Solicitor

cancerresearchuk; Stratford-upon-Avon; On-site; GBP 79,000 - 84,000; Full time

Job summary

Cancer Research Horizons is seeking a Solicitor to provide proactive legal support across IP, commercial, corporate and data protection matters. You will work closely with internal teams and external partners to enable research collaborations and spin-out activities.

The role requires a qualified solicitor with strong commercial acumen, excellent drafting skills and a track record of managing complex advisory needs under pressure. Office-based Stratford with flexible arrangements.

Qualifications

• Qualified lawyer with post-qualification experience in-house and/or private practice.
• Strong knowledge of commercial law, IP (patents), data protection and corporate law.
• Ability to rapidly acquire new legal expertise and adapt to evolving issues.

Responsibilities

• Provide timely, practical legal advice across IP, commercial, corporate and data protection.
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of agreements related to collaboration and spin-out activities.
• Support spin-out transactions and manage disputes with external advisers as needed.
• Promote contract management, compliance and risk reporting across business teams.
• Develop policies and templates; deliver training to managers and colleagues.

Skills

Commercial awareness

Drafting and negotiating

Stakeholder management

IP / patents knowledge

Education

Qualified solicitor

Job description

Solicitor (Cancer Research Horizons)

Reports to: Senior Solicitor

Directorate: Research & Innovation

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time 35 hours per week (other flexible-working requests will also be considered if it meets business needs)

Salary: £79,000 - £84,000 pa plus benefits

Location Stratford, London Office-based with high flexibility (1-2 days per week in the office)

Closing date: Sunday 20th September 2026 at 23.59

Recruitment process: Initial virtual interview, followed by onsite F2F interview for successful candidates.

Please note: You must be eligible to work in the UK to apply for this vacancy. Cancer Research UK cannot offer visa sponsorship.

At Cancer Research UK, we exist to beat cancer.

What will I be doing?

• Provide timely, proactive, pragmatic and commercially-focused legal advice and solutions across a broad range of business activities, involving IP, commercial, corporate and data protection law and from time to time extending into other areas of legal practice such as software, pharmaceutical regulatory, insolvency and litigation .
• Develop a strong understanding of CRH and CRUK's operations, building effective relationships with internal stakeholders, external clients and partners.
• Draft, review and negotiate a wide range of agreements relating to collaborative research, intellectual property protection, commercialisation and spin‑out activities.
• Advise on and support spin‑out transactions, including the negotiation and execution of associated legal agreements.
• Manage actual and potential disputes, including instructing and overseeing external legal advisers.
• Promote robust contract management and compliance practices, ensuring adherence to contractual, corporate and legislative requirements.
• Support the development of policies relating to translational research, intellectual assets and other strategic legal matters.
• Contribute to cross-functional projects and deal teams, identifying, managing and reporting significant legal and business risks.
• Develop legal know-how resources, template agreements and guidance materials, while monitoring and sharing relevant legal and regulatory developments.
• Deliver training, coaching and support to business managers and colleagues, helping to foster a culture of learning and continuous development.

What are we looking for?

This is an excellent opportunity for a confident and solution-focused lawyer who combines strong technical expertise with commercial acumen, clear communication skills, exceptional stakeholder management skills and a dedication to supporting scientific discovery as it advances oncology diagnostics and therapeutics.

• Qualified lawyer with strong legal training and relevant post-qualification experience gained in‑house and/or in private practice.
• Strong knowledge of commercial law and best practice, with working knowledge of intellectual property (particularly patents), commercial/company law, and data protection law.
• Ability and willingness to rapidly acquire expertise in new legal areas and adapt to emerging business and legal issues.
• Commercially minded, pragmatic and solution-focused, applying sound legal judgement to deliver practical business outcomes.
• Skilled in drafting, reviewing and negotiating legal agreements and providing clear, actionable legal advice.
• Able to identify, assess and manage legal and business risks, resolving routine issues independently and escalating complex matters appropriately.
• Proven ability to work independently, manage a varied workload, prioritise effectively and deliver high-quality work under pressure and to tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to develop effective internal and external networks and collaborate across teams.
• Client-focused, with a strong understanding of commercial objectives and a commitment to delivering responsive, clear, pragmatic and business-