Employment Lawyer

The HR department exists to develop and deliver our people strategy in collaboration with key stakeholders across the firm. The department is there to enable the attraction, development, and deployment of talent and to think about all stages of the employee lifecycle. This includes recruitment, learning and development, and employee engagement alongside reward and staff policies. There is also a regulatory element; we ensure that our policies and practices comply with all the necessary legal requirements. Our role is ultimately about ensuring the firm has the talent it needs to create great investment performance and a superior client experience.

Purpose of Role

We have an ambitious agenda of change planned for our Employee Relations (ER) and Policy strategy. This is underpinned by our view that our firm must be an engaging and progressive place to work.

Our Employment Lawyer will be responsible for covering all employment law issues arising across our global offices.

The role is envisaged to be a full-time position, although we are happy to consider the role on a part-time or job-share basis.

Responsibilities

• Legal Risk Management: Proactively identifying, assessing, and balancing employment law risk, and offering practical, business-oriented, and creative solutions in partnership with key stakeholders on a broad range of partner and employment issues.
• Expert Legal Advice: Provide expert legal advice by interpreting and applying employment law, policies, and regulations to guide employee relations enquiries and evolve our policies. You may also advise on whistleblowing, business change, TUPE, and Employment Tribunal Claims.
• Resolution: Offer pragmatic guidance in collaboration with HR Business Partners and HR Advice teams to find creative ways to resolve employee conflicts. Support HR in managing complex grievance, disciplinary, and dismissal processes, including negotiated settlements.
• Engaging with External Counsel: Instructing, supervising, and analysing the advice provided by external counsel across our global locations. Supporting the HR team in developing strategies and policies to ensure and maintain compliance with employment-related laws and regulations.
• Continuous Improvement: Continually evolve our approach by incorporating external best practices across all global locations. You will bring a focus on data to help us develop our strategy and priorities and a willingness to test new approaches.
• Training: Identify training needs and design materials that reflect our culture and risk appetite.

Qualifications:

• Qualified solicitor in England and Wales or Scotland (or a solicitor or attorney qualified in another jurisdiction)

Your knowledge and experience:

We envisage the role being suitable for an individual with circa 3+ years' post-qualification experience in Employment Law. Please note this is a guide only, and we would consider applications from individuals with different levels of experience.

Desirable:

• Experience of working in-house in financial services
• Knowledge of relevant statutory, regulatory, and common employment law applicable to an Investment Management Firm
• An awareness of legislative and best practice changes
• Experience working with external and overseas counsel

The ideal candidate:

You will be a qualified employment lawyer with some post-qualification experience, comfortable with ambiguity, and capable of managing multiple conflicting priorities. Excellent organizational skills are essential. You should be skilled in building trusted relationships at all levels, able to challenge stakeholders constructively, and capable of listening, reflecting, and bringing people along. You will possess strong technical knowledge, analytical skills, and the ability to distill complex facts into simple, commercial recommendations aligned with our legal obligations and shared values.

Critical skills:

• Adaptability
• Digital effectiveness
• Openness and discernment
• Storytelling

Closing Date

May 8, 2025

At Baillie Gifford, we are committed to fostering an inclusive and respectful culture where each colleague can thrive and develop. We believe that our clients are best served by a diverse workforce with a variety of experiences, ideas, and perspectives.

If you are currently employed at Baillie Gifford, please apply via the firm's internal Workday career site.

About Us

Baillie Gifford is an independent, private partnership, enabling us to focus entirely on our clients and their investments. This structure supports our stability, motivation, culture, and long-term perspective on staff development, client relationships, and investing.

We are committed to spotting potential in our employees and supporting your career growth through ongoing training and development. We also prioritize the wellbeing of our staff.

This is a glimpse of our culture, created by the partners who own and work with you daily. They are always available to hear your ideas to improve Baillie Gifford.

If you believe you can realize your full potential here, your next investment could be in yourself.

If you have questions or issues regarding your application, contact us at .

For more about careers at Baillie Gifford, visit our careers site. This page hosts our current vacancies, including graduate and internship opportunities.