Job summary
Are you an employment law specialist looking for a role where your expertise makes a real difference to the people behind patient care? Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust is seeking an Employment Solicitor to provide expert legal advice across a diverse and complex workforce environment. Working closely with HR, medical workforce teams and senior leaders, you will play a pivotal role in managing employment litigation, supporting challenging employee relations matters, and helping the Trust navigate legal risk while fostering a fair, inclusive and high-performing workplace.
Main duties of the job
Key duties include providing employment advice and support during internal disputes, investigations and processes prior to litigation and defending Employment Tribunal Claims. The Employment Solicitor will advise upon and manage exposure to legal risk.
Details
- Date posted: 02 November 2026
- Closing date: 16 November 2026
- Pay scheme: Agenda for change
- Band: Band 8a
- Salary: £57,528 to £64,750 a year per annum pro rata
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time, Part-time, Flexible working
- Reference number: 434-C8375964
- Job locations: SMH, Aylesbury, HP21 8AL, United Kingdom
Job description
Job responsibilities
Role responsibilitiesAll key duties and responsibilities managed with file reviews and supervision of complex matters as required.
1. To provide high-quality, timely advice to the Trust (Employee Relations and Medical Workforce Teams) and support the implementation employment relations best practice and to comply with current employment law requirements.
2. To provide general advice, as required, to the Trust on contentious and non-contentious employment law issues. Such advice may be requested on an urgent basis and can involve liaising direct with workforce, managers, clinical staff, health care professionals and others.
3. To advise Disciplinary Hearing panel members in relation to complex disciplinary hearings as well as supporting the drafting of outcome decisions.
4. To support the Trust in the development and execution of general Settlement Agreements.
5. To provide day to day management of an employment law casework on behalf the Trust.
6. To support the Trust with input into HR policy providing training as appropriate.
7. To establish and maintain good relationships with the Employee Relations and Medical HR Teams, managers, clinicians and external contacts.
8. To provide seminars and deliver training to the HR Teams and other NHS staff in the Trust legal, employment and risk management issues.
9. To liaise with the ER Lead for support as required.
10. To undertake regular reviews of all open casework to ensure case information is accurate and up to date.
11. To maintain a complete audit trail of work product and documentation by filing and indexing documents.
12. To manage Employment Tribunal cases (excluding complex cases) and to represent the Trust at Employment Tribunal. (This will include communicating potentially highly contentious and sensitive information in a hostile/antagonistic atmosphere e.g. taking evidence from witnesses, cross examining witnesses and presenting evidence/submissions).
13. To liaise with third parties such as the Trusts external employment law team when expert advice is necessary or to instruct a Barrister for highly complex ET cases.
14. To maintain oversight of external legal spend in conjunction with the Chief People Officer.
15. To attend regular in-house team meetings to promote sharing of information.
Personal Development
1. To comply with the SRA requirements in relation to Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
Person Specification
Education
Essential
- Law Degree & LPC (or equivalent)
- Registration as a Solicitor with the Solicitors Regulatory Authority or registration with CILEX Regulation as a Legal Executive
Experience
Essential
- Employment law experience
- Advocacy at an Employment Tribunal
- Delivering presentations to non-legal staff
- Experience in drafting documents and advice to "customers"
Special Circumstances
Essential
- Able to travel to undertake duties of the post including travelling to other sites and attending Employment Tribunal locations
Skills
Essential
- Ability to communicate in all formats, with all staff, and key stakeholders
- Ability to interpret legislation and adapt into local policy
Disclosure and Barring Service Check
This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.
Certificate of Sponsorship
Applications from job seekers who require current Skilled worker sponsorship to work in the UK are welcome and will be considered alongside all other applications. For further information visit the UK Visas and Immigration website (Opens in a new tab).
From 6 April 2017, skilled worker applicants, applying for entry clearance into the UK, have had to present a criminal record certificate from each country they have resided continuously or cumulatively for 12 months or more in the past 10 years. Adult dependants (over 18 years old) are also subject to this requirement. Guidance can be found here Criminal records checks for overseas applicants (Opens in a new tab).
UK Registration
Applicants must have current UK professional registration. For further information please see NHS Careers website (opens in a new window).
About us
Why colleagues think we are"a great place to work!"?
What does Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust offer you?
As part of our BHT family, you'll benefit from learning and development opportunities to support your career progression.
Alongside NHS benefits of generous annual leave entitlement and pension scheme, you'll have access to NHS discount schemes.
We provide a range of health and wellbeing services to promote a healthy, happy workforce.
What do we stand for?
Our vision is to provide outstanding care, support healthy communities and be a great place to work.
Our mission is to provide personal and compassionate care every time.
We are working hard to increase diversity at all levels within the trust. We believe a diverse workforce can have a positive effect on both staff wellbeing and patient outcomes.
We welcome applications from black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, candidates with disabilities and care-experienced candidates.
We are proud to achieve the Gold award for the Armed Forces Covenant and support applications from the Armed Forces Community. Please contact [email protected] (Armed Forces Covenant Lead) if you would like guidance or assistance with your application.
We make employment decisions by matching our service needs with the skills and experience of candidates, regardless of age, disability, gender, gender identity, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, or sexual orientation.
Employer details
- Employer name: Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- Address: SMH, Aylesbury, HP21 8AL, United Kingdom
- Employer's website: https://careers.buckshealthcare.nhs.uk/