:

•         Professional and skilled lawyer with sound commercial experience and the ability to understand public sector policy drivers and work effectively within the statutory framework applicable to a non- departmental public body

•         Demonstrable technical aptitude

•         Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as well as the ability to influence and work collaboratively

•         'Can-do' individual who is self-motivated and able to plan and manage a varied workload effectively

•         Strong attention to detail with a proven track record of meeting deadlines and effectively prioritising and managing competing demands.

Personal Specification 

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

Academic Qualifications

Minimum of a 2:1 honours degree in your first degree (in any subject) or equivalent high level academic and/or professional achievement where satisfactory evidence can be provided (e.g., via relevant experience and results achieved for the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE, Legal Practice Course (LPC), Bar Professional Course (BPC), CILEX Professional Qualification (CPQ)). Where an overseas degree qualification is held, this should be equivalent to a 2.1 degree. (S)

Professional Qualifications

Qualified to practice as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. (S)

Experience

Candidates must be able to demonstrate strong experience of providing pragmatic, business-focused legal advice on commercial/contract law and grants and research contracts alongside at least two of the following areas (S):

•         Property

•         Subsidy control

•         Information law 

•         Public law

•         Public procurement

•         IP

•         Professional and skilled lawyer with sound experience of providing pragmatic and business focused legal advice. (I)

•         Reliable legal judgement and appreciation of legal risk. (I)

•         Ability to make difficult decisions and stand by them. (I)

•         Ability to influence and work collaboratively. (I)

•         'Can-do' individual who is self-motivated and able to plan and manage a varied workload effectively. (I)

•         Ability to produce timely and fit for purpose advice based on sound legal research. (I)

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

•         An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme.

•         30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent).

•         Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.

•         Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice.

•         Flexible working options.

Plus, many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) 

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [email protected] 

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [email protected].