Legal Adviser

This is an exceptional opportunity to be part of a dynamic organisation that is at the forefront of technological innovation in the defence industry!

Salary: Circa £100,000 depending on experience

Dynamic (hybrid) working: 2-3 days per week on-site due to workload classification

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship

Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS) and Security Check (SC), which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you:

• Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 35% of base salary
• Car Allowance: £575 per month
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Flexible working: We welcome applicants who are looking for flexible working arrangements
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more…

The opportunity:

You will act as a trusted Legal Adviser, assisting various stakeholders throughout the business, including the senior management team. You will provide commercially orientated legal advice principally to the UK business, colleagues abroad, as required.

You will work in the UK Legal Team, which currently consists of six lawyers and one trainee who are firmly integrated into the wider international legal team (offering you the opportunity for international travel)

Your aim is to:

• Ensure that the business/projects operate with minimum acceptable risk with regard to legal implications;
• Assist the business to avoid taking on risks/liabilities which could have a material financial and/or reputational impact on the Company; provide advice to all departments within the Company, and also provide guidance/advice across our Group;
• Engage and mange external legal support (where required) within approved budgets;
• Promote effective corporate governance;
• Conduct horizon scanning and advise on legal and regulatory change.

You will provide advice on matters including:

• Contractual terms (e.g. sales and marketing, procurement, R&D, co-operation and partnering and security related agreements, IT);
• Disputes;
• Intellectual property;
• Regulatory issues;
• Competition law;
• Treasury matters;
• Company secretarial duties, including board minutes and resolutions;
• DEFCONs and other Government/s terms;
• Provision of training, particularly to the Procurement and Commercial functions on contractual terms and conditions and DEFCONs.

What we're looking for from you:

We are looking for someone who can demonstrate good legal skills, who is happy to be a “generalist” and, where there are gaps in their existing legal knowledge, has a desire to learn on the job and expand their competencies.

In particular, you will:

• Be a qualified Solicitor or Barrister with at least 6 years PQE in a relevant field. Experience in anti-trust and/or intellectual property law is an advantage
• Have academic qualifications of LLB, BA (Law) and above, with PQE
• Have worked in a private practice law firm. Experience working in an in-house legal team is an advantage
• Possess the skills and authority to convince clients, both in-house and external
• Be capable of interfacing easily with other functions in a multi-cultural environment
• Possess strong drafting, legal analysis and negotiating skills
• Be able to generate commercial risk-based solutions

Our company

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity and more…

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

Follow us on LinkedIn (MBDA), X (@MBDA_UK), Instagram (MBDA_UK) and Glassdoor or visit our MBDA Careers website for more information.