Senior Legal Engineer

The role:

We are looking for a Senior Legal Engineer to join our Knowledge/Legal Engineering team in either our Bristol or London office.

We are seeking an exceptional Senior Legal Engineer to join our team and play a pivotal role in shaping the future of legal practice through artificial intelligence. This is a unique opportunity for a forward-thinking professional who combines legal knowledge with technical aptitude and a passion for innovation. The successful candidate will be instrumental in driving the adoption, development, and strategic application of generative AI and agentic technologies across the firm.

What will you do:

• Play an instrumental role in embedding generative AI across the firm, with a focus on: promoting the adoption of various AI tools, identifying opportunities to integrate AI into existing workflows and processes, and working closely with practice groups to understand their specific needs and challenges.

• Help lawyers across the firm to develop effective prompts and use cases tailored to different practice areas and to optimise their use of AI tools.

• Key point of contact for people across the firm for AI queries relating to best practice usage, use cases, and the general capabilities and limitations of different AI tools.

• Design and deliver engaging and accessible training on AI tools across the firm using resources suitable for all levels of technical proficiency.

• Act as the bridge between lawyers and technical teams by gathering feedback from lawyers on how they use AI tools and clearly communicating their needs and priorities to technical teams.

• Upskill AI Champions to ensure they are equipped to act as the first line of AI support for their teams.

• Collaborate with both legal and technical teams to define agentic use cases and test solutions.

• Proactively keep up to date with the legal AI market, with a focus on generative AI and agents.

• Build greater recognition and awareness of the firm's generative AI capabilities by contributing to industry events, hackathons, and producing written pieces or similar. Represent the firm at conferences, roundtables, and industry forums.

• Additional tasks and responsibilities required to support the firm’s generative AI strategy.

What we are looking for:

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Experience practising as a lawyer.

• Significant demonstrable experience of working within a legal environment.

• Strong understanding of legal work, including what lawyers do on a day-to-day basis and how they operate.

• A minimum of two years' experience in legal technology or a similar innovation-focused role within a law firm or legal department.

• A strong understanding of generative AI technologies and how to optimise their application in legal work.

• An understanding of the key risks and concerns around AI technologies in a legal environment.

• Proven ability to deliver training and present complex technical concepts to non-technical audiences, alongside excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple initiatives simultaneously are required.

• Excellent stakeholder management skills and an ability to communicate advanced concepts clearly to a diverse range of stakeholders.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Experience with a range of prompt engineering techniques and methods.

• Experience in using and rolling out legal AI tools in a law firm environment.

Personal Attributes

The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious with a desire to continuously learn and explore new technologies. They will be an excellent communicator capable of translating technical concepts into practical, accessible guidance. A collaborative team player and proactive learner who thrives in cross-functional environments is essential.

Here at Simmons & Simmons:

At Simmons, we are proud of our collaborative, open and non-hierarchical culture, where everyone is treated with respect and dignity and the wellbeing of our people is paramount. Our dynamic minds work as one integrated team, partnering with leading organisations on inspirational and thought-provoking projects that matter. From day one, irrespective of job title, qualification or background, everyone’s voice is heard, and you are encouraged to have an enquiring mind and share ideas that drive the firm forward. Through innovative learning and development opportunities, you will have a platform to excel, exceed your career ambitions, and achieve things you never thought possible.

Some key information: 

• We offer a competitive package including bonuses dependant on role/level, private medical insurance and pension contribution.

• Our global skills academy provides our people, regardless of their role and location, with excellent learning opportunities (including live workshops, podcasts, short videos and practical learning experiences).

• We have adopted a hybrid working approach with a requirement for a minimum of three days in the office with flexibility dependant on role/team/client demands.

• We are proud to rank as a Times Top 50 Employer for Gender Equality, a Stonewall Top Global Employer, and a Top 75 Employer for Social Mobility.

• We have a range of social and sports committees, summer and winter parties and monthly get togethers.

• We have a range of diversity networks to connect people and celebrate our differences which is integral to our inclusive culture.

• All UK offices have their own artwork collections – including Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin pieces in the London office. We have a long-standing history in supporting the art community especially up-and-coming artists.

• We have recently introduced a Strategic Advisory Council which is a mix of associates and business services who will propose strategic initiatives that align with our firm's mission and support the delivery of our business plan, shaping the future of our next-generation law firm.

• Our in-house generative AI tool, Percy, won the ‘Innovation in Automation and AI Tools’ category at the 2024 FT Innovative Lawyers Europe Awards. This achievement highlights our commitment to technological innovation and client service.

• We have been commended in The Times Best Law Firms 2026 across three categories: construction, employment, and intellectual property. Our profile is highly positive, highlighting our sector specialisms and notable case and transactional work.

Equal opportunities:

We are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion within our firm and to ensuring equal employment opportunities. We believe that this commitment creates a vibrant and rewarding work environment. We are therefore committed to: 

• Upholding equal opportunities, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, belief, age, disability, sexual orientation, sex, gender reassignment, gender identity, marital status, or pregnancy, including maternity and paternity. This commitment extends to addressing any instances of perceived or associative discrimination and harassment. We also ensure fair treatment during recruitment and selection processes for those who are serving or have served in the armed forces, along with their families. 

• Accommodating requests for flexible working arrangements whenever possible. We encourage you to discuss your needs with us if this is something you require. 

• Making our roles accessible to individuals with diverse abilities. If you need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know so we can meet your needs. 

• We offer a range of employee networks to support our colleagues. More information about these networks can be found in the D&I Information booklet that candidates are sent when invited to interview.

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. We are looking for individuals who are passionate and eager to learn and grow with us. Your unique experiences and perspectives could be a great addition to our team.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

If you’re interested in finding out more about this position, please contact the Recruitment Team. To apply for the role, click on the link at the top of the page or visit our careers page for more details.