About Jisc

A social enterprise unlike any other.

We believe in ‘Technology for Good’ – in improving lives through education and research. Our people want to make a real change – at Jisc, everyone plays a key role and gets the chance to feel part of it, that to us is the definition of a meaningful career. Being a social enterprise means that no matter how small our individual actions are, the positive impact on our collective is huge. 

We’re a place unlike any other, where the best of education fuses with the best of technology to create a unique model with its unique opportunities and interesting problems to solve. It’s what keeps our work varied, original and surprising – and that’s why we love it.

We’re gearing up for our most exciting chapter yet – one with the chance to both build new systems and make our mark by improving old ones. Our story will be written by those ready to take on challenges and see them through; the kind of people who never stop learning, celebrating differences and using it to drive better solutions.

Here, world-class is our ambition and maximising our social impact means everything – because when we prosper, everyone prospers. So if you’re ready to own it and run with it, to learn fast and get it done, to take pride in what you do and never stand still, then this is the place.

Join Jisc. A social enterprise unlike any other.

About you

We know that sometimes people can be off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box. But we realise the ‘perfect candidate’ doesn’t exist. So, if you can do most of what we are looking for, go ahead and apply. You could be exactly what we need!

We’re ideally looking for someone with:

• Qualifying law degree (2:1) followed by the Legal Practice Course (LPC); or Non-law degree (2:1) followed by Common Professional Examination (CPE); or Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL) conversion course followed by the LPC.
• Broad commercial law experience, including drafting and negotiating a variety of commercial agreements.
• Relevant legal knowledge and experience of technology law including digital media, intellectual property, data and IT contracts.
• A commercial and “can do” approach.

About the role 

The Legal team provides in-house legal advice and assistance to all divisions of Jisc (and its subsidiaries) aligned with the company’s business strategy. The Legal team is committed to working in trusted partnership with all business areas of Jisc to deliver commercially focused legal advice in respect of its activities and initiatives.

The core work of the Legal team is the drafting and negotiation of robust and fair contractual terms to underpin Jisc’s relationships with its customers and suppliers to mitigate and manage any potential legal risks. 

Responsibilities will include providing legal support and assistance as directed by the Group General Counsel, whilst operating independently to deliver the following accountabilities: 

• Reviewing legal documents and providing timely and commercially focused advice to colleagues across Jisc on potential legal issues arising. 
• Engaging with internal clients, sector institutions, stakeholders and external suppliers to facilitate the strategic objectives of Jisc. 
• Carrying out specialised legal research in respect of ongoing work and preparing legal reports and papers on current legal issues and practice areas where required. 
• Drafting contract templates, bespoke agreements and a variety of other legal documentation as required.
• Mentoring other members of the Legal team to assist their professional growth and development. 
• Providing specialist training as required to staff across Jisc to develop a greater understanding of legal issues, risks and mitigation strategies. 
• Promoting risk management, compliance with applicable policies and procedures and relevant legislation and regulation and effective corporate governance. 

Why work at Jisc      

We want to make sure our people have the flexibility they need to balance their personal lives and do well at work. So, we focus on outputs rather than presenteeism and are open to a whole range of ways of working including flexible hours and working from home where possible.      

We are always learning and developing. All our people have access to a huge variety of learning resources to help them achieve this.      

Our benefits are great too:     

• We offer 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays and 3 days Christmas closure)   
• Simply health – a health cash plan      
• You have the option to join the generous USS pension scheme      
• We provide discounts on IT equipment, a cycle to work scheme and season ticket loans     
• We also offer generous parental leave arrangements, career breaks and volunteer leave    

Connecting with each other is a doddle, thanks to our technology, but getting face to face is something we value and is essential in this role, so you will need to travel. Our main offices are in Bristol, Harwell, London and Manchester.    

Other stuff you need to know     

At Jisc we celebrate diversity and know that it is critical for our success. We work hard to make sure we’re inclusive. So, if you are great at what you do and share our values, we want to hear from you.      

If you need any adjustments made to the application or selection process so you can do your best, let us know. We will be happy to help.    

Just so you know, we review CV’s as we receive them, and interview as soon as we have applications that look like a good match (usually within a week). We don’t use closing dates. So, please apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out on this role. We advertised this role on 18/01/21.