Employment Tribunal Litigator

Make UK; Warrington, Sheffield, Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Pension

Health cover

Volunteer day

Job summary

Make UK is seeking an experienced Employment Tribunal Litigator to manage a varied caseload, advising employers on strategy and risk. The role offers home-based work with a Warrington, Sheffield or Gateshead hub and one day per week in the office plus travel.

You will handle discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing and related matters, developing advocacy skills with full training and support as needed.

Qualifications

• Experienced employment lawyer with tribunal litigation experience.
• Qualification as solicitor, barrister or FCILEx, or equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and tribunal procedure.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and case-management skills.
• Good negotiation skills and commercial awareness.

Responsibilities

• Manage Employment Tribunal claims from early advice through to final hearing.
• Draft pleadings, witness statements, case management documents and bundles.
• Conduct advocacy at preliminary and final hearings when required.
• Liaise with ACAS and support settlement negotiations.
• Advise members on litigation risk and case strategy.
• Collaborate with HR, Legal and Make UK teams.

Skills

Employment law

Tribunal litigation

Drafting skills

Negotiation

Communication

Team collaboration

Education

Solicitor/Barrister/FCILEx

Tools

Case management

Microsoft Office

Job description

Home-based | Warrington, Sheffield or Gateshead hub – 1 day per week plus travel as required

Competitive salaries and excellent benefits including up to one day's paid leave each year to undertake volunteering opportunities

At Make UK, we represent and champion the interests of UK manufacturing. With more than 130 years of experience, we work closely with businesses across the sector, providing expert support across employment law, HR, health & safety and skills.

Our Employment Law team is at the heart of that support, helping members navigate complex workplace issues and providing practical, commercially focused advice when they need it most.

We’re now looking for an experienced Employment Tribunal Litigator to join the team and take ownership of a varied caseload of contentious employment matters.

This is a hands-on litigation role where you’ll manage Employment Tribunal claims from pre-claim advice through to final hearing, advising employers on strategy, risk and potential outcomes along the way.

You’ll work with a broad range of employment matters, including discrimination, unfair dismissal, whistleblowing, redundancy, contractual disputes and worker status, providing clear and pragmatic advice to clients who may not have a legal background.

You’ll also have the opportunity to develop your advocacy skills. Previous advocacy experience would be an advantage, but it isn’t essential – training and support will be available if this is an area you’d like to develop.

• Managing a caseload of Employment Tribunal claims from early advice through to final hearing
• Drafting pleadings, witness statements, case management documents and bundles
• Conducting advocacy at preliminary and, where appropriate, final hearings
• Liaising with ACAS and supporting settlement negotiations
• Managing disclosure, evidence preparation and litigation strategy
• Advising members on complex employment law issues, litigation risk and case strategy
• Drafting and reviewing employment contracts, policies, procedures and other employment documentation
• Providing employment law and employee relations advice to clients by telephone, in writing and in person
• Working closely with colleagues across HR, Legal and other Make UK teams
• Supporting member retention and recruitment through excellent client service
• Identifying opportunities to support members with additional fee-paying work
• Keeping your technical knowledge up to date through research and professional development

What we’re looking for:

You’ll be an experienced employment lawyer with a strong grounding in Employment Tribunal litigation and the confidence to manage your own caseload.

• Qualification as a solicitor, barrister or FCILEx, or equivalent relevant experience
• Strong knowledge of UK employment law and tribunal procedure
• Excellent drafting, analytical and case management skills
• Strong negotiation skills and commercial awareness
• The ability to explain complex legal issues clearly and practically to non-lawyers
• Excellent organisation skills and the ability to prioritise a varied caseload
• A calm, client-focused approach and the ability to put people at ease
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills
• The ability to work collaboratively across a regional and national team
• Good IT skills, including Microsoft Office and case management systems

Advocacy experience is desirable but not essential. If you have strong litigation experience and are keen to build your advocacy skills, we’ll support you to do so.

Why Make UK?

This is an opportunity to use your employment law expertise in a role where the advice you provide has a genuine impact on businesses and people across UK manufacturing.

You’ll work alongside experienced specialists across employment law, HR, health & safety and industry, giving you exposure to a broad range of issues and the opportunity to continue developing your career.

We’re a collaborative, inclusive and forward-thinking organisation, and we value people who bring professionalism, integrity and a practical approach to everything they do.

What you can expect:

• Purpose-driven work supporting the future of UK manufacturing
• A knowledgeable and collaborative professional environment
• Opportunities for learning, development and career progression
• Flexible and home-based working
• Supportive colleagues and a strong team culture
• Competitive benefits, typically including pension and wellbeing support

With over 125 years of experience, Make UK is a leading provider of essential business support and a champion for manufacturing industry in the UK. Make UK has the close ear of Government and is a trusted provider of essential services for world leading manufacturing companies across the country. Everything we do is designed to inspire British manufacturers to compete, innovate and grow.

Make UK staff enjoy a good benefits package and values a diverse workforce and welcomes applications from all sections of the community. Benefits to include, but not limited to: no bank holiday/weekend work, flexible hours, health cover, matched pension contributions up to 8%, and life assurance.

We are committed to supporting the Armed Forces Community and we recognise the contribution that Service personnel, both regular and reservist, veterans and military families make to our organisation and have pledged to support this by signing up to the Armed Forces Covenant.