Senior Litigation & Employment Lawyer in Belfast

Contract Type: Permanent

Salary: Salary will be confirmed with the successful candidate.

Location: Westland House, Belfast

Closing Date & Time: Monday 05 Oct

Hybrid working (available after 3 months following onboarding and training)

About the Role: The Legal Team is an integral part of the Chief Executive's Office and is led by the General Counsel and Company Secretary. The team provides legal advice and assurance across the NI Water Group, supporting effective governance, informed decision-making and the management of legal risk. Working closely with colleagues across the business, as well as external advisers, courts, tribunals, regulators, trade unions and other stakeholders, the Senior Litigation and Employment Lawyer plays a key role in protecting NI Water's legal, financial and reputational interests. The Senior Litigation and Employment Lawyer is NI Water's senior in-house specialist in litigation and employment law. The postholder provides practical, commercially focused and risk-based legal advice to the General Counsel and Company Secretary, the Board, Executive Committee, senior leaders and operational teams, helping to translate complex legal issues into clear options, risks and recommended courses of action. Operating with a high degree of professional autonomy, the postholder manages a varied and complex caseload from initial instruction through to resolution, settlement or hearing. They are responsible for developing legal strategy, promoting early intervention and dispute resolution, conducting advocacy where appropriate, and managing external solicitors, counsel and other specialist advisers within agreed budgets. The role requires the exercise of sound professional judgement in complex and often high-profile matters, where facts may be disputed, evidence incomplete and timescales constrained. The postholder will make evidence-based recommendations on legal strategy, ensure the protection of legal professional privilege and confidential information, and support lawful and effective decision-making across the organisation in matters with potentially significant financial, operational and reputational consequences.

Responsibilities:

• Act as NI Water's principal in-house adviser on litigation and contentious and non-contentious employment law.
• Manage complex, high-impact and sensitive cases, ensuring clear strategy, proportionate resourcing, robust evidence, timely action and effective governance.
• Provide independent, objective and commercially aware advice that enables lawful decision-making and balances legal risk with public-service and operational priorities.
• Represent NI Water, and instruct and manage external advisers where required, to secure effective and value-for-money outcomes.
• Promote early intervention, dispute avoidance, organisational learning and consistent legal risk management across NI Water.

Applicants MUST be able to demonstrate in their application and where necessary at interview:

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA

• Solicitor or Barrister qualified to practice in Northern Ireland with a current practising certificate
• Minimum 5 years PQE in significant, relevant and successful experience of each of the following:
• Independently managing litigation from initial instruction through to settlement, hearing or judgment.
• Advising on both contentious and non-contentious employment law, including employment contracts, policies, organisational change and complex employee relations matters.
• Conducting or managing Industrial Tribunal and/or Fair Employment Tribunal proceedings in Northern Ireland, including drafting high-quality pleadings, witness statements, legal submissions, settlement documentation and hearing bundles.
• Providing clear and practical legal advice to senior stakeholders, balancing legal, financial, operational and reputational considerations.
• Negotiating settlements and using alternative dispute resolution to achieve proportionate outcomes.
• Current driving licence and a private vehicle available for official business OR access to a form of transport which will enable the postholder to meet the requirements of the role.

Benefits: Not only will you be working for one of Northern Ireland's top companies, you will also receive a number of company benefits to include:

• Generous annual leave and public holidays
• Access to flexible and family-friendly policies
• Hybrid working (available after 3 months following onboarding and training)
• Occupational sick pay
• Employee assistance programmes
• Cycle to work scheme
• Volunteering support
• Pension

As well as a competitive remuneration package, NI Water offers an excellent DB pension scheme with a current employer contribution of 26.2%. Northern Ireland Water is an equal opportunities employer. For further details about the role and to apply please refer to the Candidate Brief by clicking on the APPLY button below.