UCAS is at the heart of connecting people to higher education.

UCAS is the world’s leading shared admissions service for higher education. We provide application services for UK universities and colleges as well as delivering a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers.

We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We're committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers — they're at the heart of everything we do.

Our Finance and Corporate Services business unit is a fusion of multiple functions — financial planning and accounting, facilities and building management, procurement, programme and project management, corporate governance and performance, organisational development, enterprise architecture, legal and compliance, and the CEO Office.

To support in the provision of timely, outcomes focused and commercially astute legal advice with a focus on contracts, company, intellectual property and procurement, to support the charity and its trading subsidiary, UCAS Media. Taking a risk-based approach to legal advice, you will work with Senior Legal Counsel and Governance teams to ensure legal advice is robust and pragmatic.

Key accountabilities:

As Legal Counsel your role will encompass all areas of law arising in the operation of the business. With a focus which includes (but is not limited to):-

• Identifying legal risks within the company and advising on appropriate ways to manage and mitigate such risks that are relevant and proportionate to UCAS and its activities.

• Dealing with the preparation, negotiation, drafting, revision, and finalisation of various contract documents including Terms of Service and a range of terms and conditions to support business activities. You will be expected to apply your expertise across UCAS ‘standard terms’, supplier terms as well as bespoke contracts.

You will support the Legal and Governance teams with: -

• Updating/upkeeping effectively completed legal agreements/advice and legal precedents.

• Maintaining our Legal and Regulatory Register, including keeping up to date with legislative changes which may impact on UCAS’ business in terms of compliance.

For a full list of accountabilities see attached role profile.

• You will be a qualified solicitor or legal executive with a proven track record of drafting and advising on commercial contracts and procurement


• You will have experience of identifying and managing legal risk across a diverse legal portfolio utilizing a risk based approach to delivering pragmatic advice and guidance.


• Ideally you will have experience in an in-house environment.


• Strong technical skills and attention to detail particularly in contractual matters is essential.

• You will be a team player who works collaboratively with a positive and proactive approach which is outcomes focused.

• You will need to have a can-do attitude as well as a willingness to work flexibly not only with your subject matter, but also working with colleagues of differing skills and experience.

• You must be approachable and be able to present your legal advice in a plain and concise manner.

Salary - up to £50,000

• 30 days annual leave (pro rata for part time) (plus 3 concessionary days over Christmas and your bank holidays!)

• Flexibility – UCAS positively supports Hybrid working for its employees, meaning you can work between home and the office in a way that suits you and the business and also has a comprehensive Flexible Working Policy

• A generous pension scheme

• Hundreds of high street discounts and offers with Perkbox

• Internal training and development

• Subsidised gym and café

• Be rewarded for going above and beyond with our ex-gratia bonus scheme and Celebrating U, our quarterly employee recognition scheme