Associate/Senior Associate Employment

Location: Chelmsford or City of London, near Barbican and Liverpool Street
Hybrid working: Three days in the office and two days from home
Salary: Approximately £65,000–£90,000, depending on experience, seniority and location

An excellent opportunity has arisen for an Employment Associate or Senior Associate to join the highly regarded employment team of a leading full-service law firm.

The team advises a broad range of private and public-sector organisations, high-profile businesses, institutions and senior executives. It has an excellent reputation for both contentious and non-contentious employment work and is recognised in the leading legal directories.

This opportunity would suit an employment solicitor with a minimum of three years’ PQE who is looking for high-quality work, genuine career progression and a supportive, collaborative working environment.

The role

You will advise clients across a broad range of employment law matters, including:

• Employment contracts, service agreements and staff handbooks
• Workplace policies covering performance, sickness, misconduct, maternity and parental leave
• Unfair and wrongful dismissal claims
• Discrimination matters, including sex, race, disability and age discrimination
• Redundancy and restructuring exercises
• TUPE and business transfers
• Employment Tribunal litigation
• Corporate transactional support
• Boardroom disputes, senior executive exits and severance claims
• Trade union matters from an employer perspective
• Professional discipline, conduct and fitness-to-practise matters
• General day-to-day employment and HR advice

You will manage your own caseload with an appropriate level of autonomy while working closely with experienced employment partners and colleagues across the wider firm.

There will also be opportunities to contribute to client training, business development and the continued growth of the employment practice.

About you

You will ideally have:

• A minimum of three years’ PQE in employment law
• Experience gained within a recognised employment practice
• A strong background in contentious and non-contentious employment matters
• The ability to manage a caseload with limited supervision
• Excellent drafting skills and attention to detail
• Strong commercial judgement and a practical approach to client advice
• An interest in business development and building long-term client relationships
• A commitment to providing an excellent level of client service

Candidates with approximately three to six years’ PQE would normally be considered at Associate level. More experienced candidates with the appropriate technical ability, client-management skills and commercial experience will be considered at Senior Associate level.

Working arrangements

The firm operates a flexible hybrid-working model, with approximately 60% of the working week based in the office and 40% working from home.

The role may be based in either:

• Chelmsford, close to the city centre
• City of London, near Barbican and Liverpool Street

Some flexibility may be available for the right candidate.

Benefits

The benefits package includes:

• 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
• Private healthcare following probation
• Employer pension contribution
• Staff profit-share scheme
• Individual performance-related bonus
• Life assurance and permanent health insurance
• Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
• Paid corporate social responsibility day
• Subsidised gym membership
• Electric-car scheme
• Long-service holiday awards
• Clear career-development and progression framework

This is an excellent opportunity to join a growing, supportive employment team offering sophisticated work, strong client exposure and a clear route for future progressio