The Employment Lawyer will provide legal advice and representation under the general direction of the Director of Joint Legal Services (JLS). As a Solicitor, you will work collaboratively with a variety of clients, colleagues, and other stakeholders to provide a comprehensive legal service to the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner for both Staffordshire and West Midlands Police.
Your primary responsibilities will involve advising on day-to-day employment matters including employee relations issues, policies, and the implementation thereof, restructures, defending employment tribunal matters including occasional advocacy, liaising with internal and external stakeholders such as Counsel and working collaboratively with the Employment Team by supporting on high profile matters.
Responsibilities
- To advise and provide representation (including advocacy where required) in relation to legal proceedings and hearings before the relevant Courts & Tribunals
- Preparation of files for Tribunal including statement preparation, disclosure, bundle preparation and advising on legal merits.
- Instruction of Counsel and preparation and attendance at hearings
- Work with external legal services (including Counsel) where necessary
- Provide timely legal advice to all clients as required and advise on Employment Law, Employment Tribunal, Employment related County Court matters and Pension claims and queries.
- Provide support, where necessary, to the Senior Lawyer within the team and Principal Lawyer.
- Provide support, where necessary, in the preparation of witnesses at Trial.
- Carry a complex case load providing advice and advocacy as required
- Drafting legal documents
Experience and Qualifications
- Professional legal qualification (or expected within the next 3 months) as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive
- Experience in some or all the following areas:
- Employment claims: including discrimination, harassment victimisation, whistleblowing, pay equality, pensions, unfair dismissal, and other contractual claims.
- Advising on non-contentious matters such as employee relations issues, redundancy, TUPE, the drafting, and implementation of policies.
- Previous experience within the public sector and/or dealing with Unions.
Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.
Hours: The post holder will be required to work core service hours..
Location: Lloyd House, Birmingham.
Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.
Medical: Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.
Interviews: Interview dates to be confirmed.
Contact: For further information regarding this role, please contact Michael Smith on [email protected]
West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.
It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.
“Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities”
By choosing to join West Midlands Police you will receive an enhanced benefits package including:
- Fair remuneration with progression opportunities, and access to a very competitive pension scheme
- Enhanced annual leave in additional to public holiday entitlements
- Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities
- A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs
West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million.The region sits at the very heart of the country and covers the three major centres of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. It also includes the busy and thriving districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull and Dudley. Leisure, retail and conference amenities, together with Premiership and Championship football teams, attract millions of visitors annually.
The West Midlands is an area rich in diversity, with 18 per cent of its population from ethnic minority backgrounds.
An average of 170,000 motorists travel through the region daily, making its motorways some of the busiest in Europe.
Against this backdrop, the force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.
