Legal Counsel

Riverlane; Cambridge; Hybrid; GBP 95,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Riverlane is seeking an experienced Legal Counsel to support its expanding operations in quantum computing. The role involves managing diverse legal tasks, collaborating with cross-functional teams, and developing scalable legal processes. Candidates should have a strong background in commercial law and be comfortable in a fast-paced, science-led environment.

Benefits

Annual bonus plan

Private medical insurance

Life insurance

Contributory pension scheme

28 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Enhanced family leave

Annual training and conference budget

Qualifications

• 3–5 years post-qualification experience as a solicitor.
• Strong grounding in commercial contract law.
• Reliable and well-organised.

Responsibilities

• Review, draft and amend commercial agreements.
• Support internal training and creation of legal guidance materials.
• Maintain and improve internal legal templates and documentation.

Skills

Excellent written and verbal communication

Attention to detail

Collaboration

Education

Degree in Law

Degree or background in science, technology, or engineering

Job description

Cambridge, UK | Full-time | Permanent | Hybrid

Salary: £95,000 to £115,000 DOE

We will also consider part-time applications for this role. Please indicate your preferred working schedule in your cover letter.

About us

Riverlane’s mission is to make quantum computing useful, sooner. From advances in material science to complex chemistry simulation for drug design and discovery, quantum computers will help solve some of the world’s most important challenges. Riverlane is building the quantum error correction stack, Deltaflow, to make this happen. It’s a complex problem that requires a range of skills, talent and passion.

We recently raised $75M in Series C funding to accelerate our cutting-edge R&D in quantum error correction (QEC), and are partnering with many of the world’s leading quantum hardware providers and government agencies to make fault-tolerant quantum computing a reality. We’re making remarkable progress and growing fast.

About the role:

We have a fantastic opportunity for a proactive person with 3 to 5 years’ PQE to join our legal function. This is a hands-on, varied role where you’ll support day-to-day legal work across the business while helping to lay the groundwork for how legal support scales as we grow.

The role would suit a commercially minded solicitor with a solid grounding in contract law who’s keen to deepen their in-house experience in a fast-moving, science-led environment and who is comfortable working independently as well as within a team. You’ll report directly to our General Counsel and collaborate with teams across the business, supporting everything from supplier agreements to internal training and policy development.

As our in-house Legal Counsel, you’ll not only help manage our current legal workload, but also have the opportunity to create new templates, introduce scalable processes and shape the way legal operates within the company. You’ll need to be highly organised, good at managing projects, and comfortable driving work forward to completion. It’s a great fit for someone who enjoys being helpful, practical and involved in a mission-driven organisation doing technically complex and meaningful work.

What you will do:

• Review, draft and amend commercial agreements (including NDAs, supplier contracts, and customer agreements).

• Support internal training and the creation of legal guidance materials for non-legal teams.

• Maintain and improve internal legal templates and documentation, ensuring consistency and clarity across the business.

• Assist with regulatory compliance and general legal risk management across the business

• Conduct legal research and support in preparing internal briefings or reports.

• Collaborate closely with the General Counsel on wider legal operations and cross-functional projects.

• Work closely with the General Counsel to triage and prioritise incoming legal requests from across the business.

• Assist in preparing materials for leadership or board discussions on legal or risk-related topics.

• Help implement and improve legal workflows and contract review processes as we scale.

• Stay up to date with relevant legal and regulatory developments and communicate any implications to the team.

• Work with teams across R&D, operations, commercial, and HR to provide pragmatic legal input on a wide range of issues.

• Assist with legal aspects of vendor onboarding and procurement.

• Contribute to broader legal and operational projects as the company grows.

What we need:

• 3–5 years’ post-qualification experience (PQE) as a solicitor (England & Wales or equivalent).

• Strong grounding in commercial contract law.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Reliable, well-organised, and comfortable managing multiple tasks with close attention to detail.

• A collaborative mindset and willingness to learn in a fast-paced environment.

• Comfortable managing day-to-day legal tasks independently, but open to learning and collaboration.

• A friendly, helpful approach with the confidence to work across different teams and topics.

Even better if…

• You’ve worked in an in-house legal team, ideally in a science, technology, or research-led organisation.

• You have a degree or background in science, technology, or engineering.

• You’ve supported internal compliance or training initiatives.

• You’re familiar with legal processes in R&D-heavy or IP-sensitive environments.

What can you expect from us

• A comprehensive benefits package that includes an annual bonus plan, private medical insurance, life insurance, and a contributory pension scheme
• Equity, so that our team can share in the long-term success of Riverlane
• 28 days annual leave, plus bank holidays and enhanced family leave
• A diverse work environment that brings together experts in many fields (including software and hardware development, quantum information theory, physics and maths) and over 20 different nationalities
• A learning environment that encourages individual, team and company growth and learning, including an annual training and conference budget for each staff member