Head of Employment

SE-Solicitors; Oxford; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus

Equity participation

Inclusive culture

Job summary

SE-Solicitors seeks an experienced Employment Solicitor to head the Employment Department at our Oxford Office. The successful candidate will lead the team, advise the Board and HR Director, and handle a broad range of complex employment matters with a commercial focus.

The role offers senior leadership responsibility, potential equity participation, and a collaborative culture within a firm recognised for its staff development and equal opportunities.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales with strong employment law experience.
• 8–10+ years post-qualification experience in private practice or in-house.
• Excellent stakeholder management and commercial awareness.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage the employment team.
• Oversee department performance and strategy.
• Provide employment law advice to Board members and HR Director.
• Manage employment litigation and tribunal claims end to end.
• Review and update policies, contracts, and staff documentation.
• Support organisational change, restructures and post-acquisition integration.
• Deliver training to managers to build capability.
• Collaborate with HR to embed sound legal thinking.

Skills

Employment law

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Negotiation

Education

Qualified solicitor in England & Wales

8–10+ years experience

Job description

Employment Solicitor Head of Department and Director – Oxford Office

We are seeking a highly skilled and experienced Employment Solicitor to join our legal team. This role is ideal for a dynamic and commercially minded Employment Solicitor who will join us as Head of our Employment Department.The successful candidate will have proven experience of dealing with a wide range of complex Employment Law matters, will advise Board members and work closely with our Human Resources Director.

SE-Solicitors is consistently recognised as a high-ranking law firm in the Legal 500. We are a firm who put people first in everything we do, meaning we are focussed on not only our clients but the development and success of all our staff. As an equal opportunity’s employer, we comply with the equality laws, whilst promoting a healthy and harmonious working environment in which all employees are treated with dignity and respect.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and manage the employment team
• Accountability for department performance
• Lead the provision of employment law advice across the firm, acting as the main point of contact for our HR Director and Board members.
• Advise on complex employee relations issues including grievances, disciplinaries, whistleblowing, restructures, and senior exits.
• Manage employment litigation and tribunal claims end to end, including instructing and overseeing external counsel where required.
• Review updates to firm’s employment policies, employment contracts, handbooks, and template documentation to a consistently high standard.
• Assist HR Director with organisational change matters including restructures, redundancy programmes, and post-acquisition integration.
• Provide employment law input into M&A activity, and commercial transactions.
• Network and grow the Employment Law offering.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with employment legislation and horizon scan for relevant legislative and case law developments.
• Advise on executive hiring, settlement agreements, restrictive covenants, and confidentiality arrangements.
• Deliver practical training to managers and the People team to build capability and confidence.
• Work in partnership with the HR Department to embed sound legal thinking into policy and process from the outset.

Person Specification

• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales, or equivalent jurisdiction, with a strong specialism in employment law.
• Significant post-qualification experience, typically 8-10+ years, gained in private practice, in-house, or both.
• Strong current knowledge of UK employment law.
• Commercial and pragmatic, with the ability to translate legal risk into clear, actionable advice.
• Confident advising and influencing senior stakeholders, including at board level.
• Confident and experienced people manager

What We Offer:

• Competitive Salary + bonus, benefits
• A role with genuine scope to influence at senior level, and subject to performance, progression to equity participation
• The opportunity to support the business from day one and contribute to an environment that values inclusivity, innovation, and its collaborative culture.