Job Title: Legal Counsel
Job Location: London - Remote/Hybrid
Salary: £47,389 to £56,535 per annum
Weekly Working Hours: 37
Contract Type: Permanent
About the Role
We are working with a large leading University to recruit an experienced Employment Solicitor into a permanent Legal Counsel role.
This is an excellent opportunity to join a small, specialist in-house legal team and act as a trusted adviser on a wide range of employment law matters. Working alongside an existing in-house employment lawyer, you will provide legal support across both contentious and non-contentious employment issues, advising stakeholders across a complex, unionised organisation.
The role offers a broad and varied workload, genuine autonomy, and the chance to make a real impact within a values-driven environment.
Key Responsibilities
Provide pragmatic, solutions-focused legal advice on day-to-day employment law matters, including discrimination, disciplinaries, grievances, performance management, redundancies, reorganisations, employment status, TUPE, trade union matters and Freedom of Speech issues.
Manage Employment Tribunal claims from early conciliation through to final hearing, including drafting pleadings and witness statements and representing the organisation at hearings where appropriate.
Instruct and liaise with external counsel as required and contribute to the effective management of external legal spend.
Draft, review and update employment contracts, policies and procedures, settlement agreements and other employment-related documentation, including employment provisions within wider commercial agreements.
Support negotiations and dispute resolution in contentious matters.
Deliver employment law training to HR / People teams and other stakeholders when required.
Build strong working relationships with internal stakeholders and external legal advisers.
Communicate legal risks, options and recommendations clearly to colleagues at all levels, providing commercially-aware advice based on risk assessment.
Maintain up-to-date CPD and a current practising certificate.
About You
Essential:
Qualified Solicitor (or equivalent) with at least 4 years post-qualification experience, specialising in employment law.
Strong technical knowledge across all aspects of employment law, with experience advising on both contentious and non-contentious matters.
Experience managing Employment Tribunal claims from early conciliation through to final hearing.
Excellent drafting skills, including tribunal documentation, contracts, policies, settlement agreements and TUPE provisions.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively, manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build effective relationships at all levels.
Commercially aware, pragmatic and solutions-focused, with sound judgement.
Confident in explaining complex legal issues to non-legal audiences.
Desirable:
Experience working in a large, complex or unionised organisation.
In-house legal experience, ideally within higher education, the public sector or a regulated environment.
Private practice experience advising public sector, higher education or unionised clients.
If this role is of interest and you meet the above criteria, then please apply immediately
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