Senior Associate - Employment Law

Markel; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Salary + bonus

25 days holiday

Private medical

Pension

Training & progression

Flexible work

Job summary

Markel Law in Manchester is seeking a Senior Associate to join its Employment Law team. You’ll advise clients and manage employment matters end-to-end, contributing to a growing, collaborative practice recognised in the Legal 500.

This hybrid role offers exposure to both advisory and contentious work, from day-to-day HR issues to Employment Tribunal proceedings, with a client base ranging from SMEs to international organisations.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor or barrister (UK) with current practising certificate.
• Strong drafting, analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Experience supervising or mentoring others or willingness to step into this.

Responsibilities

• Advisory & transactional work: provide expert advice on day-to-day HR issues, disciplinaries, grievances and disputes; support early conciliation, settlements and employment strategies; draft and review contracts, policies, settlement agreements and handbooks; advise on TUPE and collective consultation.

Skills

Employment law

Client relationships

Drafting & reviewing

Negotiation

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister (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.

Ready to make your mark?

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 on how to apply offline.