Professional Support Lawyer

Markel International; Manchester; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive starting salary

Annual bonus & benefits package

25 days holiday plus bank holidays

Flexible working options

Access to development programmes

Collaborative culture

Job summary

A leading legal firm in the UK seeks a Professional Support Lawyer (Employment Law) – Senior Associate in Manchester. The successful candidate will combine technical expertise and a passion for knowledge sharing to support the employment team. Responsibilities include legal research, creating training programmes, and contributing to client briefings in employment legislation. This role offers a competitive salary, benefits, and flexible working options. Join a collaborative culture where your ideas matter.

Qualifications

• Minimum qualifications: Qualified solicitor with strong post-qualification experience in employment law.
• Experience in UK employment legislation and tribunal procedures is essential.
• High level of drafting, analysis and communication skills required.
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into practical guidance.
• Strong project management and ability to juggle multiple training calendars.
• Genuine enthusiasm for legal developments and HR trends.

Responsibilities

• Track and interpret legislation and case law in employment law.
• Design and deliver training programmes for legal staff.
• Lead development of know-how systems and content libraries.
• Draft client briefings on employment law developments.

Skills

Qualified solicitor with strong post-qualification experience in employment law

Deep understanding of UK employment legislation and tribunal procedures

Exceptional drafting, analysis and communication skills

Ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, practical guidance

Strong project management capability

Genuine enthusiasm for legal developments and HR/employment trends

Job description

Professional Support Lawyer (Employment Law) – Senior Associate

Location: Manchester

Contract: Full time, Permanent

Be part of something bigger at Markel Law

At Markel, we believe the work we do genuinely matters. Our clients rely on us in moments that shape their businesses and their people. That’s why we’ve built a culture grounded in curiosity, expertise and a collaborative spirit – one where talented lawyers can make a real impact as we continue to grow. Markel Law LLP is an SRA regulated legal business specialising in civil, casualty, employment, commercial and regulatory law. From our offices in Manchester, Leeds, London and Croydon, over 60 specialist solicitors guide, defend and protect organisations across the UK. Our award winning Legal Advice Line supports more than 200,000 callers a year, and our Business Hub is used daily by thousands of businesses looking for practical guidance.

Role

Shape the future of Markel’s Employment Law practice. As our new PSL (Senior Associate), you’ll play a pivotal role in keeping our employment team at the forefront of legal developments. You’ll combine deep technical expertise with a passion for knowledge sharing, building the tools, resources and insights that help our fee earners and our clients thrive. The role will be to support the Employment practice by delivering high quality legal know‑how, training, and strategic insight. The role ensures the team stays ahead of fast moving legislative and case law developments while maintaining a best in class suite of precedents, tools, and client facing materials. This is a role with genuine influence: you’ll shape our legal know‑how, drive innovative training programmes, and act as a trusted source of guidance on complex and emerging employment issues.

What you’ll be doing

• Legal Knowledge & Research: track and interpret the latest legislation, case law and regulatory updates in employment law; produce clear, practical guidance notes across topics such as unfair dismissal, discrimination, TUPE, whistleblowing and redundancy; draft and maintain our suite of precedents, including contracts, policies, settlement agreements and tribunal documents; support fee earners with expert responses to complex or novel employment issues.
• Development: design and deliver training programmes for lawyers at all levels, from new joiners to senior associates; run engaging legal update sessions on new legislation, case law and HR trends; develop practical workshops on investigations, grievances, disciplinary procedures and tribunal preparation.
• Knowledge Management: lead the development and continuous improvement of our know‑how systems and content libraries; create toolkits and checklists for processes such as redundancies, disciplinary procedures and TUPE transfers; work with our Knowledge Management teams to enhance knowledge capture and sharing.
• Client & Business Development Support: draft client briefings and alerts on employment law developments; support the delivery of client training programmes for HR leaders and managers; contribute to thought leadership on big issues shaping the workplace – from hybrid working to AI in HR to DE&I trends.

What we’re looking for

• Qualified solicitor with strong post‑qualification experience in employment law
• Deep understanding of UK employment legislation and tribunal procedures
• Exceptional drafting, analysis and communication skills
• Ability to translate complex legal concepts into clear, practical guidance
• Strong project management capability – able to juggle training calendars, knowledge projects and deadlines
• Genuine enthusiasm for legal developments and HR/employment trends

Why Markel Law

At Markel Law, we’re all about people. We believe in doing the right thing, supporting one another, and creating an environment where we grow. You’ll enjoy:

• Competitive starting salary, great annual bonus & benefits package
• 25 days holiday & bank holidays (ability to buy/sell extra days)
• Excellent pension, private medical and travel insurance
• Flexible working options and genuine work‑life balance
• A platform to shape and grow a nationally recognised practice
• Access to learning and development programmes to help you accelerate your career
• A collaborative, supportive team culture where your ideas genuinely matter

We proudly support applicants seeking flexible working, and we are a Disability Confident and Committed employer. If you need adjustments at any stage, we’ll make it happen.

Ready to shape the future of employment law at Markel?

If you’re excited by the opportunity to lead, influence and elevate our Employment Law practice, we’d love to hear from you. At Markel, we are all about the people, celebrating the value of a diverse workforce that brings experience and expertise from a wide variety of backgrounds and life circumstances. Whatever your background, if you feel you meet the requirements of this role then we want to hear from you. We are also happy to consider candidates who are looking for flexible working patterns.

We will ensure that individuals are provided with any reasonable accommodations to be able to participate in the job application or interview process and to perform essential job functions if successful. Please contact us via email at [e-mail] or call us at 0161 507 5827 to request any accommodations or adjustments that may be needed, including alternative formats of documents or information.