We are currently looking to hire an associate or senior associate into our highly regarded specialist Employment team in the Southampton office. The role on offer is a great opportunity to develop; the prospects for advancement are real. The team provides advice on all areas of employment law and acts for a wide range of national and international clients across the public, private and third sectors. We are consistently ranked in the top tier in the independent legal directories Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners. We can provide you with an excellent platform to develop both your technical ability and business development skills within a supportive and thriving team. You will likely soon develop close client relationships that will endure throughout your career. Our encouragement of a decent work/life balance and complementary interests will help you towards a strong long-term profile in this region. We support hybrid working, typically with 2-3 days flexible office attendance, according to business need. More information about our practice can be found here. Typical Workload If successful, you can expect a mix of employment work. Your responsibilities might include but not be limited to: Being involved in a broad mix of contentious and non-contentious work primarily supporting our Employer clients. Your time will be split between disputes, general advisory work and corporate support work with some client training from time to time We act for leading employers in a wide range of sectors, from household-name retail clients to leading NHS, government or third sector organisations. You’ll have a great variety of work and the opportunity to advise in a range of interesting areas You will have a direct influence on how you want your experience and expertise to develop and you will be strongly encouraged and supported to get involved in business development work, taking an active role in seminars, webinars and networking events in addition to drafting guidance and articles. Your role will include assisting and supporting the partners and legal directors in developing junior members of the team You will also benefit from the support and resources of the larger team based across our other offices, which includes specialist Pensions and Immigration lawyers as part of our business group Skills / Experience Required You will have developed a genuine interest in employment law in your early career. You will be keen to continue to build and develop your specialist knowledge and your legal skills, including drafting and negotiating skills; carrying out legal research and due diligence; guiding clients in a supportive environment through operational challenges; providing advice in an unambiguous and pragmatic manner; developing client relationships and ensuring that you are a key member of the team to deliver solutions in line with our clients’ aims. Solid relevant technical expertise and intellectual ability Enthusiastic and committed to a career in employment work Strong analytical and research skills Relationship-driven and personable Collegiate Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) Strong client and matter management skills Willing to be involved in Business Development and contribute to building the client base for the team IT proficient Exceptional self-motivation and ability to assume responsibility for your own matters Please apply to arrange a call in confidence to discuss.