Associate (3+ years PQE)

Ashfords; Exeter; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Wellbeing support

Training & development

Job summary

Ashfords in Exeter is seeking a confident Employment Associate with 3+ years PQE to join our award‑winning Employment team. You will advise a wide range of clients on contentious and non‑contentious matters and own a diverse caseload with support from partners.

We value pragmatic and commercially driven advice, with a focus on building long‑lasting client relationships and delivering high‑quality work in a collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• 3+ years PQE in employment law
• Ideally employer‑focused practice
• Strong communicator with client‑facing experience

Responsibilities

• Advise employers and senior employees on contentious and non‑contentious employment matters
• Manage a own caseload from outset with support from partners
• Support on corporate transactions and HR advisory work across sectors

Skills

Employment law

Client communication

Relationship building

Commercial awareness

Job description

We’re looking for a confident, highly motivated Employment Associate (with 3+ years PQE) to join our award winning Employment team in Exeter.

Previously named Employment Team of the Year at The Lawyer Awards and consistently ranked in Legal 500 and Chambers & Partners, our team is known for providing pragmatic, rigorous and commercially focused advice to clients across the public and private sectors, locally, nationally and internationally.

In this role, you’ll advise a wide range of clients - including employers and senior employees/executives - on both contentious and non-contentious matters. This will include complex employment issues and disputes, day-to-day HR advisory work across all sectors, and employment support on corporate transactions.

You’ll work on high-quality, high-value matters and will be encouraged to take ownership of your own caseload from the outset. Reporting directly to partners in the team, you’ll play a key role across a broad spectrum of employment work, all within a friendly, collaborative and supportive environment.

Who you are

You will already have solid experience advising on employment law matters, ideally with an employer-focused practice. A strong communicator, you’ll be adept at gaining clients’ confidence and handling their matters with commerciality, clarity and professionalism.

Our relationship with our clients is paramount. You will be able to demonstrate your ability to build strong and lasting relationships with clients and show a genuine commitment to their business needs.

You’ll be a strong communicator who enjoys working with a broad range of clients and can build trusted, long‑lasting relationships. Empathy, good judgement and the ability to manage matters sensitively are essential.

Resilient and well‑organised, you’ll be comfortable working under pressure and meeting deadlines. With a keen eye for detail and a thorough approach, you’ll be ready to take on responsibility early and committed to securing the best outcomes for clients.

We’ll encourage you to take a high level of responsibility for your cases while providing ongoing support, development opportunities and exposure to a diverse range of work across the team.

At Ashfords, we believe in more than just doing great work - we believe in building a great place to work.

When you join us, you become part of a team where everything we do is underpinned by our four core values: Be Open, Think Team, Make a Difference and Always Grow. These values shape who we are and how we work - they guide our decisions, influence our culture, and drive the way we support our people, clients and communities.

With a clear focus on innovation, community involvement, and supporting a healthy work-life balance, we are committed to building an environment where our people can have a rewarding and meaningful career.

Whilst we recognise that every career journey is unique, we will be ambitious for you, giving you the tools, trust, and opportunities to develop your career, your way.

Our goal? To help you realise your full potential as part of a forward-thinking team.

Our offer

We know that our people are at the heart of everything we do – and that’s why we’re committed to supporting your wellbeing, growth and work-life balance.

Beyond our benefits package, you’ll be encouraged, no matter what your role or career level, to get involved in our Responsible Business programme, where you’ll support initiatives such as charity fundraising, environmental causes and our employee led diversity and inclusion groups.

You can find out more about our benefits by visiting the Reward & Wellbeing page on our website.

What’s next?

Our recruitment process typically involves two stages, which are designed not only to explore your skills and experience but also to give you a real insight into what it’s like to work at Ashfords. Throughout the process, our dedicated Talent Attraction team will be here to support you every step of the way.

We believe that building a firm with a wide range of perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences drives innovation and strengthens our teams, and we welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds.

To support your growth, we offer ongoing training and development opportunities to help you reach your full potential – so even if you don’t feel you match all the requirements of the job role, we’d still love to hear from you.

At Ashfords, we’re committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels respected, valued, and empowered to succeed.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process or would like to discuss anything regarding your application, please contact us at [e-mail] .

For an informal and confidential discussion about this opportunity, please contactToby Tompkins, Talent Attraction Manager - [e-mail] .