Head of Employment/ Employment Law Solicitor

Smith Partnership; Derby; Hybrid; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in the East Midlands seeks a proactive Head of Employment to lead their employment law team. This role offers a clear pathway to partnership and involves managing existing clients, developing new business, and mentoring team members. The position is flexible with hybrid working options available, making it an excellent opportunity for a seasoned employment lawyer looking to advance their career.

Benefits

25 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays

Pension Scheme

Medicare Health Scheme

Car parking

Smith Savings Scheme for discounts

Qualifications

• Substantial experience in employment law required.
• Strong leadership and management capabilities essential.
• Proven business development skills necessary.

Responsibilities

• Lead the employment law team and provide support to clients.
• Develop strategies to enhance the employment law practice.
• Mentor colleagues and drive department performance.

Skills

Leadership

Business Development

Client Relationship Management

Communication

Negotiation

Complex Employment Issues

Team Culture

IT Skills

Education

Qualified Solicitor

Tools

Case Management Systems

M365

Job description

JOB TITLE: Head of Employment/ Employment Law Solicitor

LOCATION: Flexible

SALARY: Competitive (to be discussed on short-listing)

HOURS: Full Time (hybrid working options are operated by the firm)

We are looking for a proactive and strategic employment lawyer to join our firm as Head of Employment.

Smith Partnership is a leading law firm in the East Midlands. A forward-thinking and progressive company employing over 200 colleagues throughout our five offices.

The firm has a thriving employment law practice with a large quantity of retained commercial clients and an excellent reputation for providing quality service. The department also boasts an excellent reputation for providing settlement agreement advice to individuals.

The vacancy arises from an internal restructure within the firm, which will see the current Head of Employment, James Johnson, stepping up to become our Managing Partner.

We consider the role to be an amazing opportunity for an employment lawyer who wants to take the next step in their career. You would be coming into a department with an existing client base, an excellent reputation, and a great team. The role also provides for a clear pathway to partnership should this be desired.

The location for the role is flexible, with hybrid working available, and the potential to work out of any of our offices.

You will lead the employment law team, providing first-line support and representation to our existing employer client base, developing new clients through marketing and business development initiatives, advising high-end individuals on settlement agreements, and providing employment law support to our other commercial practices.

The role will include developing and implementing strategies to expand and enhance the employment law practice; building strong relationships with clients and collaborating with our other commercial departments; mentoring colleagues in the team to foster their own growth and professional development; and driving the performance of the department.

THE KEY REQUIREMENTS

• A qualified solicitor with substantial experience in employment law
• Strong leadership and management capabilities
• Proven business development skills and client relationship management
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills
• Ability to handle complex employment issues
• Knowledge of both contentious and non-contentious employment matters
• A commitment to fostering a collaborative and high-performance team culture
• Proficient IT skills, particularly case management systems and M365

THE BENEFITS AND PERKS

• 25 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays
• Pension Scheme
• Medicare Health Scheme
• Car parking
• Smith Savings Scheme for discounts at various retailers

THE NEXT STEP

This is an excellent opportunity to join a progressive East Midlands law firm and to work as part of a friendly team.

Applications strictly via email enclosing a current CV and covering letter to Sarah Reader, Head of HR, at: [e-mail].

NO AGENCIES

Smith Partnership request that recruitment agencies do not speculatively submit CVs to us unless explicitly asked to do so by us.

Any CVs sent to us on a speculative basis will not be recognised and we will not accept liability for any fee or commission should we subsequently employ a candidate who applied to us directly or was introduced by another agency, that may also have been submitted speculatively by an uninstructed agency. In the event that an agency's correspondence includes a disclaimer indicating otherwise, our policy above will prevail.

CLOSING DATE FOR APPLICATIONS- 12 June 2025