Job Description

Managing Associate Employment Law

Location: Leeds

PQE Level: 5 years PQE

Salary: 60000 - 80000 Bonus (dependent on location and experience)

Join a Leading Employment Team as Managing Associate

Are you a senior employment lawyer ready to take your career to the next level Our client a London headquartered international full-service law firm with 250 years of heritage and a reputation for award-winning innovation is seeking a talented Managing Associate with a combination of contentious and non-contentious employment law experience to join their leading Employment & Immigration Group in Leeds or Manchester.

You will have the opportunity to develop close client relationships and undertake a major role in client work. From the outset you will be exposed to the highest quality work for some of the UKs biggest name clients.

The firm has implemented a flexible hybrid working model that combines both office-based and remote work arrangements (3 days per week in the office minimum). This approach allows for a balanced and adaptable work environment. Occasional travel between the firms various UK offices may be required to facilitate effective collaboration and teamwork.

The Firm

Our client is a London headquartered international full-service law firm that consistently delivers high-quality outcomes for clients globally. With 250 years of heritage the firm today supports over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations helping them in over 50 areas of business law across more than 100 countries. The firm is known for award-winning innovation and delivering impact to clients.

The firm has a strong global presence with offices across Asia (Japan Singapore) Europe (England & Wales France Germany Ireland Luxembourg Poland Scotland Spain) and the Middle East (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Oman Qatar UAE) plus regional business groups covering Africa Central & Eastern Europe India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye and Ukraine.

Recent major deals include advising on the largest UK IPO of 2025 (300m market capitalisation) the 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear power station financing (one of Europes most significant infrastructure projects) and the 275m sale of an iconic London landmark to a luxury international hotel group.

The firm is a place where you are valued encouraged and challenged to fulfil your potential in a supportive and collegiate environment. The culture of improvement growth and collaboration delivers results drives innovation and rewards ambition. The firms success has been built by people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives.

The firm not only provides technical excellence and experience but crucially demonstrates real insight into clients and what really matters to them and as such is the natural choice for FTSE 100 clients and their equivalents in other markets.

The Employment Team

The Employment & Immigration Group is a leading legal practice that specialises in providing comprehensive advice on employment law and global mobility to financial institutions FTSE 100 companies and prominent UK and international businesses.

The Employment team focuses on the financial services retail and consumer energy and transport sectors providing advice regarding significant HR issues such as complex tribunal litigation whistleblowing business protection issues and major projects (e.g. outsourcing/restructuring exercises).

This is a high performing supportive and collegiate team with excellent prospects for career development and opportunities to work on the highest quality work for some of the UKs biggest name clients.

The Role

As a Managing Associate in the Employment team you will work on the full range of employment law and HR support work (contentious and non-contentious) for a wide range of clients across all business sectors.

You will have the opportunity to develop close client relationships and undertake a major role in client work. From the outset you will be exposed to the highest quality work for some of the UKs biggest name clients.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Employment Law Work:

• Advising on the full range of employment law and HR support work

• Handling both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters

• Advising on complex tribunal litigation

• Advising on whistleblowing

• Advising on business protection issues

• Advising on major projects (e.g. outsourcing/restructuring exercises)

• Advising on significant HR issues

• Working for financial institutions FTSE 100 companies and prominent UK and international businesses

Sector Focus:

• Focusing on financial services retail and consumer energy and transport sectors

• Working for a wide range of clients across all business sectors

• Working for some of the UKs biggest name clients

• Advising financial institutions FTSE 100 companies and prominent UK and international businesses

Client Relationship Management:

• Developing close client relationships

• Undertaking a major role in client work

• Fostering and growing client relationships and developing new ones

• Being client focused

• Building enduring relationships with clients based on trust and high-quality service delivery

• Being inquisitive and wanting to understand clients their drivers and what matters to them

• Providing advice with quality imagination and impact

Innovation and Technology:

• Thinking about how AI and other tools may be harnessed to improve the overall service for clients

• Being flexible agile and enthusiastic in growing and developing your knowledge and experience

Team Collaboration:

• Collaborating with colleagues in the direct team

• Collaborating with colleagues in other practice areas

• Collaborating with colleagues immersed in relevant industry groups

• Working in a supportive and collegiate environment

• Contributing to the teams success and reputation

Professional Development:

• Continuous self-development

• Engaging with formal training programmes (whether technical or skills based)

• Drawing on mentoring coaching and leadership development programmes available

• Growing and developing your knowledge and experience of Employment law

• Undertaking intellectually challenging work

Team Leadership:

• As a senior member of the team generously sharing your time knowledge and experience to develop less experienced colleagues

• Mentoring and supporting junior team members

• Contributing to the development of the team

Key Responsibilities:

• Drafting clear and legally effective documents which reflect the clients instructions

• Maintaining efficient diary and task management across a range of matters

• Ensuring the accuracy and levels of client service expected within a high performing team

• Adopting a consultative and thorough approach to tasks

• Remaining calm and optimistic in time sensitive situations or under pressure

• Finding solutions to clients legal challenges and requirements

• Having a keen eye for detail

• Being self-motivated and proactive

About You

Essential Requirements:

