Senior Associate

Markel; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary + annual bonus

25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays)

Private medical, dental, life assurance & income protection

Generous pension and additional lifestyle benefits

Ongoing learning and career progression opportunities

Flexible working environment

Job summary

Markel in Manchester is seeking a Senior Associate – Employment Law to join their hybrid working team. The role involves advising clients on a range of employment matters and managing cases from start to finish.

The ideal candidate is a qualified solicitor or barrister with strong experience in both contentious and non‑contentious employment law. The position offers a competitive salary, annual bonus, and excellent benefits including private medical care and a flexible working environment.

Qualifications

• Strong experience across both contentious and non‑contentious employment law.
• Qualified solicitor or barrister (UK) with a current practising certificate.
• Excellent drafting, analytical and problem‑solving skills.

Responsibilities

• Advising clients and managing employment matters end‑to‑end.
• Providing expert advice on day‑to‑day HR issues, disciplinaries, grievances and disputes.
• Managing Employment Tribunal cases from start to finish.

Skills

Contentious employment law

Non-contentious employment law

Excellent drafting skills

Analytical skills

Client relationship skills

Supervisory experience

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister (UK)

Job description

Senior Associate – Employment Law

Manchester (hybrid working)

Ready to take your employment law career further?

Why join Markel Law?

At Markel Law we help businesses move forward with confidence. As part of a Fortune 500 group, we combine global strength with a people‑first culture where your ideas, expertise, and ambition truly matter.

• Be part of a Legal 500‑recognised employment team with deep expertise
• Work on high‑quality, complex matters across both contentious and non‑contentious employment law
• Advise a broad client base—from SMEs to large national and international organisations
• Join a supportive, experienced team (majority 15+ years PQE)
• Enjoy real opportunities to develop leadership skills and shape junior talent

What You’ll Be Doing

You’ll play a key role advising clients and managing employment matters end‑to‑end, including:

• Advisory & transactional work
  • Providing expert advice on day‑to‑day HR issues, disciplinaries, grievances and disputes
  • Supporting ACAS early conciliation, settlements and employment strategies
  • Drafting and reviewing contracts, policies, settlement agreements and handbooks
  • Advising on complex issues including TUPE and collective consultation
• Contentious work
  • Managing Employment Tribunal cases from start to finish
  • Drafting claims, responses and applications
  • Preparing witness statements and evidence
  • Briefing counsel and attending hearings where appropriate
• Client & team impact
  • Delivering training, updates and thought leadership to clients and colleagues
  • Supporting business development initiatives and strengthening client relationships
  • Supervising and mentoring junior team members

What You’ll Bring

We’re looking for a confident, commercial employment lawyer who thrives in a fast‑paced environment:

• Strong experience across both contentious and non‑contentious employment law
• Qualified solicitor or barrister (UK) with a current practising certificate
• Excellent drafting, analytical and problem‑solving skills
• Ability to build trusted relationships with clients and stakeholders
• Commercial awareness and a client‑first mindset
• Experience supervising or mentoring others (or readiness to step into this)
• Strong organisational skills with the ability to prioritise and multitask effectively

What’s in it for you?

• Competitive salary + annual bonus
• 25 days’ holiday (plus bank holidays) with option to buy/sell
• Private medical, dental, life assurance & income protection
• Generous pension and additional lifestyle benefits
• Ongoing learning, development, and career progression opportunities
• A genuinely flexible working environment

Our Culture

At Markel, everything we do is grounded in our values: We’re all about people. We win together. We strive for better. We enjoy the everyday. We think further. We’re committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone can thrive and bring their full selves to work.

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 on how to apply offline.