Overview

We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Legal Counsel to join our dynamic team. The Legal Counsel is responsible for advising and challenging senior colleagues, ensuring the provision of sound legal advice and guidance. They will oversee legal compliance, manage legal risk mitigation efforts and take ownership of legal processes to enable the smooth operation of our organisation. This position will take accountability for developing and implementing the charity’s legal strategies, ensuring that legal risks are proactively identified, managed, and mitigated effectively.

Key Responsibilities

Compliance and Regulations

• Take ownership of monitoring and advising on changes in laws and regulations relevant to the charity, including but not limited to charity law, data protection, health and safety.
• Oversee the development and execution of strategies to address legal risks, obligations, and opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with applicable legal frameworks, to include the creation and maintenance of a legal register.
• Proactively identify, monitor, address, and report on legal (and where appropriate other business) issues of significance.

Contracts

• Take responsibility for drafting, reviewing and negotiating a variety of contracts including, but not limited to commercial, research, collaboration contracts and service agreements, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and mitigating potential risks.
• Oversee the provision of timely and pragmatic legal advice on matters of contract law, intellectual property rights, employment law, governance, and other relevant areas, ensuring alignment with our organisational goals.
• Take ownership of managing legal disputes, litigation, and other legal matters, ensuring effective collaboration with external counsel to safeguard the charity’s interests.
• Identify and address legal risks proactively and escalate more complex legal matters when appropriate.
• Provide specialist advice to ensure foreseeable legal risks are effectively identified.

Stakeholder Engagement & Training

• Be accountable for establishing and maintaining effective business relationships with internal and external stakeholders, overseeing the integration of legal input into decision-making processes.
• Take responsibility for developing and delivering training sessions and workshops to ensure employees and stakeholders are well informed on legal matters, contracts, policies, and procedures.
• Establish and maintain effective business relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

What we are looking for

• Qualified solicitor or barrister in the UK, with a current practicing certificate, sound legal training in a well-regarded legal practice, and relevant post-qualification experience in-house and / or in private practice.
• Strong knowledge of contract law, and the drafting of agreements, negotiating contracts and developing compliance.
• Strong knowledge and understanding of UK legal frameworks, regulations, and compliance requirements applicable to charitable organisations.
• Ability to translate complex technical information into clear and accessible advice to non-legal stakeholders.
• Solution focused, pragmatic, and able to apply legal knowledge and good practice in day-to-day work.
• Able and prepared to quickly develop a good understanding of new legal areas and issues which affect the organisation.
• Able to recognise when more complex and serious issues arise and escalate appropriately.
• Proven ability to independently lead initiatives, oversee multiple priorities and ensure deadlines are met in a fast-paced environment.
• Proficiency in MS Office 365 and other relevant software applications.
• Proven drafting, negotiation, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong ethical standards and a high level of personal integrity.
• Effective problem-solving skills with the ability to assess risks, develop effective solutions, and to exercise good judgement / initiative in a variety of situations.
• Confidence in presenting / communicating to groups of people and / or senior leadership.
• Detail-oriented with strong organisational skills and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.
• Ability to quickly establish personal credibility and to develop and maintain effective strategic relationships.
• Receptive to feedback and demonstrates flexibility, curiosity, and an ability to learn.
• Enthusiasm, commitment and motivation for work, and the achievement results
• Demonstrated ability to manage and take ownership of strategic relationships, fostering deeper partnerships across the organisation.
• Working experience of intellectual property rights, employment law, governance, regulatory compliance, and data protection.
• Experience working with complex charities.
• Personal demeanour that secures the trust and confidence of others.

Additional Information

Ways of working: As part of our Agile ways of working you will be required to work approximately 2 days a week from the office, which is subject to the requirements of the role and the business needs. Flexibility on where you work can be split between working from home and our office.

Roles that are classed as part of the Agile ways of working are not able to claim any costs for Mileage/Travel on Public Transport, Accommodation and/or Meals. This includes when attending the office.

Our Office: Our office is at 3 Riverside, Granta Park, Great Abington, Cambridge, CB21 6AD.

Please download the Vacancy Pack on our website for more information.

The closing date for applications is the 19th October 2025, with interviews being arrange once shortlisting has been completed. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date. We would encourage you to submit your application at the earliest opportunity, as on occasion we may have to bring forward the interview date and/or the closing date based on the needs of the business. Although a possibility, this will only happen in exceptional circumstances. Please indicate in your covering letter if you are unable to attend an interview on a certain date.

We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive culture where everyone can be themselves and reach their full potential. We actively encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and cultures, in particular those from ethnic minority backgrounds who are currently under-represented. Any offer of employment is however subject to you having the right to work in the UK.

As part of our commitment to being an inclusive employer and ensuring fairness and consistency in our selection process, we will handle your CV and application with the utmost confidentiality. While we strive to anonymise your CV where possible, there are certain sections, such as the application question, that cannot be fully anonymised. We kindly ask that you remove any personal information, including your name, when answering the application question. The hiring panel will not have access to your personal details, such as your name and address, until you are invited for an interview. Should you require any adjustments at either the application or interview stage, please contact us at recruitment@alzheimersresearchuk.org.

How to apply: Please create an online account using our Online Recruitment Platform which can be accessed through our Job Vacancies page. You will be able to attach your CV to your application and track the status of your application.

About Alzheimer’s Research UK: Alzheimer’s Research UK is the UK's leading dementia research charity. Our mission is to accelerate progress towards a cure. Today 1 in 2 people will be impacted by dementia, either through caring for a loved one, developing it themselves or tragically both. But there is hope.

ARUK really does look after its people, where you will be able to add value and make a difference.

To view further details about working for us and the benefits we offer, please visit Alzheimer’s Research UK

Job Details

• Seniority level: Mid-Senior level
• Employment type: Full-time
• Job function: Management and Legal
• Industries: Non-profit Organizations

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