Employment Law Locum

CRA Legal; Bury; Hybrid; GBP 76,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Home working available

Flexible working arrangements

Public sector experience

Job summary

CRA Consulting is assisting a Greater Manchester local authority to appoint a locum Employment Law solicitor to December 2026. The role covers discrimination, unfair dismissal and broader employment work, with remote hearings and flexible/home working arrangements.

You will manage your own caseload, advise HR and senior stakeholders, and have opportunities to advocate at hearings within a supportive legal team.

Qualifications

• Strong practical background in employment law.
• Experience with Employment Tribunal proceedings.
• Ability to manage own caseload and meet deadlines.
• Advocacy experience and advising HR/senior stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Manage caseload from instruction to conclusion.
• Draft pleadings, witness statements and Tribunal documentation.
• Advise HR and managers on employment matters.
• Undertake advocacy at hearings where appropriate.
• Support governance matters and remote hearings.

Skills

Employment law

Discrimination law

Advocacy

Employment Tribunal

Job description

Role: Locum Employment Law Lawyer
Location: Bury / Greater Manchester
Contract: Locum - Until 31 December 2026
Rate: £55-£60 per hour
Hours: Full-time or 4 days per week considered
Working: Flexible / Home Working Available
Sector: Local Authority

The Opportunity

CRA Consulting is working with a local authority in Greater Manchester looking to appoint an experienced Employment Law Solicitor / Lawyer on a locum basis through to the end of December 2026. This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced employment lawyer seeking a well-paid and flexible local authority assignment, offering an interesting caseload with a particular emphasis on discrimination and contentious employment matters. The successful lawyer will join an established legal team, taking ownership of an existing caseload and providing confident, pragmatic advice from the outset. A significant proportion of the workload will involve discrimination matters, alongside wider employment work, advocacy and some governance matters.

The Role

Working as part of the Council's legal function, your caseload is likely to include:

• Employment Tribunal claims and contentious employment matters
• Discrimination and Equality Act matters
• Unfair and wrongful dismissal
• Grievance and disciplinary matters
• Capability, performance and absence issues
• Advising on employment policies and procedures
• Settlement discussions and agreements
• Drafting pleadings, witness statements and Tribunal documentation
• Advising HR colleagues, managers and senior stakeholders
• Managing cases from initial instruction through to conclusion
• Undertaking advocacy, where appropriate
• Remote hearings and meetings via video conference
• Supporting the wider legal team with some governance matters

The successful lawyer will be trusted to manage their own workload and should be comfortable working with a good degree of autonomy.

About You

We are interested in speaking with Solicitors, Barristers, Legal Executives and experienced Employment Lawyers with a strong practical background in employment law. Previous local authority experience would be advantageous but is not essential for somebody with strong employment law experience who can adapt quickly to a public-sector environment. Ideally, you will have experience of:

• Managing your own employment caseload
• Employment Tribunal proceedings
• Discrimination and Equality Act work
• Contentious employment matters
• Drafting Tribunal documentation
• Advising HR and senior stakeholders
• Advocacy and/or representing clients at hearings
• Managing competing priorities and deadlines

Experience of local government, governance or wider public-sector work would be particularly useful. Above all, the Council needs somebody who can hit the ground running and provide dependable support for the duration of the assignment.

Flexibility & Home Working

There is a good degree of flexibility attached to this assignment. A four-day working week will be considered, making the role potentially attractive to an experienced locum looking for flexibility around other commitments. There is also scope for home working, with much of the advocacy currently undertaken via video conference. Sensible discussions around working arrangements can therefore be considered for the right individual.

Why Consider This Assignment?

• £55-£60 per hour
• Assignment through to 31 December 2026
• Four days per week considered
• Home working available
• Substantive discrimination and Employment Tribunal work
• Opportunity to undertake advocacy
• Varied employment and governance caseload
• Good level of autonomy
• Established local authority legal environment

This could suit an established local authority locum or an experienced private practice employment lawyer interested in gaining public-sector experience.