Associate / Senior Associate in Sevenoaks

Main informationTerm Type: PermanentJob Hours: Full Time or Part TimeExternal Department: Employment Location Text: Sevenoaks, Bristol, ChelmsfordAbout usBirketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.The team you will joinThe Shaping Excellence team provides clients with legal based training dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and skills of delegates from board members, senior leadership teams, line managers and employees across various industries. Our mission is to offer innovative and practical training solutions that ensure our clients remain compliant with the latest legal standards that will help take their organisation to the next level.The work you will be doingWe are seeking a dynamic and experienced Employment Law Trainer to join our Shaping Excellence team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background and post qualification experience in employment law, a passion for teaching, and the ability to build strong client relationships. This role involves designing and delivering engaging training sessions across the UK (the ability to travel for delivery is essential), selling training courses, writing training materials and promoting the employment team to provide the client with traditional employment law advice.Key Responsibilities:Develop and deliver high-quality training programs on various aspects of employment law.Write, update, and customize training materials to meet client needs.Proactively sell employment law training courses to potential clients.Travel nationwide to deliver training sessions in-person and conduct webinars.Build and maintain strong relationships with clients to provide ongoing support and traditional legal advice.Stay updated on changes in employment legislation and integrate them into training materials and client consultations.Conduct workshops, seminars, and webinars to diverse groups of participants.Assess the effectiveness of training programs through feedback and evaluations.Collaborate to promote new training programs and events.Use the training program to develop further business for the Birketts Employment Team.Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.What we are looking forQualified Solicitor or equivalent.Good knowledge of English employment law with experience to draw on in the training room and in writing materials.Experience in delivering training sessions, both in-person and online.Ability and willingness to business develop and build relationships.Excellent communication and presentation skills.Ability to simplify complex legal concepts for diverse audiences.Strong organisational and time-management skills.Proficiency in using training software and tools would be beneficial.Certification in training or education is a plus.Willingness to travel nationwide.We have designed a 'Talent Management Framework' which provides a career structure that will help us develop, retain and reward talented people. As a Solicitor, we typically expect candidates to have between 0–3 years PQE.Any information provided in relation to PQE should be used for guidance only and will not be determinative in the recruitment decision. Applicants will be considered on their individual merits. Hybrid WorkingBirketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working.This role is available both full and part time, attracting a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application. BenefitsAs a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:25 or 30 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous servicePrivate Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)Life Assurance - 4 x salary / Permanent Health InsurancePaid CSR DayEnhanced Maternity/Paternity LeaveSubsidised gym membershipElectric car schemeDress for your Day PolicyYou can find out more on our website: Inclusivity and CultureAt Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth. Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visit https://diversityjobsgroup.com/company/birketts/Artificial Intelligence (AI)At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.Our expectations regarding AI use in applications:Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input.Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, or skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process.If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process.Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure.AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firm’s values. We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team via talent@birketts.co.uk