Senior Employment Counsel - In-House, UK & Global in Hatfield

About Us

We are Ocado Technology and we empower global grocery retailers with cutting‑edge cloud, robotics and AI. Our Ocado Smart Platform (OSP) powers highly automated Customer Fulfilment Centres (CFCs), enabling efficient, single‑pick online grocery delivery.

About the Role

As the Legal Counsel – Employment, you will step into a high‑impact, strategic role acting as a key advisor for Ocado Group working closely with the People team and business stakeholders on the full range of employment matters from day to day ER queries to tribunal litigation and strategic projects. We value agility and collaboration, offering a flexible, hybrid working model that balances remote working and working at the Hatfield Head Office. It is a hands‑on in‑house role that calls for sound judgment, commercial pragmatism, and the ability to work at pace.

Key Responsibilities:

• Partner closely with the People team and other key stakeholders across the UK and internationally to advise on a broad range of employment law matters, including recruitment, contractual issues, reward, diversity, performance, absence, investigations, disciplinary and grievance processes, and terminations.
• Work with and manage external counsel across multiple jurisdictions to deliver pragmatic, commercially focused advice while ensuring compliance with local laws.
• Lead on UK employment litigation, working with internal stakeholders to achieve effective outcomes.
• Advise senior stakeholders across the business on legal risks and providing commercially focused solutions.
• Advise on and support business change programmes, including restructures, redundancies and TUPE processes.
• Draft and review employment‑related provisions in commercial agreements.
• Support employment aspects of corporate transactions, including M&A activity.
• Develop and deliver practical employment law training to business stakeholders.
• Draft, review and update employment policies and procedures in line with legal and business developments.
• Monitor legal and regulatory developments in employment law and support the business in implementing required changes.
• Provide advice on employee data protection and privacy matters in collaboration with the data privacy team.
• Contribute to wider Legal team initiatives and cross‑functional projects as required.

Essential skills:

• Qualified solicitor (or equivalent) with a specialism in employment law and typically 3–7 years’ PQE (flexible for candidates who can demonstrate the required capability).
• Strong grounding in UK employment law with a good balance of contentious and non‑contentious experience.
• Experience of running and managing UK employment litigation.
• Experience of handling complex employee relation queries.
• Strong academic background.

Preferred (in addition to essential):

• In‑house experience within a fast‑paced, commercial environment.
• Knowledge of UK immigration and right to work requirements (or a willingness to develop this).

What we offer:

• 25 days annual leave (rising to 27 after 5 years), plus the option to buy more – and 30 days a year to work from anywhere in the world.
• Private Medical Insurance from your first month, wellbeing support through specialist apps and EAP, plus Income Protection and Life Assurance.
• 22 weeks paid maternity/primary carer leave and 6 weeks paid paternity leave (after qualifying period).
• Pension with employer matching up to 7%, share schemes (Sharesave & BAYE), and interest‑free loans for train tickets.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and free shuttle buses to/from Hatfield and Welwyn Garden City stations.
• 15% off at Ocado.com with free delivery (starting in your first month).

Ocado Group is an equal opportunities employer and as such makes every effort to ensure that all potential employees are treated fairly and equally, regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, marital status, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief, age, or disability or union membership status.