Senior/Principal Associate - Employment

Mills & Reeve LLP; Cambridge, Leeds; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

This innovative firm seeks a senior employment lawyer to join their dynamic team in Cambridge. You will engage in a diverse range of contentious and non-contentious work, primarily within the health and care sector, while also contributing to the growth of the firm. With a focus on client service and technical excellence, you will have the opportunity to mentor junior lawyers and develop your career in a supportive environment. Join a leading firm that values personal relationships and is committed to achieving more for clients and communities. If you are passionate about employment law and eager to make a difference, this role is for you.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Flexible working arrangements

Professional development opportunities

Inclusive working environment

Qualifications

• 5+ years' experience in employment law from a reputable firm.
• Strong technical competence and legal knowledge in employment law.

Responsibilities

• Deliver outstanding client service and build strong client relationships.
• Manage Employment Tribunal litigation and supervise junior lawyers.

Skills

Employment Law

Client Relationship Management

Business Development

Employment Tribunal Advocacy

Presentation Skills

Time Management

Research Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Education

Degree & A levels or equivalents

Job description

Are you a senior employment lawyer in the Cambridge or Leeds areas looking for a new challenge? This might be just the role for you!

The role

We are looking for an experienced employment law solicitor to join the NSL in our Cambridge or Leeds offices, either at Principal or Senior Associate level. Principal Associate is the most senior non-Partner grade of lawyer that we have.

You will undertake a broad mix of contentious and non-contentious work predominantly for our well-established health and care sector client-base, but also for other public organisations and Government bodies. This work is led by Partner Stuart Craig.

Health and care is a key sector for the firm and is highly regarded throughout the NSL and the firm. The work is technically very interesting, arising from the size and complexity of our clients and the national context in which they sit. The clients are rewarding to work with; they are highly qualified, experienced and keen to do their best for their organisation as well as being fair to employees. We are regarded as one of the leading health and care sector firms in the country and have ambitious plans for growth. Senior employment lawyers without Healthcare experience are also encouraged to apply.

This is an exciting opportunity to join that team at a senior level, to support further growth and help to develop more junior members of the team.

Responsibilities

At this level, you will be expected to perform as follows:

Client service

• Deliver outstanding client service to both internal and external clients to encourage client retention and referrals.
• Have a sound understanding of clients' legal, commercial and service requirements.
• Have effective client relationship and client service skills.
• Demonstrate strong business development credentials in terms of growth from existing clients and bringing in new work.

Technical excellence

• Have strong technical competence and legal knowledge in employment law.
• Deliver high quality and commercially focused advice.
• Experience in managing Employment Tribunal litigation.
• Deliver training to clients and target clients.
• Carry out supervision of junior lawyers.

The team

The Cambridge & Leeds employment teams are part of the cross-office Employment, Pensions and Immigration NSL of approximately 80 lawyers (which is headed by David Mills and supported by two professional support lawyers). There are monthly cross-office NSL training sessions delivered by our professional support lawyers, together with cross-office and sector away days.

The Cambridge & Leeds teams are both Chambers & Partners and Legal 500 recognised and are continuing to develop and grow.

The person

You will have 5+ years' employment experience gained in a reputable firm with a substantive employment law practice.

Skills and attributes

Given the nature of this role, it is likely that your background and experience will include the following:

• Degree & A levels or equivalents.
• Clear enthusiasm for employment law.
• Excellent presentational skills.
• Self-starting with common sense and initiative, and ability to work as a team-player on complex matters.
• Very good time and documentation management skills.
• Keen attention to detail.
• Ability to lead on Employment Tribunal matters and run matters with minimal supervision.
• Ability to supervise and assist more junior lawyers.
• Ability to build very good relationships with clients, potential clients and multipliers.
• Very good research skills, including an ability to use online information sources.
• Excellent interpersonal and team skills, including ability to work with others, influence and persuade.
• High level of IT skills.
• Marketing and business development skills.
• Experience of Employment Tribunal advocacy.
• A passion for developing others.
• A track record of building a network of contacts with clients and other multipliers (such as participation in an ongoing network or group).

The benefits

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three-year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

The firm

Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.

We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don't offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,250 plus people and over 750 lawyers share one vision – achieving more for clients.

By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that's not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. Our mantra is “Achieve more. Together.”, which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase! We're also ranked in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and were recently awarded Platinum Investors in People.

And finally

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.