Legal Counsel

Legal Counsel, IP & Translation

Salary: £94,600

Closing date: 30 March 2026

Contract type: Fixed Term Contract – 1 year

Interview date: 1st stage (w/c 1 April 2026) – Gibbs Building

The Wellcome Trust is a global charitable foundation. We improve health for everyone by funding science, leading policy and advocacy campaigns and building partnerships.  

We plan to spend £16bn over the next ten years, funding new discoveries in life, health, and wellbeing, and taking on three global health challenges: mental health, infectious disease and climate and health. These challenges need the bold science we support, but they won’t be solved by science alone. 

We are looking for a Legal Counsel to join our legal team to provide high quality intellectual property (IP) and commercial legal advice to Wellcome, across its wide-ranging charitable and operational activities.

Where in Wellcome will I be working?

As a Legal Counsel at Wellcome, you will be acting as a legal business partner for assigned areas of Wellcome (likely our Infectious Disease, Innovation & Access and Wellcome Collection teams) and provide legal advice on issues that arise.

What will I be doing?

As a legal business partner, you will be providing legal advice related to activities including drafting, reviewing and advising on commercial contracts, grants and research funding agreements with an emphasis on intellectual property. The role requires independent operation, participation in legal team meetings and projects and contributing to an inclusive culture by embodying the organisation's values.

As a Legal Counsel you will:

• Serve as a legal business partner for designated Wellcome teams, offering legal advice for their activities.
• Draft, review and advise on commercial contracts, grants and research agreements, focusing on potential intellectual property commercialisation.

Manage trademark strategy, including handling revocation actions and coordinating with external legal counsel.

Provide copyright advice on commissioning works, creative commons licensing and copyright exceptions for colleagues across Wellcome.

Foster strong relationships with internal stakeholders, becoming a trusted adviser to support and challenge the business.

Work independently, escalate issues within the Legal team when necessary and contribute actively to team meetings and projects, ensuring alignment with Wellcome’s culture and values.

Is this job for me?

If you are a qualified UK solicitor experienced in offering legal advice on tasks such as drafting, reviewing and advising on commercial contracts, grants and research funding agreements, especially with a focus on intellectual property, we would be interested to hear from you. You should be adaptable to shifting priorities and able to work independently or as a team member, maintaining excellent organisational skills and a structured approach to tasks. Furthermore, your communication skills should be excellent, especially in clarifying legal concepts to those without a legal background.

We are looking for somebody who has:

• Experience in the charity-sector, pharmaceuticals and/or research funding.
• Experience in providing legal advice on partnerships with commercial, government, charity and non-governmental sectors.
• Post-qualification experience in trademarks and/or copyrights.
• Excellent communication skills, particularly in explaining legal concepts to non-lawyers.
• The adaptability to adjust to changing priorities, capable of working independently or as part of a team and well organised with a structured approach to work.
  
  

To apply for this role please submit an updated CV and answer 2 application questions to demonstrate that you meet the minimum requirements for the role.

Minimum Criteria:

• Qualified as a UK solicitor.
• Several years (3+) post qualification experience as a solicitor (or equivalent such as a research contracts manager), obtained either in-house or in private practice.
• Experience of advising on Intellectual Property (IP) matters.
• Experience drafting and/or advising on contracts (could be research agreements, consultancy agreements, IP agreements such as licenses or assignments).
  
  

Interview dates: w/c 1 April 2026

You can view the full job description here - Legal Counsel (IP & Translation) - JD.docx

You can read more about the benefits we offer our employees on our website.

Our Hybrid Way of Working 

We understand that our colleagues have commitments and personal interests outside of work and we strive to build a flexible working environment, in which people can perform at their best. We are currently working 3 days per week (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) from our Euston Road offices (as part of our hybrid Ways of Working) with the remaining 2 days working either remotely or in the office.

Diversity and Inclusion is at the heart of everything we do

Diversity and Inclusion is a priority at Wellcome. We are committed to cultivating a fair and inclusive environment, where everyone can be themselves and thrive. We are happy to discuss flexible working options for all roles. We work to ensure that our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible to everyone. This includes making adjustments for people who have a disability or long-term condition. Please visit our website for more information on adjustments and accessibility, or contact us at jobs@wellcome.org.

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