Employment Legal Counsel

Here at BPP Education Group we have a dedicated Legal Team that assists on a variety of legal matters relating to BPP’s business, both in the UK and overseas. An opportunity has arisen for an experienced and diligent individual to join the team as an Employment Legal Counsel on a 12-month Fixed Term Contract. This is a hands-on role providing employment related legal advice services to the entire BPP Education Group (both in the UK and internationally). You will assist BPP’s internal HR Team with employment law advice and employee relations matters, including managing employment tribunal cases and attending preliminary hearings.

We encourage you to apply even if you do not meet every single requirement. We value diverse backgrounds and are committed to inclusivity.

Why work for BPP Education Group? It is a great time to join BPP Education Group as we have enjoyed a sustained period of growth, offering a wealth of opportunities to our staff, students and clients. Other reasons to join include:

• Brilliantly, you can study any of BPP’s courses for free – be it a professional qualification or full degree.
• With hybrid working available, you’ll be able to split your time between one of our centres and wherever you call home.
• We provide a generous annual leave entitlement of 30 days, and a rewards package that includes retail discounts and more.
• Other key benefits include our Group Personal Pension Plan, dedicated private healthcare and dental plans that offer additional assurance to look after you and your family.

What you’ll be doing: You will support BPP with employment related legal advice and will also advise on student matters, including responding to student complaints and appeals where these focus on issues around the Equality Act or employment status. The role has a non-contentious focus, leading on contract and policy drafting on a wide range of employment matters. Responsibilities include:

• Managing employment tribunal claims, including drafting statements of case and attending preliminary hearings.
• Providing advice to BPP’s HR Team on a variety of matters.
• Liaising and collaborating with external legal advisers when required.
• Drafting a wide variety of employment documents.
• Working with BPP’s freelancer admin team on employment status matters and contract drafting.
• Advising on material employment related contracts.
• Advising on student matters with an Equality Act or employment focus.
• Assisting with supervision of junior team members, including seeking their input (with appropriate supervision) on employment tribunal matters.

What we’re looking for: To be successful in this role you will need a proven track record in the following areas:

• Be a qualified solicitor in England and Wales.
• Demonstrable experience in advising on both contentious and non-contentious employment law matters.
• Prior experience within a large organisation or private practice.
• Experience with preparing for employment tribunals, including attending preliminary hearings.
• Ability to answer a wide range of employment queries from the business and students.
• Exceptional drafting, negotiation, problem-solving, teamwork, communication and client management skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate complex legal concepts in clear oral and written form.
• Ability to effectively manage your own workload and internal clients.
• Demonstrates keen interest in working in-house.

BPP Education Group are proud to be a Disability Confident employer so if you need any reasonable adjustments for the interview process, please just let us know! BPP Education Group actively promotes equality of opportunity for all with the right mix of talent, skills and potential, and welcomes applications from a wide range of candidates. BPP will select candidates for interview based on their skills, qualifications and experience. For posts exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, the successful candidate will be required to undertake a DBS check in addition to BPP undertaking any necessary online searches. This is deemed appropriate and necessary from a safeguarding perspective, and in line with BPP’s safer recruitment practices. BPP Education Group reserves the right to amend or withdraw this advertisement at any time prior to the closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications or if business needs change.