Commercial Lawyer (Senior)

DepartmentUniversity Secretary's OfficeSalary58,225 - 67,468 per year (reduced pro rata if part time)GradeGrade 8Contract statusOpenHours of workFull or part-time (see job details)Based atUniversity of York campus (with some remote working options available)Interview dateTo be confirmedPosted Date23/07/2026Apply by13/09/2026Job Reference15109Role DescriptionDepartmentLegal Services which includes the Information Governance and Insurance Office sits within the University Secretary’s Office and is part of Professional Services. The legal team is a small friendly team of five lawyers and a legal services co-ordinator and provides a supportive environment.RoleWe welcome applications for full-time, part-time, or job-share arrangements to support flexible working.This is an important role to provide legal support for the University on commercial and procurement matters.  We are looking for an experienced team player who can work with senior members of the University,  its procurement team, finance team and external parties.  As a senior lawyer, the role holder will manage legal risk and legal costs in an economical and effective manner. The role will also include a wide variety of interesting legal work from services contracts to international HE partnerships and bespoke one off contracts and queries. It requires the role holder to be flexible and have a ‘can do’ attitude to learning or taking on new types of workWe are looking for a lawyer with real commercial experience and common sense. Whether your background is in private practice, in-house, or specialist areas like property or IP, if you have a strong basis in contract law and the ability to learn and build on your skills, we want to hear from you.Skills, Experience & Qualification neededSignificant experience of advising on procurements, major projects and contracts, drafting reports and legal risk.Expertise in contract law and sound commercial judgment.Ability to work independently and lead in this area with good communications engendering confidence.Experience of handling concurrent major contracts or projects and ability to multi-taskAbility or experience of line-management.Interview date: To be confirmedFor informal enquiries: please contact Debbie Wilkinson at debbie.wilkinson@york.ac.ukThe University strives to be diverse and inclusive  – a place where we can ALL be ourselves.We particularly encourage applications from people who identify as  Black, Asian or from a Minority Ethnic background, who are underrepresented at the University. We also encourage applications from women for senior roles. We offer family friendly, flexible working arrangements, with forums and inclusive facilities to support our staff. #EqualityatYorkAs a Disability Confident employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum (essential) criteria for each position will be offered an interview.  Read more about the University of York’s commitments under the Disability Confident scheme.