Employment Lawyer
Stockport Council
Employment Lawyer
MB3 (£51,356 - £58,165)
37 hours, Full-Time
Permanent
Hybrid: Stockport Town Hall at least two days per week and homeworking
Application Deadline: 24 May 2026, 11:59pm
Please be aware that we may close this vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. We encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Shortlisting Date: 26 May 2026
Interview Date: 3 June 2026
Interview Type: In person
Join us at Stockport Council MJ Local Authority of the Year 2025
Stockport Council Legal Team Finalist in Lawyers in Local Government, Legal Team of the Year Award 2026
Stockport Council Legal Team Winner of Lawyers in Local Government Excellence in Training Award 2025
Stockport Council Legal Team Lawyers in Local Government Legal Team of the Year 2024 Highly Commended
Your Role
You’ll work within a friendly and collaborative team of ten colleagues, in a supportive environment where your professional development will be nurtured and appreciated.
You will be an integral part of our award-winning Legal Team which is made up of up 50 colleagues across five different legal sub-teams, each delivering their own area of expertise.
We are looking for a highly motivated individual with the experience and confidence to run their own matters and be the go-to person for all employment related advice. You will be a confident team player, with a problem-solving approach. You will work closely with senior leaders and colleagues at all levels, provide expert legal and strategic advice and deal with contentious and non-contentious work.
About You
We pride ourselves on our supportive, friendly and flexible culture putting your wellbeing at the centre of your personal development.
You will have strong technical knowledge, excellent communication and teamwork skills with the ability to multitask and prioritise. You will have a strategic and common-sense approach to matters and be able to perform effectively under pressure, meeting tight deadlines while maintaining high-quality legal support with minimal supervision. You will have strong advocacy skills and the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.
You should hold a current practising certificate, qualifying you to practice in England as a Solicitor, Barrister, or Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Legal Executives with litigation rights, with at least 5 years PQE.
About Us
We are a friendly, supportive team that values collaboration and positivity.
We pride ourselves on having a strong commitment to wellbeing and investing in our people. The team has grown in recent years which reflects our ambition and the demand for our services.
At Stockport Council we are one ambitious team on a mission to create opportunities for everyone who lives, works and spends time in the borough. Working at Stockport Council means contributing to one of the most thriving towns in the North. We’re keen to recruit people with the right values and behaviours that can help us ensure our workplace values are at the heart of everything we do.
We are proud to be recognised under the Good Employment Charter as an organisation committed to the wellbeing of our colleagues. As members of the charter, we have been recognised as a great place to work for all colleagues and pledge to pay the real living wage, engage staff in key decisions and endorse fair and flexible working conditions.
If you would like to find out more about the role please Michelle Dodds on michelle.dodds@stockport.gov.uk or 0161 4743257 for an informal discussion about the role
This post is politically restricted under the terms of the 1989 Local Government and Housing Act. This dictates that you must seek the council’s permission before taking up any additional appointments or positions.
Stockport Council holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not currently qualify.
Please note that we have made a commitment to improve the employment opportunities for people with disabilities, care leavers and ex-military personnel. As part of the Guaranteed Assessment Scheme you will therefore be guaranteed to be shortlisted for Assessment if you meet both the criteria for the scheme and the essential job role criteria.
Find out if you meet the criteria here: https://www.greater.jobs/our-guaranteed-assessment-scheme
If you have completed the GM Elevate (Leadership Development) Programme, please indicate this within the ‘About You’ or ‘Supporting Statement’ section of your application. Please also email recruitment@stockport.gov.uk.
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Stockport Council is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive workforce culture - a place where we can all be ourselves and succeed. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and communities to join our workforce.
We want our employees to have a good work life balance and in many job roles we can offer a range of flexible/hybrid working arrangements. We also have inclusive employment policies and staff engagement forums to support our diverse workforce. We will listen to, learn from, and develop our workforce.