Junior Employment Solicitor

Make UK; Gateshead; Hybrid; GBP 40,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension

Wellbeing support

Flexible working

Volunteer day

Job summary

Make UK is seeking an Employment Solicitor to join its HR & Legal team on a permanent, full-time basis. The role is home-based with some attendance at Gateshead offices and offers exposure to Employment Tribunal work.

You will draft key documents, support litigation, liaise with clients, and manage caseloads as you develop your employment law expertise. Training is provided, along with competitive benefits including volunteering leave.

Qualifications

• Legally qualified with a background in employment law or litigation support.
• Experience with tribunal work and drafting pleadings is desirable.
• Strong drafting, organisation and client communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Support Employment Tribunal litigation, including drafting ET3s and lists of issues.
• Assist with disclosure exercises and document review.
• Liaise with clients to gather evidence and documentation; draft witness statements.
• Prepare and manage tribunal bundles; monitor deadlines and directions.
• Conduct legal and factual research; maintain case files; communicate with tribunals and third parties.

Skills

Legal qualification

Employment law

Litigation support

Drafting

Attention to detail

Time management

Client communication

Team player

Tribunal processes

Training provided

Education

Law degree or equivalent

Job description

Employment Solicitor

Permanent, full time

Home based, with some attendance at Gateshead offices

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

Start your employment law career with real tribunal exposure.

Make UK is the UK’s leading trade body for the manufacturing and engineering sector. Collectively we represent 20,000 companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals, across engineering, manufacturing, technology and the wider industrial sector.

We provide a complete range of employment law advice, training, and HR services, working closely with our members to deliver tailored consultancy support that meets their specific business needs.

With nearly 130 years of experience, we have been supporting businesses by staying at the forefront of employment law and HR best practices. Our consultants bring senior and executive legal and HR experience from diverse industries. They offer best practice solutions backed by commercial insight gained from years in both private and public sectors.

We are seeking an ambitious Employment Law Solicitor to join our HR & Legal team. This is a hands-on role supporting a diverse client base of manufacturing organisations from well-known household names to major blue-chip businesses, including involvement with Employment tribunal cases.

If you already have some employment law experience and want to accelerate your development in litigation, this role offers the opportunity to build your skills quickly and, over time, take ownership of your own caseload.

The Role

Working closely with a Senior Legal Adviser, you’ll play a key role in supporting Employment Tribunal litigation. You’ll gain exposure to the full lifecycle of cases including assisting with the conduct of employment litigation in the Employment Tribunal, including supporting the drafting and management of pleadings, disclosure exercises, witness statements and tribunal bundles.

The role is supportive in nature although anticipates that over time you will work toward being able to handle your own employment tribunal caseload and portfolio of clients

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting the conduct of Employment Tribunal litigation


• Drafting key documents including ET3s, schedules of loss and lists of issues


• Assisting with disclosure exercises (document review, lists and organisation)


• Liaising with clients to gather evidence and documentation


• Supporting the preparation and drafting of witness statements


• Preparing and managing tribunal bundles


• Monitoring deadlines and tribunal directions


• Conducting legal and factual research


• Maintaining accurate case files and records


• Assisting with correspondence with clients, tribunals and third parties (including Acas)

You’ll bring:

• Legally qualified


• Experience in employment law / litigation support


• Strong drafting and attention to detail


• Good organisational skills and the ability to manage deadlines


• Confidence communicating with clients and colleagues


• A proactive, team-focused approach


• Previous experience with tribunal processes (pleadings, disclosure, witness statements) is helpful but not essential, full training will be provided.

Why Join Make UK?

• Early exposure to high-quality employment tribunal work


• Clear pathway to managing your own caseload


• Work with a broad and interesting client base

Make UK promotes a culture that is:

• Collaborative – working closely with colleagues, members and partners


• Innovative – forward-thinking and focused on continuous improvement


• Inclusive – valuing diversity and creating a supportive environment


• Professional & with integrity – delivering high-quality advice you can trust

Employees at Make UK benefit from:

• Purpose-driven work – supporting and shaping the future of UK manufacturing


• Expert environment – working alongside specialists in employment law, HR and industry


• Career development – opportunities for learning, progression and professional growth


• Collaborative culture – supportive teams with a strong sense of shared purpose


• Competitive benefits – typically including pension, wellbeing support and flexible working

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.