Senior Legal Counsel Employment

UCL Eastman Dental Institute; Greater London; On-site; GBP 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A public research institution in Greater London is seeking a senior employment lawyer to provide high-quality legal advice on various employment matters while managing a team of specialists. The role involves advising on discrimination, equal opportunities, and related rights, while influencing stakeholders at senior levels. Benefits include generous holiday allowance, a defined benefit pension scheme, and enhanced family leave policies, making it a great opportunity for qualified legal professionals.

Benefits

41 days’ holiday

Defined benefit pension scheme

On-site nursery and gym

Cycle to work scheme

Qualifications

• Significant post-qualified experience as a specialist employment lawyer.
• Up-to-date technical knowledge and analytical skills.
• Experience dealing with employment and people related matters.

Responsibilities

• Provide high-quality legal advice on employment matters.
• Manage a team of employment specialists.
• Advise on discrimination, equal opportunities, and related rights.

Skills

Significant post-qualified experience as a specialist employment lawyer

Excellent analytical skills

Sound judgement

Experience in freedom of speech and complex equalities issues

Excellent knowledge of employment litigation and strategy

Job description

About the role

In this job you’ll be a senior member of a team providing high quality legal advice on the wide range of contentious and non-contentious employment and people related matters across UCL, working with stakeholders up to a very senior level. With management responsibility for three other Legal Counsel employment specialists, and deputising for the Deputy Director when required, you'll play a key part in managing institutionally significant matters, as well as business as usual activities. The caseload is very varied and interesting, and will include advising on discrimination; equal opportunities; disciplinaries and grievances; freedom of speech and related rights; trade unions; change management; whistleblowing; pensions; policy development, and everything in between.

This position comes with a salary of £85,-£95,, plus generous holiday allowance, an excellent pension and attractive benefits package.

A full job description is attached to this advert.

About you

To do this job you'll ideally have significant post qualified experience as a specialist employment lawyer at a high calibre law firm, or equivalent in-house role. You will have up to date technical knowledge, excellent analytical skills, sound judgement, and demonstrable experience operating and influencing up to Director level.

You’ll have experience dealing with employment and people related matters on a self-standing basis, a willingness to take on new tasks in unfamiliar areas, and to react confidently and quickly to emerging issues.

You'll also need excellent knowledge of employment litigation and strategy. Experience in freedom of speech and complex equalities issues is desirable.

Appreciation of the dynamics of higher education and an empathy with academic endeavour, without necessarily having worked in the HE sector, is desirable.

Please read our job spec, paying particular attention to the essential and desirable criteria, and ensure these are covered in your application.

What we offer

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 days’ holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 6 closure days)
• Option to purchase 5 additional days’ annual leave
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme, season ticket loan, and immigration loan
• Relocation support for eligible posts
• On-site nursery and gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Staff Support Service (employee assistance programme)
• Discounted medical insurance