Legal Counsel

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