Senior Employment Lawyer

Senior Employment Lawyer

“Our Employment Lawyer is a key post working in partnership with HR Business Partners, our Head of HR and Director of People & Inclusion. The role provides an invaluable source of support and guidance across a varied range of employee relations cases as well as helping us with large scale organisational transformation work. Over the past year this has included a major TUPE exercise involving over 200 staff and revisions to key policies including disciplinary, grievance and sickness absence. We need someone with a solid and confident grounding across the full spectrum of employment law and a collaborative approach to their work.” 

Director of People and Inclusion, Sam McVaigh

The opportunity:

  • Permanent, full time (37 hours per week)

  • Hybrid working, two days per week on-site or in court

  • Starting salary between £49,498 and £50,512 (pay award pending)

  • Greater Manchester Local Government Pension Scheme with 19.5% employer contribution

  • Flexible working policies and generous holiday entitlement, enabling excellent work-life balance

  • As Senior Employment Lawyer you’ll act as the key legal business partner, supporting a wide range of matters with regards to employee relations across the Council and the wider community. 

    • You will advise Officers, Councillors and maintained schools on all aspects of employment law 

    • Draft and negotiate settlement agreements 

    • Handle employment claims and draft legal responses 

    You will be regarded as the employment expert and will take a proactive approach on modifying and creating internal policies, procedures and a broad range of employment matters.

    • Contribute to the Council’s corporate strategic priorities and the legal direction of the team, ensuring that priorities are met. 

    • Provide significant input into the development and implementation of legal compliance policies and procedures. 

    • Work with the other team members in identifying and implementing improvement to services and making the most of resources. 

    • Support Legal Services by helping to build and maintain excellent client relations acting as a role model to achieve service and Council wide objectives. 

    • Deliver high quality and value for money legal services. 

    • Provide Children’s Social Care team with expert legal advice on applicable laws and the interpretation of legal documents in a manner that supports a practical legal approach and manages risk.  

    • To provide recommendations for addressing critical legal and policy issues in order to ensure that the councils legal and business objectives are met. 

    • Identify legal issues and risks and providing analysis and resolution to such matters. 

    • Provide effective representation on complex legal work on behalf of the Council, and, where appropriate, to external bodies. 

    • Lead and support junior staff in undertaking their role. 

    • Manage a personal caseload of legal work relevant to the team and areas of law and legal practice based on transactions of high value, complexity and/or of major significance/importance. 

    • To provide timely, high quality and accurate legal, tactical and strategic advice. 

  • To be successful in securing this position you will: 

    • Be a qualified solicitor, barrister, or legal executive with up-to-date practising certificate  

    • Possess demonstrable experience of working within and providing advice on Employment law 

    • Be an exceptional communicator in both written and verbal formats

    • Have the ability to formulate and maintain strong working relationships across other departments 

  • Post grade: 16

    Location: Town Hall, Knowsley Street, Bury, BL9 0SW

    Post hours: 37 per week, Monday to Friday 

    Special Conditions: Attend meetings as required, including occasional evening meetings.

    Responsible to: Rosalind Thorpe - Head of Commercial and Litigation Legal Team

    Responsible for: Supervision of Lawyers/Legal Officers 

    Internal Relationships: Elected Members, Chief Officers/Senior Management, Officers within all Departments of the Council and other related Council service providers e.g. ALMO’s, LATCO’s, schools, etc

    External Relationships: Solicitors in private practice, Counsel, Government Departments, Other Local Authorities, Court Officials, Members of Parliament, Members of the public and Outside Agencies and Professional Bodies, Medical and other expert witnesses; other professional persons. 

    • Please submit your CV via email to tripley@venngroup.com along with a brief supporting statement

    • Please detail any employment or education gaps.

    • Be prepared to provide the names, positions and contact details for two referees; one should be your current or most recent employer. We will always gain your permission before we contact referees.