Senior Associate

markelcorp; Manchester; On-site; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Markel Law in Manchester is seeking a Senior Associate to join our Employment Law team on a hybrid basis. You will handle complex advisory and transactional matters end-to-end, working with a diverse client base from SMEs to international organisations.

You're a confident, commercially minded employment lawyer with a track record in both contentious and non-contentious work, and you’re ready to nurture junior talent in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister (UK) with current practising certificate.
• Extensive experience in employment law, both contentious and non-contentious.
• Strong drafting, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage client relationships and stakeholders.
• Experience supervising or mentoring junior team members.
• Excellent organisational and multitasking abilities.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert day-to-day HR advisory, disciplinaries, grievances, and disputes.
• Support ACAS early conciliation, settlements, and employment strategies.
• Draft and review contracts, policies, settlement agreements, and handbooks.
• Manage Employment Tribunal cases from start to finish.
• Draft claims, responses, and applications; prepare witness statements.
• Brief Counsel and attend hearings when appropriate.
• Deliver training, updates, and thought leadership; support business development.
• Supervise and mentor junior team members.

Skills

Employment law

Client relationships

Drafting

Analysis

Mentoring

Organization

Commercial awareness

Education

Legal qualification UK

Job description

Senior Associate - Employment Law Manchester (hybrid working)

Ready to take your employment law career further?

At Markel Law, we don't just practise 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.

We're looking for a Senior Associate to join our highly regarded Employment Law team, recognised in the Legal 500 and known for delivering pragmatic, commercially focused advice to a diverse client base.

If you're passionate about complex, high-quality work and want to play a key role in a growing, collaborative team this could be your next move !

Why join Markel Law?

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.

Additional information

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.

Ready to make your mark?