Senior Employment Associate / Employment Partner - Education Sector

About the Firm

I'm working with a leading Top 50 UK law firm with a strong national footprint and a well‑established reputation across commercial, public sector, and insurance markets.

The Opportunity

The firm is seeking a Senior Employment Associate or Employment Partner to take a key leadership role within its Tier 1‑ranked Education Sector practice, with responsibility for shaping and expanding the employment law offering for education clients across the UK.

This is a senior strategic position within one of the country's most respected education practices, advising a broad range of institutions, including:

• Universities

• Further Education colleges

• Multi‑Academy Trusts and academies

• Sector bodies and regulators

The team provides a full-service offering to the education sector, covering governance, student matters, commercial and regulatory issues, real estate, construction, employment, pensions, and immigration. The practice advises over 25 universities at any one time, handling complex, sensitive, and high‑profile matters.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the employment advisory function within the national Education sector team.

• Act as a senior point of contact for key education clients, building and maintaining long‑term relationships.

• Advise on a wide range of employment matters, including:

  • Senior staff issues and governance

  • Industrial relations and collective matters

  • Organisational change and restructures

  • Employment tribunal litigation

  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion

  • TUPE and workforce strategy

• Support and drive business development initiatives, including sector tenders and thought leadership.

• Collaborate with colleagues across governance, commercial, regulatory, real estate, and other education‑focused disciplines.

• For Senior Associates: lead workstreams with a clear pathway to partnership.

• For Partners: contribute to strategic planning and growth of the national education employment offering.

Candidate Profile

Essential Experience

• Strong track record in employment law, ideally with significant experience advising clients in the education or wider public sector.

• Experience working with universities, FE colleges, academies, or public bodies.

• Ability to manage complex, sensitive, and high‑stakes matters.

• Strong client‑handling skills and the ability to build trusted relationships.

• Experience supervising junior lawyers or leading teams.