ABOUT THE CANDIDATE

What we’re looking for:

• As a qualified legal practitioner you will undertake a wide range of contentious and non-contentious work expected of an experienced employment lawyer.
• A legal lead in the area of employment law, you will have direct responsibility for a personal caseload of complex, high value and at times politically sensitive matters and initiatives achieving timely and successful delivery and outcomes.
• You will provide advice and assistance to clients on all aspects of employment law, drafting a range of legal documents and conducting advocacy in the Employment Tribunals.
• You’ll provide training to clients and, where required, assisting senior managers in the team and supporting allocation of work in the team to attain optimum development and performance.
• You’ll use initiative and creativity to find effective and positive solutions to complex legal matters, researching law and procedure to a high professional standard to provide accurate, focussed and relevant legal and professional advice to clients including officers, elected members and external clients.
• You’ll build and maintain excellent client relationships at service level and ensuring regular client meetings, reports and advice are provided as necessary.
• You’ll motivate and constantly improve service delivery and maintain high standards of performance through personal example, open commitment and clear action and by using experience and knowledge to help develop other members of the team.

ABOUT US

We’re the local council for one of the UK’s most vibrant and diverse cities.
Working for Manchester isn’t just a job – it’s an opportunity to contribute to a city that leads change and transforms lives. Whether it’s strengthening communities or driving innovation in public services, you’ll play a vital role in creating opportunities and shaping a brighter future for everyone.

Our Manchester is our vision for a fairer, greener, and healthier city – a vision shaped by the people of Manchester. It guides everything we do at the Council and is brought to life through the Our Manchester behaviours:

• We take time to listen and understand
• We work together and trust each other
• We show that we value our differences and treat each other fairly
• We ‘own it’ and we’re not afraid to try new things
• We’re proud and passionate about Manchester

THIS ROLE IS SUBJECT TO:

• Qualification: you must be a Qualified solicitor, barrister, Chartered Lawyer of the Institute of Legal Executives holding a current practising certificate.
• Membership of Law Society, Bar Council or Chartered Institute of Legal Executives
  This role is based within a support service in Manchester City Council which provides specialist support to Heads of Service and the wider organisation. It also provides services to Salford City Council, Rochdale Borough Council, GMCA and other public sector bodies.
  Legal Services comprises of 4 groups, this role is within the People Place and Regulation Group which provides legal advice and representation on Adult Social Care and Education issues; Employment law; Housing (including antisocial behaviour, housing disrepair and homelessness issues); general litigation including claims and civil recovery; and the wide spectrum of local authority licensing, prosecution and regulatory law.
  In this role you will support the development of effective business processes, policies and strategies for an area of work. You will take the lead for this and build close working relationships with your stakeholders.
  You will provide specialist legal advice and guidance to colleagues across the organisations, accounting for factors and elements beyond their direct control and area of specialism to support a whole council approach to decision making.

We guarantee assessments for applicants who meet the minimum shortlisting requirements for the role and identify with at least one of the criteria below:

• Members of the Armed Forces members or veterans
• Current or former care leavers
• Have a disability or long-term condition
• If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme or any MCC positive action programm

If you are successful in securing a position with us, the pre-employment checks required will depend on the role you’ve applied for. As a guide, these checks may include:

• Proof of Right to Work: You’ll need to provide documentary evidence of your right to work in the UK. Please note, visa sponsorship is not guaranteed for this role.
• References: We’ll require references from your current and previous employer(s).
• Proof of Qualifications: Evidence of qualifications relevant to the role will be required.
• Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Check: A criminal record check may be necessary, depending on the role.
• Proof of Manchester Residency: For some roles, you may need to demonstrate that you reside within the boundaries of Manchester City Council.
• Police Vetting: Some roles may require police vetting to ensure suitability for accessing sensitive law enforcement systems or information.
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) Clearance: BPSS clearance is primarily used for roles that involve access to government data, systems, or assets. It ensures that individuals meet basic security requirements and can be trusted with sensitive information
• Driving Licence: If the role requires driving, we’ll need evidence of your valid driving licence