Legal Counsel
The contract is full time for a fixed term, and the annual salary is £49,829. The employer, British Museum, is a Non-Departmental Public Body, which means it is part of central government accountable to the public through Parliament. You will work both remotely and at British Museum. The on-location is in Greater London.
Closing date 31-08-2026
The British Museum is seeking a talented Legal Counsel to join its Legal Services & Information Governance team.
This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified solicitor or barrister to provide high-quality in-house legal advice across a diverse range of legal and commercial matters. Working closely with the General Counsel and wider legal team, you will support the Museum's operations, strategic objectives and compliance obligations while helping to protect one of the world's leading cultural institutions.
If you have experience practicing in the UK and are looking for a varied, high-impact legal role, we welcome your application!
About you
- A qualified solicitor or barrister admitted to practice in England and Wales.
- Experienced in providing legal advice either in-house or in private practice.
- Able to demonstrate strong knowledge and practical experience of relevant areas of UK law and legal practice. Knowledge and experience of the public and/or charitable sector is advantageous.
- Skilled at assessing legal and commercial risk and providing clear, pragmatic advice.
- An excellent communicator, capable of explaining complex legal matters to non-legal audiences.
- Able to manage a varied workload and work effectively to competing priorities and deadlines.
- A collaborative team player with strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
Key areas of responsibility
- Provide high-quality, practical and commercially focused legal advice across the organisation, including guidance on matters of policy, compliance, governance and conflict of interest.
- Assist with commercial negotiations and contract drafting to secure effective outcomes and value for money.
- Manage relationships with external legal advisers and counsel where required.
- Maintain and develop standard contract templates and legal documentation.
- Advise on legal risk and support effective organisational decision-making.
- Help ensure compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory requirements.
- Work closely with colleagues across Legal Services, Information Governance and Rights teams.
- Deliver legal training and guidance to internal stakeholders.
- Monitor legal developments and recommend updates to policies, procedures and practices as required.
The British Museum is undertaking its biggest transformation since its founding nearly 300 years ago. This physical and intellectual transformation includes large scale building and gallery transformation, new ways of connecting with audiences and different ways of working. As we look towards this exciting future, we remain guided by the words of our founder Hans Sloane - who dreamed of a museum connecting all arts and sciences, which would be accessible to everyone, everywhere.