Department
Legal Services and Compliance
Location
Joseph Priestley Building
Salary
£35,331 to £39,002 per annum
Permanent
Post Type
Full Time
Release Date
12 August 2026
Closing Date
23.59 hours BST on Wednesday 26 August 2026
Reference
G226005
About Birmingham City University
At Birmingham City University, we are a diverse and inclusive learning community of over 31,400 students from more than 120 countries. We aim to become an exemplar anchor institution, creating and sharing knowledge for a better and more inclusive society. We are committed to providing a transformational educational experience, supporting world-class research, and fostering a collaborative and supportive working environment for our staff.
Recognised as one of the UK’s Top 250 employers (Financial Times & Statista), we pride ourselves on being a place where colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to grow their careers while contributing to the success of our students and communities.
Our student demographic reflects the rich cultural and ethnic diversity of Birmingham itself, with a significant proportion of students from minoritised ethnic backgrounds and the majority of our home students coming from the West Midlands. This diversity is a strength, and it calls for a workforce that is equipped to challenge deficit narratives and thinking — those assumptions that position students from underrepresented groups as lacking rather than recognising their assets, strengths and potential.
By embracing this perspective, we aim to create an environment where all students and colleagues can thrive, and where our work contributes positively to the social, cultural and economic life of Birmingham and beyond.
Role Summary
We are seeking an experienced Senior Legal Assistant to support the Legal Services team in delivering a full legal service across the University. This includes day-to-day support with legal advice on a wide range of operational and strategic issues, primarily focused on litigation, projects and commercial matters.
The Senior Legal Assistant will be responsible for attending and representing the legal team both at internal working groups and supporting with attendance at court/tribunal/hearings.
Main activities and responsibilities
Some of the key responsibilities will include:
-
Attending court/tribunal/hearings (in office requirement) to support external lawyers/counsel.
-
Supporting to track litigation budgets expenses, disbursements, with the relevant team member/lawyer.
-
Supporting internal stakeholders in relation to litigation tasks, such as disclosure (in office requirement may be required)
-
Support the wider team to provide excellent service to the Legal Services Team and colleagues across the University when responding to any external request for advice
-
Support on wider legal projects and commercial work
-
Undertake various legal operational and administrative tasks
Skills and Experience
-
Education to first degree level is desirable.
-
A high level of literacy and numeracy.
-
Reasonable level of IT skills including advanced knowledge of web based solution, word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software packages, preferably Microsoft Word, Excel, Docusign, Sharepoint and PowerPoint.
-
Experience of providing high quality customer service in a complex environment.
-
Experience of working successfully as part of a team.
-
Ability to communicate clearly and in appropriate language with third parties, students and colleagues both orally and in writing.
-
Ability to manage own time and workload.
-
Ability to work to statutory deadlines.
Further Information
If you are excited by the opportunity to help shape the future of the Legal team, we would love to hear from you.
For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Gary Dalton, Legal Services Director at [email protected]
Why not explore our campuses using our interactive map: Interactive Map | Birmingham City University
Why work for us
-
Work–life balance – Generous leave and hybrid working (role dependent).
-
Career development – Opportunities to grow, develop and progress your career.
-
Reward and wellbeing – Competitive pay, pension, wellbeing support and staff benefits.
-
Inclusive culture – A supportive, diverse environment where everyone belongs.
