Heriot-Watt University

Grade and Salary: Grade 9 - Competitive salary

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35hrs per week, Monday - Friday, Open ended.

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

Purpose of Role

Heriot-Watt University is seeking an experienced solicitor to join Heriot-Watt University as our new Deputy General Counsel, reporting to General Counsel.

This newly created role of Deputy General Counsel at Heriot-Watt will provide senior legal support across the University’s global operations, including subsidiary entities. Heriot-Watt University has five campuses: three in Scotland (Edinburgh, Scottish Borders and Orkney) one in Dubai and one in Malaysia. It is also home to Oriam, the National Performance Centre for Sport and carries out research activity across all areas of operational activity.

You will play a key leadership role in shaping a modern, high-performing legal function – delivering expert advice, mentoring and legal knowledge management. The role will drive performance and effectiveness through its contractual arrangements across the University, with a particular focus on value for money. The Deputy General Counsel will work closely with the General Counsel, Global Director of Governance and Legal Services and the Head of Assurance and Legal Services, all within the University Secretary’s office. The role will engage widely across the University to provide consistent, high quality, targeted legal advice across all operational areas, with a remit that spans commercial, research, educational and partnerships contracts, intellectual property, employment and procurement law. The role also includes company secretarial responsibilities for subsidiary entities.

This role provides an exciting opportunity to influence legal strategy in a global, innovative university as a member of a collaborative leadership team. Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business, and industry. The University’s mission to create and exchange knowledge that benefits society, combined with its global presence and partnerships with business and industry, mean that the Heriot-Watt Group has a diverse and interesting portfolio. This appointment will build on the experienced, commercial legal acumen and governance expertise of the team by delivering S2035 via that portfolio.

The postholder will embrace the Heriot-Watt University values and will look to develop key relationships across the University, adding value and benefits across the academic and professional community that makes up the University. Candidates will need to demonstrate their interest and aptitude to enjoy the culture and context of our diverse University and be able to influence and provide leadership, bringing both challenge and solutions.

The University offers a highly distinctive range of degree programmes in the specialist areas of science, engineering, design, business, and languages. Heriot-Watt is Scotland’s most international university, with a large and diverse community of students and staff. The post is based in Edinburgh and is an on-campus role.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Support General Counsel in the delivery of a modernised legal function across the organisation, consistent with the University Strategy to 2035.
• Lead, with General Counsel, on the provision of timely, effective and consistent professional legal advice across the organisation to ensure optimized commercial value add from contracts delivering value for money and compliance with University or other requirements.
• Attend meetings of the Executive, Court and its Committees as required, providing legal management information for transparent and accountable reporting purposes and to provide legal advice.
• Advise across the organisation on the legal implications and risks on major operational projects and provide solutions and options to mitigate risks, securing protections for the University.
• Build relationships across the University and a comprehensive understanding of the University’s mission, strategy, constitutional frameworks, and legal/governance contexts globally to build in house commercial awareness with a wide range of individuals in relation to academic, enterprise, research, people, and student matters, as well as equality, regulatory, governance, constitutional and corporate issues.
• Support the General Counsel in management and review of the external legal services secured for the University, ensuring that the internal legal services are optimized and seeking value for money and an appropriate range of support as required to meet the University’s needs.
• Lead in partnership with client relationship managers, on contract negotiation as well as the underpinning processes for commercial, student and academic contracts and project and staff related contracts. Examples of some contracts include, but are not limited to, Student Terms and Conditions and related Policies; commercial and academic collaborations (national and international); research agreements; student sponsored projects; donation/ scholarship agreements; IP assignments; and licenses; spin out divestment; non-disclosure/confidentiality agreements; partnership and franchise agreements both commercial and with other educational/public bodies.
• Act in a senior leadership capacity within the legal function team on legal implications and risks which arise from complaints or claims, ensuring risk mitigation and management.
• Working with the General Counsel, manage the overall legal costs incurred, with a focus on value for money, working closely with Procurement.
• Work closely with the Global Director of Governance and Legal Services, Head of Assurance and Legal Services and team, also within the University Secretary’s office, and engage with other professional service directors as required, particularly the Global Director of HR, Global Director of Estates and Facilities, Deputy Director of Finance and others.
• Deliver training, upskilling and mentoring programmes for legally skilled colleagues and those working with professional legal services across the organisation.
• Provide leadership in raising awareness of legal, regulatory and risk issues, and helping in the provision of training or briefings as required to create stronger awareness and capability in the organization.
• Manage and oversee the maintenance of Heriot-Watt University legally reviewed contracts and template, resource and training databases.
• Horizon scan all changes in the law and court or tribunal decisions that may impact Heriot-Watt University and ensure that senior management and the University Executive are briefed in advance on any changes that will impact any Heriot-Watt University operations and strategy and advise on all options for response.
• To conduct all financial matters associated with the role in accordance with Heriot-Watt University policies and procedures, as laid down in the Financial Regulations.

