Job Description

LAW Absolute is recruiting on an exclusive basis to a permanent Employment Lawyer position with Southwark Council. This is a full-time role for 36 hours per week.

About Southwark council

Southwark Council is an ambitious, collegiate, and forward-thinking council and you will be joining their Lexcel accredited legal team.

The council is committed to its \xe2\x80\x9cFairer Futures for All\xe2\x80\x9d promise which ensures that their residents and businesses are central to everything they do.

Based in London Bridge, this excellent location offers superb transport links, a plethora of shops and restaurants and a big open plan council office. The council operates on a hot-desking basis.
The team are collaborative, supportive, and friendly. You will benefit from working alongside experienced colleagues who are generous with sharing their knowledge.
The council operate a hybrid working policy. Full- time staff work 3 days in the office and 2 days from home.

The vision for Southwark Council Legal Services is: \xe2\x80\x9cTo be the council\xe2\x80\x99s first choice provider of legal services, offering a sustainable, high-quality, responsive & efficient value for money service to the council and to the communities of Southwark.\xe2\x80\x9d

The role offers a salary of \xc2\xa344, 691 \xe2\x80\x93 \xc2\xa351,783. There is also a market factor payment of 5% in addition to the annual salary applicable, and a hard to fill benefit payment of \xc2\xa32,327 per annum that can be redeemed against gym membership, health insurance, season ticket purchase, bicycle purchase, additional voluntary contribution to pension, subscription, and professional fees.

If you are interested in working for an organisation that places huge value on equality and diversity, prides itself on delivering an excellent quality service, and you are looking for a chance to play a part in this interesting area of law, then Southwark council could be the right organisation for you.

About the position

The council has a diverse workforce of over 4000 employees including school-based staff, which offers the opportunity for the successful Employment Lawyer to broaden their knowledge and skills.

The successful Employment Lawyer will be expected to undertake the following duties:

• Work collaboratively with the specialist Employment Lawyer, Council HR department and other lawyers within the service.
• Carry a caseload covering the full range of both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters including drafting pleadings and statements, attending employment tribunal, advising on internal disciplinary, sickness, grievance and capability procedures, TUPE, dismissal, discrimination, recruitment matters and schools.

You will be required to attend tribunal on some interesting matters from the outset. The role offers an excellent opportunity to build on existing knowledge and skills and develop in local government work.

Candidates with relevant experience from both the public and private sector are encouraged to apply. Candidates with private sector experience must have a solid understanding of how local authorities operate and demonstrate their ability to transfer knowledge and skills to successfully deliver a service within a local government context.

About you

The successful Employment Lawyer will be an admitted Solicitor, Barrister or CILEX of England and Wales with a current practising certificate with a minimum of 3 years post admission experience.

You will be a team player, autonomous, generous in sharing your knowledge, thrive in a collegiate workplace, be a critical thinker problem solver, able to recognise risk, exercise sound judgement and have a positive attitude. Experience working with clients at all levels is essential as is the ability to give clear, understandable legally sound advice orally and in writing.

The successful Employment Lawyer will need to show they have an understanding of the political sensitivities of the work and be aware of the impact their advice could have on both the council and the community they serve.

Recruitment timeline

The closing date for advert applications is 3rd October 2023.

To register your interest in this role, please send your updated CV to

Please note our advertisements use PQE/salary levels purely as a guide. However we are happy to consider applications from all candidates who are able to demonstrate the skills necessary to fulfil the role.

At LAW Absolute we endeavour to respond to all applications within 48 hours. However due to the volume of applications we receive we may not be able to respond to every candidate individually.

If you have not heard from us within a 48 hour timeframe your application has not been successful and your details have not been retained. LAW Absolute acts as an employment business for temporary recruitment and as an employment agency for fixed term contract and permanent recruitment.

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