Head of Employment Law (West Yorkshire)

Annual Salary: GBP 60,000 (based on 40 hours Mon-Fri 9.00am – 5.00pm)

Hours: Full and part-time applications welcome; minimum of 30 hours required

Office Based: Cleckheaton BD19; you must live within a commutable distance to BD19

Benefits

• Holidays: 25 days + bank holidays (Additional holidays for length of service)
• Pension Scheme: Salary sacrifice scheme, 5% employee and 5% employer contribution
• Death in Service: 3x annual salary
• EAP: HelpHand

Howarths is an award-winning 2nd generation family-run business offering an exciting opportunity for a people-focused and strategic Head of Employment Law to join the Senior Leadership Team. The team comprises 5 direct reports.

We are a leading people consultancy specialising in Employment Law, Health and Safety, and HR Growth, working with over 600 client companies throughout the region on a fixed fee annual contract basis. We aim to add value to our SME client base.

The ideal candidate combines strong leadership with solid employment law knowledge. We seek an experienced people manager and legal advisor capable of guiding and supporting a high-performing team.

This role requires operational focus and strategic thinking, ensuring departmental efficiency and effectiveness while delivering excellent client service. A key goal is to enhance client experience and support long-term retention through proactive, commercial advice aligned with Howarths values. This role is integral to our Senior Leadership Team and influential in shaping our business growth strategy.

The Role

• Lead, manage, and develop the employment law team, fostering a culture of excellence, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Conduct performance reviews, set objectives, and support ongoing training and development.
• Manage resource planning and workload allocation to ensure top-tier service.
• Oversee daily operations, ensuring consistent service delivery, KPI adherence, and operational efficiency.
• Contribute to and execute strategic objectives using data and insights to improve decision-making, client satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
• Develop and implement internal processes, tools, and frameworks to enhance departmental effectiveness.
• Strengthen client relationships through exceptional service and a proactive, solutions-led approach.
• Provide commercially focused employment law advice on matters such as TUPE, redundancy, restructuring, disciplinary and grievance processes, capability, discrimination, employment contracts, and directors\’ service agreements.
• Ensure advice is accurate, practical, tailored, and delivered within agreed service levels.
• Manage Employment Tribunal claims from initiation to resolution, including early ACAS conciliation, drafting ET3 responses, representing clients at preliminary hearings, negotiating settlements, and attending final hearings.
• Design and deliver employment law seminars and training courses tailored to client needs and legal developments.
• Create legal articles and thought leadership pieces to support marketing, PR, and client engagement.
• Oversee drafting of client documentation, including contracts, handbooks, and policies, ensuring compliance with legislation and best practices.
• Support upselling initiatives and contribute to departmental revenue and retention targets.
• Maintain personal CPD to ensure ongoing legal expertise and compliance.

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