Senior Counsel - Commercial, Procurement & R&D - FTSE 100

Simmons & Hanbury; Liverpool; Hybrid; GBP 100,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Remote work flexibility

Job summary

Simmons & Hanbury is seeking an experienced senior commercial counsel to support R&D, procurement, and manufacturing. The role combines IP knowledge with broad commercial contracting, including development and licensing agreements, with autonomy and senior leadership interaction.

The position offers strong flexibility to work largely remotely. The successful candidate will advise on commercialization of new products, lead complex negotiations, and help shape legal processes and playbooks for a

Qualifications

• Law degree (LLB or equivalent) from an accredited institution.
• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales or another common law jurisdiction.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Ability to operate independently and provide strategic legal advice to senior leaders.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a key legal business partner to R&D, IP, Procurement, Manufacturing Operations, and Business Development teams.
• Advise on the commercialization of new products, technologies, and global R&D initiatives.
• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, including development, licensing, manufacturing and supply, distribution, and strategic collaboration agreements.
• Support initiatives related to product development, launch excellence, compliance-by-design, and supply chain protection.
• Provide legal guidance on IP, commercial strategy, and global operations projects.
• Contribute to the development of legal processes, contract templates, playbooks, and training programs.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across regions and functions to enable business objectives while ensuring effective risk management.

Skills

Analytical skills

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Strategic legal advice

Education

Law degree (LLB)

Qualified Solicitor – England & Wales

Job description

Our Client is a leading FTSE 100 Medical Devices business, with an excellent legal team who are currently growing and looking for an experience senior commercial counsel to support on critical areas of the business, supporting the R&D department, Manufacturing Operations and Procurement, in what will be a broadly very commercial role. They are ideally looking for someone with good private practice training, as well as in-house experience, in either Pharma, Devices or broader manufacturing business, as the role is really for a commercial lawyer with IP knowledge who can do the commercial contracting and can support the early-stage development through to manufacturing rather than being purely IP. This will be a highly autonomous role, so you will need to be comfortable working independently and have gravitas, so they are looking for around 8-12PQE, though more senior applicants will be considered. The role also offers excellent flexibility to work almost entirely remotely.

You will:

• Serve as a key legal business partner to R&D, Intellectual Property, Procurement, Manufacturing Operations, and Business Development teams.
• Advise on the commercialization of new products, technologies, and global R&D initiatives.
• Lead the drafting, review, and negotiation of complex commercial agreements, including:
• Development agreements
• Licensing agreements
• Manufacturing and supply agreements
• Distribution agreements
• Strategic collaboration agreements
• Support initiatives related to product development, launch excellence, compliance-by-design, and supply chain protection.
• Provide legal guidance on intellectual property, commercial strategy, and global operations projects.
• Contribute to the development of legal processes, contract templates, playbooks, and training programs.
• Collaborate with stakeholders across regions and functions to enable business objectives while ensuring effective risk management.

What will you need to be successful?

• Law degree (LLB or equivalent) from an accredited institution.
• Qualified Solicitor in England & Wales or another common law jurisdiction.
• Fluent written and spoken English.
• Strong experience drafting and negotiating complex commercial agreements.
• Excellent analytical, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to operate independently and provide strategic legal advice to senior leaders.

Preferred Experience

• In-house legal experience.
• Experience supporting healthcare, life sciences, medical device, pharmaceutical, manufacturing, or technology organizations.
• Knowledge of product development, intellectual property commercialization, supply chains, academic or clinical collaborations, and strategic partnerships.
• Experience working in complex, global business environments.