Head of Legal

Salary: £70,752 - £88,893 per annum (depending on experience)

Band: UKRI Band G

Contract Type:
Open ended

Hours:
Full-time (flexible working available)

Location:
Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire
- Hybrid working available (Tier 4, requirement to be in the office as and when business need emerges)

Closing Date: 15th November 2026

Interview Date: W/c 23rd November 2026

Please note that we may close this vacancy early should we receive a high volume of applications. We therefore recommend submitting your application at the earliest opportunity.

UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) is an independent, non-departmental public body, which brings together the UK’s seven Research Councils, Innovate UK, and Research England. The UKRI Legal function is located within UKRI’s corporate centre and provides advice on a wide range of legal areas from commercial and IP law, subsidy control, procurement and public law; to regulatory law, information governance, property and employment.

Working closely with the Heads of Legal for Regulatory Law/Litigation, and Commercial and Property Law, the Head of Legal
- Employment will be jointly responsible for the day-to-day leadership and management ofthe Legal team, deputising for the UKRI General Counsel/Director of Legal in all legal casework and team management matters as required.

As a senior legal professional and the Employment Law subject matter authority for UKRI, you will advise on a range of contentious and non-contentious employment law issues, handling your own case load of complex matters and taking a lead role for UKRI Legal by giving authoritative employment law advice and insights to support central initiatives, programmes projects as well as UKRI’s business as usual.

You will lead and line manage a small team of employment lawyers and be responsible for controlling and leading the Employment Law team’s workflow to ensure the delivery of timely, high-quality, pragmatic legal advice to UKRI clients.

Note that there may be a requirement to travel to various UKRI locations as part of this role.

• Oversee and ensure the provision of high-quality, timely, risk-based and pragmatic employment law advice to support the business of UKRI, providing updates and insights into relevant legal developments to support compliant and standard process.
• Oversee and be responsible for the effective and efficient management of cases and workloads in your team, ensuring that case management records are updated and maintained in accordance with team policy.
• Exercise sound judgment when balancing key legal and commercial risks and benefits, making appropriate recommendations aligned with the organisation’s risk appetite.
• Provide advice as required on complex, strategic and/or technical legal issues, which may have significant impact on UKRI.

• Jointly lead and manage the day-to-day operation of the UKRI Legal Team, working closely with the other Heads of Legal, to ensure effective operational delivery of Legal services to the wider organization.
• Lead and motivate a small team of qualified employment lawyers, ensuring they have the skills, flexibility and agility to deliver in a changing environment.
• Enhance learning and development and career progression opportunities for legal staff, and support the acquisition of professional qualifications and ongoing professional development.
• Engage as necessary with legal working groups in HR and in other areas of UKRI operations, where employment law advice is required.

• Positively and proactively engage with senior managers throughout the organisation, building credibility, trust and respect by demonstrating…