Senior Legal Counsel (6-month FTC)


Company:	Hays Specialist Recruitment
Salary:	£650 to £735 a day
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	London, EC2V 6DN
Working pattern:	Hybrid - 3 days remote
Job type:	Temporary
Posting date:	14 Sept 2026
Closing date:	21 Sept 2026

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Summary

Your new company

A leading global pharmaceutical organisation is seeking an experienced Senior Legal Counsel to join its UK legal team on an initial 6-month contract, with the potential for extension. Based in London on a hybrid basis, the contract is full-time, though part-time working arrangements could be considered for the right candidate.

Working closely with senior legal and business stakeholders, you will provide broad commercial legal support relating to the commercialisation of medicines in the UK. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced pharmaceutical lawyer to work across a varied portfolio of commercial, regulatory, data privacy and strategic matters within a complex, highly regulated environment.

Your new role

Reporting into the Legal Director, you will provide pragmatic and commercially focused legal advice to stakeholders across commercial, medical, market access, corporate affairs and other business functions. Your responsibilities will include:

Advising on the commercialisation, sales and marketing of medicines in the UK, including ABPI Code, NHS collaborations, grants, sponsorships and reimbursement matters

Drafting, reviewing and negotiating a range of commercial agreements, including services, sponsorship, collaboration, distribution and NHS-facing contracts

Providing advice across data privacy, competition, AI, supply chain and investigator-sponsored research matters

Partnering with cross-functional teams to identify and manage legal risk, providing practical and commercially focused solutions

What you'll need to succeed

You will be a senior commercial lawyer, likely 8+ years' PQE as a guideline, with considerable in-house experience. Previous experience advising a UK pharmaceutical or biotechnology business on its sales and marketing activities is essential.

You will demonstrate:

Strong knowledge of the ABPI Code, with experience advising on NHS collaborations, grants, sponsorships, reimbursement and other pharmaceutical-sector matters

Broad commercial contracting experience alongside a solid grounding in competition law and UK/EU data privacy

Strong stakeholder management skills and experience partnering with commercial, marketing, medical and compliance teams within a large corporate environment

The ability to manage a varied workload and provide pragmatic advice across both straightforward and complex matters

Current SRA Practising Certificate, although candidates with a current overseas practising certificate and considerable UK experience may also be considered.

What you'll get in return

£650-£735 per day PAYE, dependent on experience

Initial 6-month contract with potential for extension

Hybrid working from a London office, preferably at least 2 days per week on-site

Opportunity to undertake broad, high-quality legal work within a leading global pharmaceutical business

What you need to do now

If you're interested in this role, click 'apply now' to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now.

If this job isn't quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career.

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