Senior Associate - Employment ( 12 month Fixed Term Contract)

Clyde & Co; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 75,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary package

Contributory pension

Season ticket loans

Mortgage advice services

Private Medical Insurance

Digital GP service

Free health screening every 3 years

Wellness allowance

Cycle to Work scheme

Discounts and employee benefits

Diversity and community programs

Job summary

Clyde & Co in Manchester seeks a Senior Associate (5PQE+) to join our Employment team on a 12-month fixed term contract. The ideal candidate will manage a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, primarily for employers, with a mix of advisory and litigation work.

This role offers hybrid working and opportunities to contribute to business development and mentoring colleagues. We value commercial, client-focused advice and a collaborative approach.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor with 5+ years PQE in employment law.
• Strong technical expertise in employment law.
• Able to work independently and with the wider team.
• Proven ability to build and maintain client relationships.
• Experience in business development activities.
• Able to supervise and lead junior team members.
• Mentoring and supporting colleagues.
• Experience handling Employment Tribunal litigation and advocacy.
• Strong drafting skills for pleadings and contracts.
• Commercial awareness and client-focused advice.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills.
• Confidence in managing client relationships.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Experience advising employers on complex HR issues.

Responsibilities

• Act for employers across a broad range of matters.
• Manage a varied caseload across contentious and non-contentious matters.
• Support business development initiatives.

Skills

Employment law expertise

Client relationship building

Business development

Mentoring junior staff

Tribunal litigation experience

Drafting documents

Time management

Communication skills

Team collaboration

Commercial awareness

Education

Qualified solicitor with 5+ PQE in employment law

Job description

Role: Senior Associate (5PQE+) – 12-month Fixed Term Contract

Department: Employment

Location: Manchester

We are looking for someone who would be available ideally to start the contract from late November. We welcome any applicants from candidates who may be returning back from leave or on career breaks.

The Team

This is an exciting opportunity to join our busy and successful Employment team. We are friendly and approachable, and we provide a supportive environment to ensure that every team member achieves their full potential. The firm offers many opportunities for our people to develop their careers including our Global Associate Programme under which Associates can spend a week working at another of our many offices around the world.

We provide market-leading support to a wide variety of clients including employers in the public sector, education, transport, construction, manufacturing, food and drink, aviation, and the arts as well as senior executives. We advise on all aspects of employment law including: discrimination, whistleblowing, unfair dismissal, redundancy, disciplinary and grievance issues, large scale restructuring projects and TUPE. We have a stellar reputation for providing commercial, pragmatic and accessible advice. Our team are instructed in litigation in the Employment Tribunal and the civil courts and have represented clients in some of the most profile and high value litigations in England & Scotland in recent years.

The Role

Due to the team expanding, we are seeking an experienced and motivated Senior Associate (5+ years’ PQE) to join us on a hybrid working basis. The successful candidate will spend the majority of their time acting for employers, as part of a varied and dynamic caseload. The role will involve managing a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, as well as supporting business development initiatives.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and financial benefits, including a contributory pension scheme, season ticket loans and access to mortgage advice services.
• Private Medical Insurance and digital GP service
• Free health screening every three years
• Wellness Plus allowance for fitness and wellbeing activities
• Lifestyle benefits, including the Cycle to Work scheme, retail and travel discounts
• Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and community, supported through employee networks, volunteering opportunities, matched charitable fundraising and opportunities to get involved with pro bono and community work

Essential Skills & Experience

• Qualified solicitor with a minimum of 5 years’ PQE, gained predominantly in employment law

• Strong technical expertise in employment law

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with the wider team

• Proven ability to build and maintain strong client relationships

• Experience in business development activities

• Ability to supervise and lead junior team members on projects

• Commitment to mentoring and supporting colleagues

• Experience handling Employment Tribunal litigation and advocacy

• Strong drafting skills, including pleadings, contracts, and advisory documentation

• Commercial awareness with the ability to deliver pragmatic, client-focused advice

• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities

• Confidence in managing client relationships and acting as a key point of contact

• Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both written and verbal

• Experience advising employers on complex HR and workplace issues

The Firm

When you work at Clyde & Co, you join a team of 500 partners, 2,400 lawyers, 3,200 legal professionals and 5,500 people in nearly 70 offices and associated offices worldwide. Our values are the principles that guide the decisions we make, unite us in our endeavours and strengthen our delivery, for both our clients and our firm. We work as one, excel with clients, celebrate difference and act boldly. We are committed to operating in a responsible way by progressing towards a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects the communities and clients it serves. We are devoted to providing an environment in which everyone can realise their potential, using its legal and professional skills to support its communities. We do this through pro bono work, volunteering and charitable partnerships, and minimising the impact it has on the environment, including through our commitment to the SBTi Net-Zero standard and the setting of ambitious emissions reduction targets.

Our Commitment

Clyde & Co is proud to be an equal opportunities employer. Our values encourage us to support fairness, celebrate diversity and prohibit all forms of discrimination in the workplace to allow everyone to excel at work. Therefore, we welcome and encourage all applications from suitably qualified individuals, regardless of background or identity.

A Note on Privacy

Please take a moment to read our privacy notice. This describes what personal information Clyde & Co (we) may hold about you, what it’s used for, how it’s obtained, your rights and how to contact us as a data subject.

If you are submitting a candidate as a Recruitment Agency Partner, it is an essential requirement and your responsibility to ensure that candidates applying to Clyde & Co are aware of this privacy notice.

This is the job description as constituted at present; however, Clyde & Co reserves the right to reasonably amend it in accordance with the changing needs of the business.