Job Description

The Head of Legal Operations will play a key leadership role in the delivery of high-quality, timely, and solution-focused legal support across the University. Reporting to the General Counsel, the postholder will be responsible for the management of the Legal Services team, ensuring legal advice is aligned with institutional priorities and delivered efficiently across a broad range of areas including contracts, employment, governance, student matters, and commercial activity.
The role will provide high-level and broad-ranging support to the General Counsel in implementing legal strategy, managing legal risk, and ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and regulatory frameworks. The Head of Legal Operations will also lead on the development of legal policies, frameworks, and training programmes, and will work closely with colleagues at a senior level across the University to embed legal best practice.
About the person:
Essential Criteria includes:

• Qualified solicitor or employed barrister (prior to taking up the post must be registered and authorised to currently practice in Northern Ireland).
• Proven track record (including recent experience within the last 4 years) with significant post qualification experience relevant to the role, particularly in commercial law, with proven experience of exercising sound, independent judgement on complex legal matters and provision of timely and accurate solution-orientated advice at a senior level.
• Substantial proven experience to include recent and relevant experience of providing legal advice within a complex and changing statutory, regulatory, and legislative environment, interpreting legislation into practical application and the adaptation of policies and procedures to comply with changing requirements.
• Proven experience and demonstrable ability to effectively manage legal teams and deliver legal services in a complex organisational environment.
• Experience of managing legal risk and ensuring compliance with statutory and regulatory obligations.
• Experience of providing legal advice across a range of activities to managers in a large complex organisation and experience of managing litigation caseload.
• Experience of drafting, advising on and negotiating contracts 8. Experience of working with and influencing senior management.

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information.
What we offer:
Beyond a competitive salary, the University offers an attractive benefits package including a holiday entitlement of up to 8.4 weeks a year, pension schemes and development opportunities. We support staff wellbeing with flexible working options, work-life balance initiatives and support for physical and mental health. You can find more detail on all of this and more at .
Queen's University is committed to promoting equality of opportunity to all. We subscribe to Equality Charter Marks such as the Diversity Charter Mark NI and Athena Swan and have established staff networks such as iRise (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic and International Staff Network) and PRISM (LGBTQ+) which help us progress equality.
For further information on our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, please visit .
If you are an international applicant and don't already hold a visa that permits you to take up the role you are applying for, please use the information provided on our website to self-assess whether the University is likely to be able to support a visa application - .

Skills Required