£74,000 London
£71,000 National

The Government Legal Department (GLD) is the largest provider of legal services across government, working with all the main Whitehall departments. From energy to security, from roads to rivers, health to human rights, our work touches on most aspects of public life. From developing and drafting legislation to helping to secure economic and trade relationships, providing legal advice on polices to ensuring value from contracts, our work is stimulating and varied.

The Employment Directorate provides expert specialist advice and services to all GLD’s clients. Our work covers everything from Employment Tribunal claims and the conduct of complex multi-party litigation to advising on staff policies and terms and conditions, collective bargaining and departmental re-organisations. We handle litigation up to the Supreme Court and provide employment advice in the context of Ministers’ political and operational drivers, and the unique constitutional position of the civil service.

Your role
As a Senior Employment Lawyer, you’ll have a high level of responsibility as you deliver the strategic advice required by our clients. You’ll be expected to take into account the specific employment framework of the civil service and the varying appetite for legal risk of Ministers and their departments, and come up with solutions to staffing issues and the mitigation of risk.

You’ll manage a small team of Lawyers and Legal Officers who conduct employment litigation and advise on a range of employment law matters and supervise litigation cases and the advisory work managed by our external partners.

In order to carry out your work successfully you’ll need to have security clearance to BPSS level. More information about the vetting process can be found by clicking the apply link.

About you
To be a success in this important role you’ll be an established and experienced employment lawyer with a sound understanding of employment law gained through advising clients and conducting cases in the Employment Tribunal across a broad range of relevant legal issues.

Capable of applying sound analysis, secure research and reliable judgement, you’ll be a creative and strategic thinker with the ability to see legal issues in their wider context and advise accordingly. You should also possess skills and experience in at least one of the following areas:
•    the management of a litigation caseload, mainly Employment Tribunal claims but also claims in the High Court and the County Court
•    providing advice on employment matters including complex case work and advice on changes to policy, and the impact of case law on existing policy and practice
•    the management of a transactional caseload of matters involving staff transfers into, out of, and around central government and the public sector
•    providing advice on industrial relations matters including collective bargaining, industrial action and general trade union relationships

Benefits
GLD encourages its people to develop their skills in a nurturing environment. Other benefits include access to a valuable civil service pension and flexible working arrangements.

Working for GLD is Much more than law.
Our vision is to be an outstanding legal organisation and a brilliant place to work where everyone can thrive and fulfil their potential. This is an exciting time for GLD, with cutting edge legal work on global issues and a transformation agenda which is ensuring the Department exemplifies the Modern Civil Service.

For further information or to apply, please click on the 'Enquire/Apply' button below.

Closing date for applications: Noon Monday 24th February 2025.