Head of Employment

Leeds | Hybrid Working | Full-Time

We are working with an established high street law firm in Leeds that is looking to appoint an experienced Employment Solicitor to take a leading role within its Employment team.

This is an excellent opportunity for an experienced Employment Solicitor who is either ready to step into a Head of Department position or is looking for a clear pathway towards heading up a department.

The successful candidate will take ownership of the Employment function, manage their own caseload and play a key role in developing the department and supporting more junior members of the team.

The Role

You will handle a broad range of contentious and non-contentious employment matters, acting for both employers and employees.

Your caseload will include:

• Employment Tribunal claims, including unfair dismissal and discrimination
• Settlement agreements
• Redundancy and restructuring advice
• Employment contracts and policies
• Disciplinary and grievance matters
• Pay and contractual disputes
• HR and general employment advice
• Employment-related litigation
• Advising businesses and individuals on a range of employment issues

You will have responsibility for your matters from initial instruction through to conclusion, while also helping to develop and shape the Employment Department.

A key part of the role will be supporting, mentoring and developing paralegals, trainees and more junior members of the team, helping to oversee their work and provide guidance as they develop their careers.

For the right individual, there is the opportunity to take full ownership of the department and progress into a formal Head of Employment position.

The Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an experienced Employment Solicitor who is confident handling a varied caseload and is ready to take the next step in their career.

Ideally, you will:

• Have 5+ years’ PQE in Employment Law, although relevant experience will be considered
• Have strong experience across both contentious and non-contentious employment matters
• Be confident managing your own caseload from start to finish
• Have experience advising both employers and employees
• Be confident dealing with Employment Tribunal proceedings
• Have strong client care and communication skills
• Be highly organised with excellent attention to detail
• Be able to manage competing deadlines and priorities
• Have good IT and case management system experience
• Be comfortable working independently while contributing positively to the wider team
• Have an interest in developing and mentoring junior staff
• Be ambitious to take on greater responsibility and, ideally, lead and develop an Employment Department

Previous experience supervising or mentoring junior lawyers would be advantageous, but candidates who are ready to take that step will also be considered.

The Opportunity

This is more than a traditional Employment Solicitor position. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to help shape and grow the Employment Department, develop relationships with local businesses and HR professionals, and become a key member of a friendly, established high street practice.

For the right person, there is a genuine opportunity to progress into Head of Department, with responsibility for the development of the team, supervision of junior staff and continued growth of the Employment practice.

Salary: Competitive, dependent on experience

Location: Leeds

Working pattern: Hybrid working available