Legal Counsel - Employment

About the role

Job Location: Milton Keynes, Remote/Hybrid Weekly Working Hours: 37 Are you passionate about delivering expert legal employment advice in a dynamic and mission-driven environment? We are looking for a Legal Counsel - Employment who will play a key role in delivering expert legal advice and supporting strategic people initiatives across the University. About the Role This is an excellent opportunity for a qualified lawyer with at least 4 years' post-qualification experience in employment law. Working closely with the Senior Legal Counsel - Employment, you will be a primary source of legal advice on a wide range of employment matters. The role covers both contentious and non-contentious issues, from day-to-day advisory work to complex tribunal litigation. You'll support organisational change, contribute to strategic decision-making, and help ensure legal compliance across a diverse and evolving environment. What You'll Do Provide expert legal advice across a broad range of employment matters, including disciplinaries, grievances, redundancies, TUPE, and trade union issues. Manage Employment Tribunal claims from inception through to final hearing, including drafting documentation, preparing witness statements, and handling advocacy or external counsel. Draft, review, and update employment documentation such as contracts, policies, procedures, and settlement agreements. Deliver training and guidance on employment law to HR/People teams and colleagues across the organisation. Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders and external advisors, providing clear, risk-based and commercially focused recommendations. Support effective management of external legal spend while keeping up to date with legal developments and maintaining CPD. Who We're Looking For You'll be a qualified Solicitor (or equivalent) with strong experience across both contentious and non-contentious employment law. Key strengths include: Proven ability to manage Employment Tribunal cases, including advocacy at preliminary hearings Strong drafting skills across a range of employment documentation Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to translate complex legal issues into practical advice Commercial awareness, sound judgement, and a pragmatic approach to problem-solving Ability to manage competing priorities and work both independently and collaboratively Experience in a large, complex or unionised environment, or within higher education, would be advantageous. Why Join Us? At The Open University, we are leaders in accessible education and innovation. This is a unique opportunity to join a purpose-driven organisation where your expertise will directly support people strategy and organisational success. You'll work on varied, meaningful matters in a collaborative environment, with opportunities to influence, develop, and grow your career. Our benefits include: 33 days annual leave, on top of bank holidays and a three-day Christmas closure period. Access to a leading pension scheme for UK higher education with generous employer contributions. Staff Fee Waivers for OU study, meaning you could earn a degree for free. Flexible working and family friendly policies Discounts, wellbeing support, and development opportunities. If you're ready to take ownership of complex, high-impact employment matters and play a key role in shaping people-focused legal strategy, we'd love to hear from you. Visit the full advert via the above ' Apply ' button to learn more about the role, criteria, benefits, and how to apply. Closing date: Sunday 19 th July 2026 at 23:59 pm

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