Employment Solicitor / Paralegal

Human Resources

If you are looking to further your in-house legal experience or looking to move from private practice to in-house, we have a rare opportunity to join the University’s Employment Law Team, based on the Streatham Campus in Exeter, as a Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive OR Paralegal. With our Strategy 2030, it is a pivotal and exciting time to join the University as we work together to ‘create the possible’

This role is available immediately on a permanent and part-time basis. The Solicitor would be available on a 0.6 basis and the Paralegal on a 0.8 basis.

This role offers the opportunity for hybrid working, with some time on campus and some from home.

Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive

As a Solicitor you will work closely with the University’s Legal Counsel, Employment, and alongside other members of the Human Resources department and wider Professional Services, including Legal Services, to ensure the provision of an effective support on employment law issues to both the University and wider Human Resources Team. Critical to this role will be the drafting and preparation of legal documentation and legal research. You will also be the first point of contact for advice on a range of employment law matters including advice on complex casework, contractual arrangements, and TUPE.

You

You will either be qualified as a solicitor or Chartered Legal Executive (or equivalent legal qualification. We are looking for an individual with a minimum of 2 year’s PQE practicing in employment law and you will be able to demonstrate a clear understanding of employment law matters. Equally as important will be excellent communication skills, meticulous attention to detail, strong legal drafting skills, excellent time management and organisational skills and the ability to prioritise, to build effective stakeholder relationships and to work as part of a wider team.

Paralegal

As a Paralegal you will work closely with the Legal Counsel - Employment and alongside other members of the Human Resources department to ensure the provision of effective support and advice on employment law matters to the University and wider Human Resources Team. The role will cover a range of activities including drafting and preparation of legal documentation and legal research. The appointee will be the first point of contact for referrals from the HR Casework team for advice on casework and employment law matters.

You

You will have a law degree or equivalent or be a CILEX Paralegal and have a minimum of 12 months paralegal experience. You will have a strong working knowledge of employment law and be able to demonstrate strong communication skills, meticulous attention to detail, strong legal drafting skills, excellent time management and an ability to manage an prioritise workload.

Why our staff love working here

• Flexible working opportunities
• 39-41 days annual leave (including bank holidays)
• Actively inclusive organisation ensuring equality and fairness for all
• Leading parental leave initiatives
• Multiple wellbeing and health initiatives for staff
• Sustainability and the environment being at the heart of what we do
• Beautiful campus environment when working from either Exeter or Penryn
• Inspiring research that really makes a difference to the world

Please ensure you read the Job Description and Person Specification for full details of these roles and make it clear on your application form which role(s) you are applying for.

Further information

For an informal discussion about this opportunity, please contact Kirstie Johnson, Legal Counsel – Employment, on K.J.Johnson@exeter.ac.uk.

The University

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 150 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2022 and QS World University Ranking 2022).

Our research income in recent years means we’re the fastest growing UK Research University with some of the world’s most influential scientists, and we seek to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today through this. More than 99% of our research is of international quality and our world-leading research impact is growing faster than any other Russell Group university (2021 Research Excellence Framework). We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City.

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

With over 27,000 students and 6,400 staff from 180 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer. Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. Reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.