Senior Employment Solicitor in Southampton

At Settlement Agreement Solicitors, we care passionately about the experience that our clients have when doing business with us. Clients are placing a great deal of trust in us at a time when they are facing losing their jobs and it is critical that we repay this trust by treating them with the warmth, professionalism, understanding and courtesy that they deserve.

Our fanatical dedication to delivering a 5-star service to our clients has seen us collect some fantastic accolades. We are both the number 1 ranked law firm and employment lawyers in the UK on Trustpilot, with over 8,500 verified 5-star reviews. We are also the number 2 ranked employment solicitors in London and number 6 in the UK on Reviewsolicitors.

What we offer:

• An opportunity for an experienced Senior Employment Solicitor/Team Leader (5+ years' PQE) looking for a new career challenge.
• The chance to join a respected and reputable law firm, doing highly rewarding and fulfilling work whilst leading and developing a team of talented solicitors.
• A supportive and flexible working environment in our new Ringwood office.
• A generous base salary of between £55K and £70K dependent on experience.
• Additional performance related bonuses.
• 5 weeks annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Company pension scheme.
• Company wellbeing & benefits scheme.
• Hybrid (3 days in office) following the successful completion of probationary period.

What will you do?

As a Senior Employment Solicitor, you'll be supporting employees when they are facing the prospect of losing their job due to redundancy, disciplinary or performance issues. You will also help them initiate a means to leave their job due to mistreatment, discrimination or other forms of workplace dispute.

Your client work will include:

• Advising employees on the terms and effects of their settlement agreement, both over the telephone and in writing.
• Negotiating the best terms possible for your clients, both financial and non-financial.
• Creating exit strategies for employees looking to procure a settlement agreement.
• Treating your clients with care and empathy, as well as providing technical excellence.
• Delivering an exceptional customer experience every time and getting a 5-star review.

Your team leadership responsibilities will include:

• Leading, motivating and managing the day-to-day performance of a team of employed and consultant solicitors.
• Acting as the first point of escalation for complex legal, client care or case management issues within your team.
• Conducting regular file reviews and quality audits to ensure technical accuracy, regulatory compliance and consistency of advice across your team.
• Coaching, mentoring and developing your team members.
• Managing team capacity and workload allocation to ensure client advice is delivered within our 24-hour service standard.
• Conducting one-to-ones, performance reviews and supporting recruitment, onboarding and probation reviews within your team.
• Monitoring team performance against KPIs, including case volumes, turnaround times, client satisfaction and 5-star review generation.
• Championing the adoption of AI and legal technology within your team.
• Contributing to the continuous improvement of our processes, precedents and training materials.

What do you offer?

As a Senior Employment Solicitor, you will have previously navigated the entire spectrum of employment law, addressing challenges such as unfair dismissal claims, discrimination issues, whistle-blowing, TUPE, Employment Tribunal litigation, settlement agreements, redundancy matters, general advisory, and providing counsel on employee exits. You will also have experience of supervising, mentoring or managing other fee earners.

Excellent:

• Employment law knowledge.
• Leadership and people management skills.
• Commercial acumen and negotiation skills.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Customer service focus.
• Time management skills.
• Attention to detail and ability to produce work with precision.
• IT Literacy and experience using case management software.
• Problem solving skills.

You will be:

• Fulfilled by helping your clients achieve a positive outcome.
• Proud of a professional and positive work attitude.
• Committed to delivering the Settlement Agreement Solicitors vision and mission.
• Able to provide a confident and positive contribution.

Other candidate information:

Applications will officially close on 30 September 2026. However, we are keen to talk to suitable candidates at the earliest possible opportunity.