Data Protection and Commercial Solicitor

The University of London is one of the oldest universities in the UK, established by Royal Charter in 1836. The central University includes our acclaimed School of Advanced Study & the University of London Institute in Paris. The University is a leading UK provider of distance and digital education internationally, offering programmes to approximately 40,000 students in 190 countries around the world. Although proudly rooted in London, our community and impact are global.

We are a national leader in the humanities, and we promote their value to society and the economy through knowledge creation and exchange.

We are also a federation of 17 world class higher education institutions, with collaboration at the heart of our ethos.

Our passion for increasing access to education and mobilising the collective power and expertise of the federation is central to our ability to transform lives around the world and address the global challenges of the future.

The Role

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Data Protection and Commercial Solicitor to join our Legal department for a fixed period of two years. Legal provides legal advice and representation to the University, its Board of Trustees and committees, and the senior management and staff of the University, on a wide range of matters. We are a small, busy and supportive team.

The successful candidate will be a practising lawyer from either a private practice or in-house background, who values working within a dynamic in-house environment. 

You will need the ability to work well independently, together with the Head of Legal, and as part of the wider team, including our Research Services team. We are seeking a candidate who is motivated to deliver services in a time-responsive, pragmatic, approachable and professional manner. You will need to have strong drafting skills, demonstrable knowledge of contract law and the desire and ability to quickly grasp issues within the higher education field.

This is a full-time, fixed-term position. Our usual working hours are 9.30am to 5.30pm though we have a flexible working policy.

For a full Person Specification please refer to the Job Description.

How to Apply  

Please apply with your CV and cover letter as indicated on the application page. Your cover letter should highlight your interest and suitability for the role, including your experience working in an academic environment. Please address how you would expect to respond to the challenges of working in an academic environment with stakeholders with a range of commercial experience so as to ensure adequate protections for the University.

Applications will close at 11.59pm on Tuesday, 6 May 2025. 

Regrettably we are not able to accept late applications.

The first round interviews are anticipated to take place in the week of 2 June 2025.

Further Information

Please address informal enquiries to Charlotte Gibb at Charlotte.Gibb@london.ac.uk.

Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

The University reserves the right to close the vacancy earlier than the published end date should it receive sufficient applications to warrant earlier shortlisting.

The University currently operates a Hybrid Working framework involving a mix of working remotely and in the office. Typically, the majority of employees will be able to agree to work remotely for up to 60% of their working week, role dependent, however will be required to attend on specific days for training or team meetings.