Legal Counsel - Reading, UK

About Unilabs

Headquartered in Geneva and part of the A.P. Moller Group, Unilabs is one of Europe’s leading medical diagnostics companies, offering a complete range of laboratory, pathology, genetics, and imaging services to patients across 14 countries. Unilabs invests heavily in technology, equipment, and people – using digital technologies in its state-of-the-art laboratories and imaging institutes – to improve the lives of close to 100 million people every year.

About the Role

We are seeking a commercially minded, pragmatic Legal Counsel to support the Head of Legal on a broad range of non-contentious legal matters across the UK and Nordic businesses. The principal focus will be NHS framework and commercial agreements, legal risk management, data privacy, engagements with pharmaceutical companies, and conducting and supporting internal and external investigations.

Candidates must be qualified in the UK or another common law jurisdiction, or in an EU jurisdiction with relevant UK legal experience. Strong experience in NHS contracts and procurement is required, ideally with the ability to advise confidently on commercial, regulatory, compliance and data privacy matters in healthcare, life sciences and pharmaceutical environment.

Key Responsibilities

• Draft, review and negotiate NHS framework agreements and a broad range of commercial agreements, including services, consultancy and confidentiality agreements and collaboration arrangements.
• Support NHS procurement by drafting and reviewing tender submissions, assessing legal and compliance risks, and advising on and supporting challenges to procurement awards.
• Advise on legal risk across the business, identifying potential exposure and providing practical, business-focused recommendations to reduce risk and support compliant decision-making.
• Conduct, coordinate and support internal and external investigations, including fact-finding, document review, stakeholder interviews, reporting, remediation planning and liaison with external advisers where required.
• Provide expert legal advice on engagements with pharmaceutical companies and draft, review and negotiate the related agreements. Address commercial structuring, contractual arrangements, compliance requirements, conflicts of interest, data privacy and legal risk management.
• Advise on data privacy matters, including UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018 considerations, data processing arrangements, data sharing, confidentiality, breach management and privacy risk assessments.
• Advise on HR matters, including employee relations issues, workplace investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes, employment-related risk management and support for the business on sensitive people matters.
• Support the development, review and implementation of legal and compliance policies, templates, processes and training materials.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues across legal, compliance, operations, medical, commercial, procurement, finance and other business functions.
• Manage external counsel effectively, including scoping instructions, reviewing advice, monitoring budgets and ensuring advice is practical and aligned with business objectives.

Requirements

• Qualified lawyer with approximately 5 years’ post-qualification experience.
• Qualified in England and Wales, another common law jurisdiction, or an EU jurisdiction with demonstrable and relevant UK legal experience.
• Proven experience drafting, reviewing and negotiating commercial agreements.
• Proven experience in NHS framework agreements including drafting, reviewing, negotiating and advising the Business.
• Experience in NHS procurement including tender submissions, legal and compliance risk assessment, challenge procurement awards.
• Experience advising legal risk and providing practical, proportionate and commercially aware legal guidance to business stakeholders.
• Experience conducting or supporting internal and external investigations, including sensitive or complex matters.
• Experience in, or very strong exposure to, the pharmaceutical, healthcare, diagnostics, clinical research, life sciences and medical sector.
• Working knowledge of data privacy laws applicable in the UK, including UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Skills and Attributes

• Excellent analytical, drafting, negotiation and communication skills.
• Sound judgement, discretion and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive matters appropriately.
• Pragmatic and solutions-oriented approach, with the ability to balance legal risk with commercial and operational priorities.
• Strong stakeholder management skills and confidence advising senior stakeholders and cross-functional teams.
• Ability to manage multiple matters simultaneously, prioritise effectively while keeping the Head of Legal appropriately informed.
• High attention to detail, strong organisational skills and a proactive approach to identifying and resolving issues.
• Collaborative, resilient and comfortable working in a fast-paced, regulated environment.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working in-house, or on secondment, within a healthcare, life sciences, pharmaceutical, diagnostics or clinical services business.
• Experience advising on engagements with pharmaceutical companies, healthcare professionals, clinical stakeholders or regulated third parties.
• Familiarity with regulatory, compliance and ethical considerations relevant to healthcare and pharmaceutical sector interactions.
• Experience supporting complaints, regulatory enquiries or matters involving patient safety, clinical governance or professional standards.

Reporting Line and Location

The role will be based in Reading, UK and will report to, and work closely with, the Head of Legal. The Legal Counsel will be expected to build effective relationships across the business and provide timely, clear and commercially practical legal support.

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