Paralegal - GC (HE)

Highways England ,
Birmingham, West Midlands
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Job Description

Your new role This is a great opportunity to join our experienced in-house legal team as a Paralegal working with our Senior Employment Lawyer and HR Team. Supremely organised, a self-starting team player who is able to prioritise, you will have sound legal judgment and be able to deliver a timely and high standard of professional service and client care. You will work independently with some supervision from our Senior Employment Lawyer to provide advice on all aspects of employment law. This role will allow you to advise upon and be involved in a range of employment legal issues affecting a large and busy company. What you'll be leading on * Drafting and advising on employment policies and procedures, contracts and other employment/ HR related documentation. * Assisting with/ leading on employment tribunal litigation being handled internally or externally including: drafting responses to claims, instructing counsel, carrying out disclosure, preparing bundles and drafting witness statements. Where external representation is being used you will be part of the team overseeing, liaising with and monitoring the external legal support. * Providing pragmatic employment legal advice to HR colleagues on a variety of HR processes and issues such as: grievances, disciplinaries, absence and performance management. * Working with the Senior Employment Lawyer to provide training/ updates to HR and line manager colleagues on developments in employment law and best practice. * Providing administrative support where necessary to the Senior Employment Lawyer. To be successful * Degree and the LPC/ post graduate legal qualification. * Knowledge of and at least 12 months' work experience of employment law either in private practice or in-house preferably working with public sector clients or organisations. * Experience of handling or assisting with employment tribunal litigation including complex claims such as multi day discrimination claims. * Excellent legal research skills. * Excellent written and verbal communications skills and ability to communicate across all levels. * Experience of drafting HR policies and procedures. * Team player who is happy to see themselves as both a member of the HR and General Counsel teams. A bit about us The General Counsel Directorate encompasses the company's legal team providing legal services and the Company Secretariat function. They provide an effective legal service to the company and ensure that requests for legal advice are sourced though the correct channels. The Company Secretary team work to support the Board, Chief Executive and its committees; ensuring that the company's corporate governance framework and culture meets good practice expectations and complies with the Companies Act and other corporate compliance requirements. Want to know more? Take a look at our Paralegal role profile below. Why you should join us At Highways England we believe in a connected country. We are passionate about creating a culture where colleagues feel connected, included and enjoy greater wellbeing to achieve this. We're proud that as an organisation we are continually striving to do better and actively encourage and support our colleagues to do the same with their careers. So if you put safety first, take ownership of your work, show passion for what you do, work effectively in a team, and demonstrate integrity in how you do it - then you'll be a great fit for our organisation And finally We reserve the right to close before the advertised closing date, so we recommend completing your application as soon as possible. Role Profile Job Purpose The Paralegal for Highways England is responsible for providing effective and pragmatic legal support to the department in order to ensure that the best interests of Highways England are protected. Key Accountabilities 1. Responsible for providing advice on all aspects of employment law (including employment tribunal litigation) to HR and as appropriate managers across Highways England to ensure that Highways England's interests are protected 2. Undertake legal research, using a variety of sources, presenting clear and concise recommendations and facts to relevant internal clients 3. Prepare moderately complex documents, while gathering and summarising data for reports, ensuring that the correct information is supplied, mitigating any legal risk to Highways England 4. Use legal systems and protocols to perform routine tasks in order to deliver support services 5. Act as legal adviser for Highways England, resolving any queries, providing clear, concise advice and direction for those in need 6. Advise business on potential legal risks, escalating more complex queries, ensuring the legal needs of Highways England are supported People management responsibilities Key contacts/relationships/stakeholders managed Staff within General Counsel Paralegals Person Specification Business Knowledge and Experience Knowledge of public law or experience of working in a publi

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