Job Description

Senior University Lawyer (Contracts)

Application Deadline: 31 May 2026

Department: Governance Legal & Compliance

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Bath, Somerset - Newton Park

Compensation: Spot Salary - £68k - £72k

Please note: Previous applicants may not apply as your application will be rejected.


Bath Spa University is seeking an experienced Senior University Lawyer (Contracts) to join our in-house Legal Services team.

This is a key senior role, leading on the drafting, negotiation and delivery of complex, high-value contracts that support the University’s strategic ambitions.

About the Role

You’ll be our go-to expert for contracts, working across a wide and varied portfolio including:

• Major educational partnerships
• Income-generating projects and grants
• Procurement and commercial agreements

This is a hands-on role where you’ll be:

• Drafting and negotiating complex contracts day-to-day
• Providing high quality legal advice at all levels within the University including to the University Secretary, University Executive Board and the Board of the Governors
• Representing the University in external contract negotiations
• Helping to shape how Legal Services operates, improving contract review processes and fostering a culture of teamwork and collaboration

About You

We’re looking for someone who is not just experienced, but truly confident operating as a senior contracts lawyer.

You will:

• Be a qualified solicitor or barrister in England with significant post-qualification experience, sufficient to supervise others in accordance with Law Society requirements
• Have a proven ability to, and a strong track record of, drafting, amending, advising on, and negotiating complex, high-value contracts as a core part of your previous role(s)
• Be able to communicate complex legal issues clearly to non-specialists, including senior leader

Additional Information

Spot Salary - £68k - £72k per annum

Interviews will be held as soon as we receive a sufficient number of high quality applications.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Deborah Wakely on d.wakely@bathspa.ac.uk

Staff Benefits

We offer a wide range of great benefits at BSU, including

• Generous pension scheme (Local Government Pension Scheme/Teacher's Pension Scheme). This is a defined benefit pension scheme which pays members a secure income for life, post-retirement
• Enhanced paid leave - 41 - 46 days depending on the role (Full Time) - more details here: https://apphub.bathspa.ac.uk/StaffBenefits
• Family friendly policies including hybrid working, flexible work environment, on-site nursery, and a sector-leading enhanced maternity scheme
• Employee Assistance Programme which offers access to on-demand GP appointments, wellbeing support and advice, and access to counselling
• Transport schemes including Electric Vehicle Scheme and Cycle to Work
• Wide range of discounts and financial benefits, accessed through and easy-to-use app

For further details about all our staff benefits, have a look at our rewards page: https://www.bathspa.ac.uk/work-at-bath-spa/rewards-and-benefits/

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.