Job Description
The information below covers the role requirements, expected candidate experience, and accompanying qualifications.
Your new companyWe are currently exclusively working with a Global FTSE business, which not only has an extremely reputable name, but is also going through some significant and exciting change. You will be working within a high-performing and friendly team within the organisation.
Your new roleThe role is a 6-month FTC, due to a high volume of work, and an extra need for resource within the employment law capacity. The role will predominantly be focussed on employment litigation. You will be a key member of the Legal team in the UK&I, currently made up of circa 6 individuals, mainly across employment and commercial. You will act as a trusted advisor, both internally and externally, and you will take the lead on litigation employment work. This is an opportunity to get exposure to some very interesting work and make a real difference within a global organisation.
As Senior Employment Lawyer, you will report to the General Counsel (UK&I), and will provide expert, pragmatic and commercially focused employment law advice to a business operating in a highly regulated and people-intensive environment. The role is heavily advisory and strategic, supporting the business across employee, worker and contractor matters, while managing litigation risk and ensuring compliance with complex UK employment and labour legislation. This is a senior, trusted advisor role requiring strong technical expertise, excellent judgment and the confidence to influence senior stakeholders. Your responsibilities will also include the following:
- Provide day-to-day and strategic employment law advice across the full employee lifecycle, including recruitment, disciplinaries, grievances, performance management, redundancies, restructurings and exits.
- Support senior leaders and People & Culture teams with legally robust, commercially sensible solutions.
- Advise on the application of legislation impacting businesses
- Provide expert advice on TUPE in the context of outsourcing, insourcing, client change and service provision changes.
- Manage employment disputes and litigation, including Employment Tribunal claims, claims management strategy, settlement negotiations and risk assessment.
- Draft and negotiate settlement and severance agreements.
- Draft defences and witness statements and create bundles.
- Instruct, manage and control external counsel where appropriate, ensuring proportionate and cost-effective outcomes.
- Draft, review and maintain employment policies, procedures and employment contract templates.
- Monitor legislative and case law developments and proactively advise the business on legal risk and operational impact.
- Support internal audits, compliance initiatives and risk mitigation strategies related to employment matters.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior stakeholders across the business, including HR, operations and leadership teams.
- Deliver employment law training and guidance to People & Culture and management teams.
- Contribute to the development of best practice guidance and playbooks for managers and recruiters.
- Contribute to the development and continuous improvement of the Legal function.
- Support and mentor junior lawyers where appropriate.
- Collaborate closely with commercial, data privacy and regulatory colleagues on cross-cutting issues.
Skills, Experience & QualificationsEssential
- Qualified solicitor or barrister (England & Wales) with significant post-qualification experience in employment law.
- Strong experience advising on employment matters within a professional services or similarly regulated, people-led business.
- Deep technical knowledge of UK employment law, including TUPE and Employment Tribunal litigation, and ideally AWR.
- Ability to provide clear, pragmatic and commercially focused advice in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent drafting, negotiation and stakeholder management skills.
- Comfortable operating autonomously and managing complex, sensitive matters.
Desirable
- Experience advising on worker status, contingent labour models and large scale restructurings.
- Exposure to Irish employment law (helpful but not essential).
Key Competencies
- Strong technical credibility and judgment
- Commercial pragmatism
- Calm, confident handling of contentious matters
- Excellent influencing and communication skills
- Collaborative, resilient and solution-focused approach
If you’re interested in this role, click ‘apply now’ to forward an up-to-date copy of your CV, or call us now. If this job isn’t quite right for you, but you are looking for a new position, please contact us for a confidential discussion about your career. xwzovoh
Hays Specialist Recruitment Limited acts as an employment agency for permanent recruitment and employment business for the supply of temporary workers. By applying for this job you accept the T&C’s, Privacy Policy and Disclaimers which can be found at hays
…