Legal Manager

UKRI; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 59,000; Full time

Job summary

A renowned research institution in the UK is looking for a Legal Manager to lead on legal contracts in innovative geoscientific research. Ideal candidates must possess a law degree and have substantial experience in managing complex legal processes. The position requires exceptional negotiation skills and commercial awareness to facilitate collaborative research projects, while the role may offer some remote working options. A great benefits package, including an outstanding pension scheme and generous leave, accompanies this full-time position.

Benefits

Generous pension scheme

30 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in managing complex legal processes.
• Expert knowledge of contract law and relevant regulations.
• Ability to work unsupervised in high-pressure environments.

Responsibilities

• Support commercial research activity through legal contract negotiations.
• Facilitate national and international research projects.
• Review and improve internal legal frameworks.

Skills

Legal negotiation

Problem-solving

Commercial awareness

Communication

Education

Law degree

Job description

Overview

Legal Manager

Legal & Intellectual Property Rights Team

Grade : UKRI Pay Band F

Salary : 58589 per annum

Contract Type : Permanent

Hours : Full-time 37 hours a week (a small amount of remote working is possible but this role does require regular onsite attendance)

Location : BGS headquarters in Keyworth in Nottingham

Closing date : 23rd November 2025

Interview date : 9th December 2025

A great benefits package is offered including an outstanding pension scheme (with an extremely generous employer contribution on average 27% of your pay) 30 days annual leave plus bank holidays

About the role

BGS is an innovative and world-renowned geoscientific research centre engaged in many exciting and forward-thinking research collaborations both nationally and internationally. This is a challenging and varied legal role recently created; and providing the opportunity to develop it tailored to your experience and skill set.

Key responsibilities / duties of this role are :

• To support an anticipated increase in our commercial research activity by working alongside colleagues from both science and operations to support negotiate and take the lead on legally binding contracts for BGS commissioned and collaborative research work.
• To facilitate major national and international geoscientific research and collaboration projects.
• To make a real difference to the way in which BGS manages the legal contractual and operational frameworks supporting its research activities.

Included in the roles scope will be to review our internal legal contractual and operational frameworks associated with bid tender contractual and certain procurement processes; with the confidence gravitas and leadership skills to successfully implement any identified opportunities for improvement or greater efficiency.

About you

Are you a highly skilled and experienced legal and contracts negotiator expert in providing pragmatic legal advice and legal drafting solutions You will advise in relation to and then facilitate the undertaking of commercial and collaborative work contributing to navigating complex bid / tender opportunities and then securing and maintaining contracts / agreements on optimal and legally secure terms.

To succeed in this exciting role you will need to be :

• An expert trusted legal and contracts resource for BGS.
• Comfortable with and experienced in leading and handling the provision of legal support negotiation and problem-solving skills to large scale national and international research projects and in relation to commercialisation and routes to market activities.
• Comfortable with managing your own responsibilities and workload within an often high-pressured time-critical legal environment but at the same time becoming an integral and respected part of the Legal & IPR Team able to lead guide and mentor other members of the team as appropriate.
• Adaptable flexible and pragmatic with the ability to think outside of the box when getting complex sensitive or non-standard situations over the line. Must be able to demonstrate robust commercial awareness within the context of BGSs primary status as a research institute.
• A superb communicator! Able to establish relationships both with legal counterparts at the organisations BGS works for / with as well as with our colleagues in other teams across both operational (e.g. Business Development) and scientific functions. There is a vital need to understand the context of research being undertaken and what a good outcome looks like from that perspective.

Travel within the UK or occasionally overseas will be required in this role.

You will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening / vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during your employment.

Essential and Desirable Skills

The following specific essential and desirable skills criteria for this post will be assessed at shortlist (S) stage interview (I) stage or both (S&I).

Essential

• Law degree or other degree with relevant legal / commercial contracts experience and qualifications (S)
• Substantial amount of experience (with demonstrable evidence of successful outcomes) of leading the management of complex legal and contractual processes associated with commercial tender contract and research agreement work; to include leading and handling negotiations with customers and / or partners regarding terms and conditions under which contracted or collaborative work is to be undertaken (S&I)
• Expert knowledge of contract law and practise / management including all relevant legislation / regulations (S&I)
• Working unsupervised but also as a key senior member of a wider Legal Team and in compliance with local and corporate policies processes and frameworks : meticulous attention to detail regarding drafting legal and contractual documentation working within a high-pressure routinely time-critical legal / contractual environment to include effectively communicating to non-legal colleagues (S&I)
• Approachable coupled with the experience authority and determination required to manage difficult conversations and decisions with (senior) colleagues and external parties and then implement flexible adaptable and proactive approaches to problem-solving with demonstrable evidence of success (I)
• Understands and has experience of the needs of a commercial business (unit) as well as the aims and objectives of a public sector / research organisation such as BGS and ability to relate this to your role within the organisation (S&I)
• You will be committed to a diverse and inclusive approach to work in the geosciences (S&I)

Desirable

• Further relevant legal degree or other qualifications e.g. commercial law contract law intellectual property rights law and Project Management qualifications (S)
• Experience of working within a UK research institute and / or public sector body (or demonstrable experience of routinely working with / for such organisations) including experience of handling commercialisation activities and routes to market including fee-bearing / royalty based licensing (S&I)
• In-depth understanding of specific legislation / regulations of relevance to scientific research community and public sector e.g. Freedom of Information Act / Environmental Information Regulations; Data Protection legislation; Intellectual Property Rights (S&I)

About us

The British Geological Survey (BGS) is an applied geoscience research centre that belongs to UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and is affiliated to the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). It is a world leading geological survey whose core mission is to advise government of science related to the subsurface and to undertake applied research to solve earth and environmental issues both in the UK and globally. It is funded directly by UKRI as well as through research grants and private sector contracts.

OurCore Values and commitment topromoting equality and diversity across our organisation underpin the continuous drive to improve our scientific and organisational efficiency. As such we aim to have a workforce with employees from all backgrounds with people who are passionate about earth science and who share our dedication to work for the good of the environment and the benefit of society. BGS became a signatory of theTechnician Commitment in July 2022.

How to apply

Applicants are required to include a CV and covering letter outlining their suitability for the role. We would stress the importance of this paperwork in our selection process.

A well thought through application providing evidence and examples of how you meet the advertised essential and desirable criteria for the post will be considered far more favourably than a generic covering letter and CV.

If you experience any issues applying for this role please

The closing date for receipt of applications is 23rd November 2025 .

Interviews will be held on 9th December in Nottingham.