About the job

Job summary

National  £65,302 - £75,129

Outer London £67,288 - £76,967

Inner London £69,275 - £78,805

Job Summary

A unique opportunity to join the In-House Legal Team at United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA).  UKHSA’s In-House Legal team is growing, and we are actively recruiting specialist lawyers to provide solutions-driven and pragmatic legal advice to UKHSA.

UKHSA is responsible for protecting every member of every community from the impact of infectious diseases, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear incidents and other health threats. We provide intellectual, scientific and operational leadership at national and local level, as well as on the global stage, to make the nation's health secure.

We are a system leader for health security; taking action internationally to strengthen global health security, providing trusted advice to government and the public and reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

UKHSA’s mission is challenging, innovative and in the spotlight. To achieve our objectives effectively and fairly, we commit to representing modern Britain and all its diversity. We recognise that diversity of background and life experience brings different insights, creates challenge, and encourages change and innovation. This in turn produces more accountable and trusted public services and better decisions.

Detailed Job Description

The successful candidate will be senior lawyer with substantial experience in providing legal advice on procurement and commercial contracts. The candidate will be expected to support UKHSA’s procurement teams and internal clients on all aspects of a procurement process in the life sciences sector, including vaccines. 

The candidate will have to be able to manage a complex and varied caseload and work  with internal clients, government lawyers, external law firms and counsel, and play an important co-ordination role when commercial matters involve cross-cutting legal issues for diverse teams in UKHSA, other government departments and third party organisations.

The successful candidate will be part of a multidisciplinary in-house Legal team and would be expected to have experience and interest in other areas of law such as income generating agreements, R&D and other collaborative agreements, grant agreements, IP and trademark issues and data privacy and protection and be prepared to cover those areas as and when required, even if outside own expertise.

As a senior lawyer within the Legal team, the successful candidate will be expected to be pro-active member of the team, to assist General Counsel with ensuring that the processes within the Legal team are fit for purpose and align with the commercial processes within UKHSA, to manage at least one lawyer in the Legal team and to support General Counsel in leading the Legal team as and when required.

The successful candidate will be a team-player and will possess strong communication skills. The candidate will be expected to develop good working relationships with colleagues across the agency and work responsively and creatively, be solutions-driven and able to see the bigger picture.

Location

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) offers hybrid working – this means that whilst the role will be based in one of our offices, there will be opportunities to work from home. The number of days in the office will be agreed on an individual basis by your line manager, but the majority of people currently in the team do not attend the office regularly.

You will be asked to express a location preference during the application process.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked from within the UK and not overseas. Relocation expenses are not available

Job description

Reporting to UKHSA’s General Counsel, the successful candidate will:

• be a senior lawyer with substantial experience in providing legal advice on procurement and commercial contracts;
• manage complex and varied caseloads in the areas public procurement contract drafting, interpretation and management, working with internal clients, government lawyers, external law firms and counsel;
• have experience and interest in other areas of law such as income generating agreements, R&D and other collaborative agreements, grant agreements, IP and trademark issues and data privacy and protection and be prepared to cover those areas as and when required;
• play an important co-ordination role when commercial matters involve cross-cutting legal issues for diverse teams in UKHSA, other government departments and third party organisations;
• be expected to assist General Counsel with ensuring that the processes within the Legal team are fit for purpose and align with the commercial processes within UKHSA;
• be expected to manage at least one lawyer in the Legal team;
• be expected to support the General Counsel in leading the Legal team and assist colleagues in developing their understanding of commercial and procurement law;
• work closely with a variety of internal stakeholders (both external and internal) to reduce the exposure to commercial and litigation risk and to develop realistic contingency plans when such risks materialise;
• be comfortable about working effectively towards short deadlines;
• be expected to demonstrate strong communication and leadership skills;
• be expected to work responsively and creatively and be solutions-driven and able to see the bigger picture; and be flexible in approach to different legal disciplines and willing to take conduct of work outside own expertise.

Person specification

It is important through your application and Statement of Suitability of 1,500 words (max) that you give evidence and examples of proven experience of each of the following criteria:

Essential Criteria

Qualifications

• Solicitor or barrister with a minimum of 8 years PQE, with a good commercial understanding and significant experience procurement matters and in contract drafting and interpretation.

Legal Professional Skills

• Strong skills in the effective management of a varied caseload.
• Reliable legal judgement, analysis and appreciation of legal risk and the confidence to give persuasive and balanced risk-based advice.
• Solutions-orientated with a commercial focus and the ability to strategic and creative thinking.
• Excellent and persuasive written and verbal communication and advisory skills.
• Ability to communicate confidently and sensitively with those who may be unfamiliar with legal processes/strategies.

Behaviour: Leadership

• Promote diversity, inclusion and equality of opportunity.
• Welcome and respond to views and challenges from others, despite any conflicting pressures to ignore or give in to them.
• Stand by, promote or defend own and team’s actions and decisions where needed.

Behaviour: Communicating and Influencing

• Communicate with others in a clear, honest and enthusiastic way in order to build trust
• Explain complex issues in a way that is easy to understand
• Take into account people’s individual needs
• Deliver difficult messages with clarity and sensitivity, being persuasive when required

Behaviour: Working Together

• Challenge assumptions while being willing to compromise if beneficial to progress
• Build strong interpersonal relationships and show genuine care for colleagues.
• Create an inclusive working environment where all opinions and challenges are taken into account and bullying, harassment and discrimination are unacceptable.
• Remain available and approachable to all colleagues and be receptive to new ideas.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a scientific or healthcare environment
• Experience of managing instructions to external law firms.
• An understanding of the Government and wider public sector context.

Qualifications required: Qualified Solicitor or barrister with a minimum of 8 years PQE

Licence/s: UK Practising Certificate, if applicable

Membership/s: SRA or BSB

Benefits

Working for the UKHSA

For more information on the UKHSA please visit: UK Health Security Agency - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Range of health and wellbeing support

Any move to UKHSA from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at Childcare Choices , 30 Hours Free Childcare, Tax-Free Childcare and More , Help with Costs , GOV.UK

Things you need to know

Selection process details

STAGE 1 - APPLICATION & SIFT: 

You will be required to complete an application form and a statement of suitability. Your Statement of Suitability should outline your skills, experience, and achievements, providing evidence of your suitability for the role, against the essential criteria (outlined in the person specification section). Your Statement of Suitability must not exceed 1,500 words.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. The sift selection panel will only consider relevant career history information from the last 5 years.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to an interview.

STAGE 2 – INTERVIEW:

This competition will involve an interview via Teams.

As part of the process, candidates will be invited to interview which will involve an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

The Success Profiles framework will be used at interview to assess and recruit the most suitable candidate.  The following behaviours will be used at the interview:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Expected Timeline: 

Advert close: 23:55hrs 07/01/2024 – unfortunately, late applications will not be considered. Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Interviews: TBC

Please note these dates could be subject to change.  

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Nationality requirements

Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Please Note

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&Cs are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

Are you already a civil servant, or employed by a Civil Service Commission accredited public body? Please state home department on your application form.

Do you meet the nationality requirements for this post? https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website. 

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.