Senior Lawyer - Employment

Reading Borough Council; Reading; Hybrid; GBP 59,000 - 66,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday entitlement 25 days

Flexible working

LGPS

Life Assurance

Nursery on-site

Season Ticket Loan

Lease car scheme

Job summary

Reading Borough Council is seeking an experienced Senior Lawyer - Employment to join its Legal Services team in a role that advises on a wide range of employment law issues.

You will support HR, managers and senior leaders, draft policy and guide on complex matters while supervising junior lawyers. The role offers hybrid working and a strong public service environment.

Qualifications

• Qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX with current practising certificate in England.
• Experience delivering legal services across local government settings.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; able to advise senior managers and elected members.
• Strong organisational skills and ability to prioritise a demanding workload.
• Ability to work largely independently with sound judgement and delivery.

Responsibilities

• Advise on a wide range of employment law matters including disciplinary and performance issues.
• Support organisational change projects such as restructures and TUPE transfers.
• Manage Employment Tribunal claims from initial advice to resolution.
• Draft and review employment policies, procedures and agreements.
• Provide pragmatic, commercially aware legal advice to HR and leadership teams.
• Mentor junior lawyers and legal support staff.

Skills

Legal analysis

Stakeholder management

Communication skills

Policy drafting

Independent work

Team supervision

Employment law

Public sector

Education

Qualified Solicitor/Barrister/CILEX

Tools

Legal databases

Job description

Are you an experienced Employment Lawyer looking for a role where you can provide trusted legal advice on complex and high-profile workforce matters?

We're seeking a talented Senior Lawyer - Employment to join our Legal Services team. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the heart of a large and diverse organisation, advising on a broad range of employment law issues that directly support the delivery of vital services to our communities.

You'll work closely with HR professionals, managers and senior leaders, providing practical, solution-focused legal advice that helps the Council navigate an evolving employment landscape while supporting positive outcomes for employees and the organisation.

We seek the best talent from the widest pool of people as diversity and inclusion is the key to our success. Reading Borough Council is a Disability Confident Employer and is committed to the recruitment and continued employment of people with disabilities.

We support hybrid working, it’s important to us that working arrangements are designed to enable our employees to excel and within this role you’ll have the opportunity to work in a way that suits your lifestyle.

Senior Lawyer - Employment

About The Role

• Advise on a wide range of employment law matters, including disciplinary, grievance, capability and attendance management issues.
• Support organisational change projects, including restructures, redundancies and TUPE transfers.
• Manage Employment Tribunal claims from initial advice through to resolution and advocacy where appropriate.
• Advise on discrimination, equality, whistleblowing and other complex employment-related matters.
• Draft and review employment policies, procedures, agreements and other legal documentation.
• Provide legal support to HR, managers and senior leadership teams on sensitive and high-risk workforce issues.
• Deliver pragmatic and commercially aware legal advice that balances legal risk with operational objectives.
• Support and mentor junior lawyers and legal support colleagues as required.

This is a fantastic opportunity to work on a wide variety of interesting and impactful cases while contributing to the development of a modern, proactive legal service.

About You

You’ll be a qualified solicitor, barrister or CILEX lawyer, entitled to practise in England and holding a current practising certificate.

You’ll have strong legal analytical skills, excellent written and verbal communication, and the ability to explain complex legal issues clearly to a range of audiences. You’ll be confident managing a varied workload, exercising sound judgement and working independently while building effective relationships with colleagues and clients.

You’ll also bring political awareness, resilience and a commitment to continuous improvement. A willingness to supervise colleagues, contribute to team development and deputise for a Principal Lawyer in team management is important.

Essential requirements

• Qualification as a Solicitor, Barrister or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives (CILEX), with a current practising certificate and entitlement to practise in England.
• In-depth experience of providing legal services across a range of local government services.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the confidence to advise senior managers and elected members.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, concise and well-reasoned legal advice.
• Strong organisational skills and the ability to prioritise a demanding workload and meet deadlines.
• The confidence to work largely independently, exercise sound judgement and take responsibility for matters through to completion.
• A collaborative approach, with a willingness to support colleagues, supervise staff and contribute to service improvement.
• The ability to keep abreast of developments in law and best practice and identify opportunities to improve the service.
• Experience in employment law and advising on employment-related legal issues would be relevant to this specialist role.

Our offer

A competitive salary alongside a range of benefits including:

• Generous holiday entitlement - 25 days holiday each year plus bank holidays - rising to 30 days after 5 years and 33 days after 10 years' service, with the option to buy additional leave
• A wide range of flexible working opportunities
• Modern working environment at the Civic Offices in the heart of Reading
• Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS)
• Life Assurance - three times your annual salary (for members of the LGPS)
• On-site day nursery (Kennet Day nursery) rated outstanding by Ofsted
• Season Ticket Loan - a loan to help with the cost of your rail or bus journey, to and from work
• Lease car salary sacrifice scheme allowing you to lease a brand new, greener car for three years. The monthly fee includes insurance, servicing and road tax

For more information on this position please contact Jayne La Grua, Director – Legal at [e-mail] Date: Sunday 8th November 2026Interview Date: To be confirmedInterview Setup: In person at the Civic Centre, Bridge Street, Reading, RG1 2LU

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

Senior Lawyer - Employment Company: Reading Borough Council Salary: £58,602 to £65,567 a year Hours: Full-time Location: Reading, RG1 2LU Working pattern: Hybrid - 3 days remote Job type: Permanent Posting date: 29 Oct 2026 Closing date: 8 Nov 2026