Senior Contracts Officer (Legal)

linkup; Bath; Hybrid; GBP 47,000 - 57,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading university is looking for a Senior Contracts Officer (Legal) responsible for managing the contract process within a Faculty. This position requires a law degree and offers a hybrid work pattern. The candidate will advise on research-related contracts and ensure legal risks are managed effectively. The role provides an excellent opportunity for personal development and contributions to a diverse team. The salary ranges from £47,389 to £56,535 annually.

Benefits

Free counselling services

Cycle to work scheme

Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme

Staff discount at Team Bath gym

Generous annual leave allowance

Relocation allowance

Visa reimbursement

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a busy Contracts/Legal Team.
• Up-to-date knowledge in Data Protection and relevant legislation.
• Outstanding relationship-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Manage the contract process for a Faculty.
• Provide expert advice and manage legal risks.
• Deputise for the Head when required.

Skills

Legal qualification

Contract management

Drafting and negotiating skills

Communication skills

Organizational skills

Education

Law degree or equivalent

Job description

Senior Contracts Officer (Legal) – Department Research and Impact Services (RIS)

Salary: £47,389 – £56,535. Closing date: Sunday 08 February 2026.

As a Senior Contracts Officer (Legal), you will join a small but well‑established team of professionals supporting the University's research contract portfolio. Your main focus will be to manage the contract process for a given Faculty, and to support the Head of Team in co‑leading the team to ensure that the overall caseload is effectively allocated and managed; you will also deputise for the Head when required, and line‑manage and mentor junior members.

About the role

This role is pivotal in providing expert advice to academics and managing legal risks for the institution. To do this, you need to:

• hold a law degree or suitable relevant legal qualification (e.g., LLB, LLM, CPE, SQE, LPC, CILEX).
• be able to advise on and manage a range of research‑related, commercial contract issues.
• have strong drafting and negotiating skills and be confident in managing legal risk.
• build effective working relationships and networks, internally and externally.
• manage a diverse workload and think strategically.

About you

We are looking for someone with proven experience in a busy (preferably in‑house public sector) Contracts/Legal Team, with a commitment to personal and team development. We ask you to be curious, collaborative and collegiate in your work, maintaining awareness of relevant legislation, participating effectively and engaging with our academic community and other professional services. We are looking for:

• up‑to‑date knowledge in Data Protection and other relevant legislation.
• outstanding communication and relationship building skills.
• outstanding organisational and time management skills.
• the ability to work independently.
• a willingness to use initiative and drive forward positive change.

Further information

A hybrid working pattern will be adopted for this position, both on‑campus and working from home, and the possibility of a largely remote contract will be considered if the successful candidate meets the requirements.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Amy Charles Persson, Head of Contracts or Rachel New, Deputy Head of (Research) Contracts.

We are committed to diversity and inclusion

We consider ourselves to be a university where difference is celebrated, respected and encouraged. We have an excellent international reputation with staff from over 60 different nations and have made a positive commitment towards gender equality and intersectionality receiving a Silver Athena SWAN award. We truly believe that diversity of experience, perspectives, and backgrounds will lead to a better environment for our employees and students and encourage applications from all genders, backgrounds, and communities, particularly from under‑represented groups, and value the positive impact that will have on the university.

What we can offer you

• Free counselling services through Health Assured
• Cycle to work scheme
• Electric vehicle salary sacrifice scheme
• Staff discount at Team Bath gym
• Staff discounts on postgraduate tuition fees
• Staff discount on language courses
• Generous employer contributory pension schemes
• Generous annual leave allowance with an additional 5 discretionary days so that you can enjoy a positive work life balance
• A wide range of personal and professional development opportunities, including Apprenticeships, LinkedIn Learning and more
• Free entry to the Holburne Museum in Bath
• Local discounts and more
• A family‑friendly workplace
• An excellent reward package that recognises the talents of our diverse workforce
• Relocation allowance
• Visa reimbursement and Interest‑Free Loan to help with the cost of some immigration expenses

Right to Work in the UK

We do not assess immigration or right to work status until offer stage. Being invited to interview does not guarantee you are eligible for visa sponsorship, and all offers are conditional on meeting right to work requirements. Further information is available on our application support webpage.

Anonymous shortlisting

We are constantly seeking to reduce the unconscious bias that enters any assessment process, with the goal of creating an inclusive and equal assessment process. To support this, personal details such as your name may be removed from application forms at the initial shortlisting stage.