• Qualified Solicitor in England and Wales

• Minimum of 5 years post-qualification experience working in a similar practice

• Strong technical knowledge of employment law

• Combination of contentious and non-contentious employment law experience

• Experience advising on the full range of employment law and HR support work

• Experience handling complex tribunal litigation

• Experience advising on whistleblowing

• Experience advising on business protection issues

• Experience advising on major projects (e.g. outsourcing/restructuring exercises)

• Experience advising on significant HR issues

• Flexible and agile with enthusiasm for growing and developing your knowledge and experience

• Enthusiasm for undertaking intellectually challenging work

• Keen eye for detail

• Self-motivated and proactive

• Confident in building enduring relationships with clients based on trust and high-quality service delivery

• Inquisitive and wanting to understand clients their drivers and what matters to them

• Ability to provide advice with quality imagination and impact

• Good drafting skills with ability to produce clear and legally effective documents

• Experience engaging with internal and external stakeholders of all levels

• Ability to adopt a consultative and thorough approach to tasks

• Efficient diary and task management skills across a range of matters

• Ability to maintain the accuracy and levels of client service expected within a high performing team

• Ability to remain calm and optimistic in time sensitive situations or under pressure

• Enthusiastic about the development of your legal skill set and continuous learning

• Strong attention to detail and accuracy

• Commercially focused with good problem-solving abilities

Highly Desirable:

• Experience working for financial institutions FTSE 100 companies and prominent UK and international businesses

• Experience in financial services retail and consumer energy and/or transport sectors

• Experience working in a large international law firm environment

• Experience working on high-value complex employment matters

• Strong client relationship skills

• Experience developing and growing client relationships

• Experience mentoring and developing junior team members

• Experience collaborating across multiple practice areas

• Experience with AI and other tools to improve client service

• Experience with hybrid working arrangements

Key Attributes:

• Client-focused with commitment to exceptional service delivery

• Commercially astute and business-oriented approach

• Proactive and solutions-focused

• Strong team player who thrives in a collaborative environment

• Excellent communicator with strong interpersonal skills

• Adaptable and flexible approach to work

• Self-motivated with strong work ethic

• Committed to continuous learning and development

• Passionate about employment law

• Ambitious and eager to build a long-term career

• Resilient and able to work under pressure

• Quality-focused with imagination and impact in advice

• Generous in sharing time knowledge and experience with colleagues

Whats On Offer

Our client is committed to recognising and rewarding great work with rewards and benefits that are among the best in the business.

Benefits include:

• Competitive salary: 60000 - 80000 Bonus (dependent on location and experience)

• Bonus scheme

• Flexible hybrid working model (3 days per week in the office minimum)

• International full-service law firm with 250 years of heritage

• Support over 5000 of the worlds most respected organisations globally

• 50 areas of business law across 100 countries

• Award-winning innovation and reputation for delivering impact

• Leading Employment & Immigration Group

• Specialises in providing comprehensive advice on employment law and global mobility

• Work for financial institutions FTSE 100 companies and prominent UK and international businesses

• Focus on financial services retail and consumer energy and transport sectors

• Advise on significant HR issues such as complex tribunal litigation whistleblowing business protection issues and major projects

• High performing supportive and collegiate team

• Excellent prospects for career development

• Opportunity to develop close client relationships and undertake a major role in client work

• Exposed to the highest quality work for some of the UKs biggest name clients

• Work on full range of employment law and HR support work (contentious and non-contentious)

• Work for wide range of clients across all business sectors

• Flexible agile environment for growing and developing your knowledge and experience

• Supportive and collegiate environment

• Opportunities to harness AI and other tools to improve client service

• Foster and grow client relationships and develop new ones

• Collaborate with colleagues in direct team and other practice areas

• Collaborate with colleagues immersed in relevant industry groups

• Continuous self-development valued

• Formal training programmes (technical and skills based)

• Mentoring coaching and leadership development programmes available

• Opportunity to share your time knowledge and experience to develop less experienced colleagues

• Clear career progression pathway

• Build long-term career with the firm

• Become well-rounded lawyer providing quality commercial advice

• Culture of improvement growth and collaboration

• Work on high-calibre matters with high-character colleagues

• Access to full-service firm resources (Corporate Finance Banking Projects Real Estate Employment Dispute Resolution IP Tax Competition Construction and more)

• Employee networks that provide space to discuss differences and celebrate diversity

• Firm that values people from the widest range of backgrounds locations and perspectives

• Recent major deals: Largest UK IPO 2025 (300m) 36.55bn Sizewell C nuclear financing 275m London landmark sale

• Global offices across Asia Europe and Middle East

• Regional business groups covering Africa CEE India Korea Latin America Nordics North America Türkiye Ukraine

• Natural choice for FTSE 100 clients and their equivalents in other markets

• Real insight into clients and what really matters to them

• Occasional travel between UK offices to facilitate effective collaboration and teamwork

Location

This role is based in the firms Leeds office. Both offices are located in the heart of the citys business district with excellent transport links and access to the citys amenities restaurants and cultural attractions.

How to Apply

If youre a senior employment lawyer (5 years PQE) with a combination of contentious and non-contentious experience ready to take your career to the next level with a leading international law firm wed love to hear from you. Click apply now or contact or 0