Person Specification

As an experienced solicitor you will be comfortable navigating a complex global organisation under a matrix reporting structure, dealing with multiple stakeholders. Your experiences to date will showcase a clear and persuasive style of communication whilst explaining complex matters simply and tailoring to suit the audience needs and understanding. An understanding and interest in the Higher Education sector and the societal needs and values the sector can provide will help you settle into this role. Your post qualification experience (PQE) should also provide evidence of setting high standards to achieve organisational objectives, continually monitoring levels/standards of service, and identifying areas for improvement. You should be able to demonstrate an understanding of company secretarial responsibilities within a complex, multi-national and highly regulated organisation.

Essential Criteria

• A significant senior-level qualified Solicitor in Scotland
• Recognised as an authority in their field or specialism within their institution or amongst external peers based demonstrated expertise
• Experience of working effectively with senior management and using sound judgement in the provision of expert and strategic legal advice
• Experience in key areas of law such as corporate, commercial and/or intellectual property law, legal drafting, negotiation, analysis, and reasoning
• Ability to shape and influence developments across the University through own contribution to area of expertise
• Experience of mentoring, peer review, instruction and management of solicitors, paralegals and outside counsel; consulting on difficult or sensitive issues
• Ability to carry out investigations into complex or sensitive issues, producing reports that identify key issues and findings
• Ability to present compelling arguments to influence and negotiate satisfactory outcomes
• Ability to keep abreast of external factors that may impact the service and takes opportunities to maximise any opportunities
• Ability to plan and generate training and development opportunities to meet team members’ current and future learning needs, evaluating outcomes and putting learning into practice
• Experience in leading a network to pursue a shared interest, developing approaches and ideas to benefit own and others’ work, actively promoting the work and image of own team and/or the University, internally and or externally

Desirable Criteria

• A good understanding of and/or previous experience of working within the Higher Education Sector, charity and other highly regulated sectors, including FOISA and public sector environments
• Experience of managing a team; encouraging contribution and involvement from staff at all levels, undertaking mentoring, training, effective staff appraisals, evaluating performance, learning and development activities
• Experience working internationally across multiple legal jurisdictions
• Experience of employment law and/or property law

How to Apply

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Thursday 11th December 2025.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment.

If you have any questions, or would like to explore whether this opportunity is right for you, you are welcome to contact Suzie Lyons, Suzie.lyons@hw.ac.uk

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/ .

Use our total rewards calculator: https://www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

About Heriot-Watt University

At Heriot-Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.

Our flourishing community will give you the freedom to challenge and to bring your enterprising mind and to help our partners with solutions that can be applied now and in the future. Join us and Heriot Watt will provide you with a platform to thrive and work in a way that also helps you live your life in balance with well-being and inclusiveness at the heart of our global community.

Please note that this job description is not exhaustive, and the role holder may be required to undertake other relevant duties commensurate with the grading of the post. Activities may be subject to amendment over time as the role develops and/or priorities and requirements evolve.