Senior Legal Counsel

University of Strathclyde; Glasgow; On-site; GBP 63,000 - 77,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, invites applications for Senior Legal Counsel to join its in-house Legal Services team. You will provide expert legal and compliance advice across university activities, with a primary focus on complex commercial matters in support of Strathclyde 2030.

This senior role requires a qualified legal professional with strong commercial law expertise, independence, and the ability to handle high-stakes matters with external advisors.

Qualifications

• Qualified legal professional with expertise in commercial law and general legal advisory.
• Ability to exercise independent professional responsibility and discretion.
• Experience handling complex strategic legal matters with external profile and impact.

Responsibilities

• Provide proactive, customer-focused legal support to senior management and colleagues across university activities.
• Focus significantly on commercial matters including contracts, intellectual property, transnational education agreements, procurement, corporate investments, information governance, and information security.
• Handle regulatory and compliance matters, charity law, safeguarding, equality, dispute resolution, civil litigation, property, and student-related matters.
• Collaborate with external advisors to secure best value for money and manage organizational risk exposure.

Skills

Commercial law

Legal advisory

Job description

Senior Legal Counsel

U

Organising Institution / Firm

University of Strathclyde

21 September 2026

Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom

In the region of £70,000

Qualified legal professional with experience in providing expert legal and compliance advice, with a particular focus on commercial matters and complex legal issues.

Jobs

Contextual Overview

The University of Strathclyde is seeking a dynamic and innovative Senior Legal Counsel to join its busy Legal Services team in Glasgow, Scotland. Reporting to the Head of Legal Services, this in-house role involves providing expert legal and compliance advice and assistance across all university activities, with a primary focus on complex commercial matters supporting the institution's strategic plan, Strathclyde 2030.

Key Eligibility Criteria

• Qualified legal professional with strong expertise in commercial law and general legal advisory.
• Capable of exercising a substantial degree of independent professional responsibility and discretion.
• Ability to handle complex strategic legal matters with significant external profile and impact.

Responsibilities & Scope of Work

• Provide proactive, customer-focused legal support to senior management and colleagues across university activities.
• Focus significantly on commercial matters including contracts, intellectual property, transnational education agreements, procurement, corporate investments, information governance, and information security.
• Handle regulatory and compliance matters, charity law, safeguarding, equality, dispute resolution, civil litigation, property, and student-related matters.
• Collaborate with external advisors to secure best value for money and manage organizational risk exposure.

Stipend, Compensation & Mode

Salary: In the region of £70,000 per annum
Mode: Full-Time (1.0 FTE, 35 hours per week), Open Term, On-site in Glasgow, Scotland

What is the primary focus of the Senior Legal Counsel role?

The role has a strong focus on commercial matters such as contracts, intellectual property, procurement, corporate investments, and information governance, alongside general higher education regulatory and compliance issues.

Where is the position located?

The position is based at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom.