Senior Legal Counsel

Senior Legal Counsel (Associate Director) – Pharmaceuticals

📍 Reading (Hybrid, 3 days onsite)

About the Business

Britannia Pharmaceuticals is a UK-based specialty pharmaceutical company that develops and markets medicines for chronic neurological disorders, with a primary global focus on Parkinson's disease. They also offer specialized nursing and support services for patients and their caregivers

Key Purpose

To provide commercially focused, pragmatic legal support, acting as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders while managing legal risk in a highly regulated pharmaceutical environment.

The role will support day-to-day legal needs across commercial contracting, regulatory advisory, and governance, while building capability within a small, high-impact legal team.

Main Responsibilities

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• Provide legal support across a broad range of commercial and operational matters
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• Draft, review and negotiate a variety of commercial agreements, including: Supply, procurement and services contracts, HCP and consultancy agreements, pharmacovigilance (PV) agreements, and strategic partnerships and collaborations
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• Support business stakeholders on regulatory and compliance matters, including: Pharmaceutical regulation, ABPI Code of Practice / PMCPA requirements, and GxP frameworks (GMP, GMDP, PV)
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• Provide oversight and input on data protection and governance, including GDPR compliance and risk management
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• Assist with risk identification, issue-spotting and escalation of material legal issues
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• Act as a business partner to commercial and medical teams, enabling effective and compliant decision-making
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• Coordinate with global legal teams to ensure consistency of approach across jurisdictions
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• Manage relationships with external counsel where required
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• Contribute to process improvements, including contract templates, training, and legal operations
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Scope and Complexity

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• Operates within a lean legal team, requiring a high level of autonomy and ownership
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• Broad remit spanning commercial, regulatory, and governance matters
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• Exposure to multi-entity UK operations and international legal interactions
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• Hands-on role covering the full lifecycle from NDAs through to complex negotiations
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• Opportunity to develop expertise in pharmaceutical regulatory frameworks and stakeholder partnership within a global organisation
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Competencies

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• Strong commercial contracting and drafting skills
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• Practical, solutions-focused approach with sound risk judgement
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• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, regulated environment
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• Strong stakeholder management and communication skills
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• Ability to balance business objectives with legal and compliance requirements
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• Comfortable working autonomously within a small team
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Qualifications / Experience

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• Qualified solicitor (England & Wales or equivalent)
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• Minimum 5 years PQE required
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• Proven experience within pharmaceutical or life sciences sector (essential)
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• Strong knowledge of: ABPI / PMCPA frameworks, pharmaceutical regulation, and commercial contract law
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• Experience working within matrixed or international organisations desirable
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You’ll play a key role in supporting a growing UK platform within a global pharma group, with direct exposure to senior stakeholders and international legal teams.

If you’re a pharma-focused lawyer looking for a broad, impactful in-house role, please get in touch for a confidential discussion.