Employment Lawyer
2 days ago
Glasgow
Employment Lawyer (In-house) \n Location - Glasgow City centre (Office based) \n Working Pattern - Full or Part time with flexible working options \n Travel - UK wide travel required \n Optical Express is the UK’s leading provider of laser eye surgery, lens replacement, and private eyecare services. With a nationwide network of clinics and over a thousand of employees, we are committed to delivering exceptional patient care supported by robust legal, ethical, and operational standards. \n As our organisation continues to grow, we are seeking a skilled Employment Lawyer to join our in‑house legal team. \n Role Overview \n The Employment Lawyer will act as a key legal advisor to the business on all employment law matters, providing high-quality, timely, and commercially focused legal support across the organisation. The role will involve advising on both contentious and non-contentious employment issues, supporting HR with policy development, managing litigation risk, and ensuring the company’s people practices remain compliant with UK employment legislation. \n This role is suited to a confident, pragmatic lawyer with a minimum of 5 years’ post-qualification experience (PQE) in employment law, ideally gained across a combination of private practice and in-house environments. \n Key Responsibilities \n Advisory & Compliance \n\n • Provide expert legal advice on a wide range of employment law matters, including disciplinary and grievance issues, absence management, discrimination, TUPE, redundancy, performance management, and employee relations.\n, • Partner with HR and operational teams to interpret legal obligations and embed best practice people management.\n, • Draft, review, and maintain employment contracts, HR policies, handbooks, and related documentation.\n, • Monitor developments in employment legislation and case law, ensuring the business remains compliant and informed.\n\n Litigation & Dispute Resolution \n\n • Manage Employment Tribunal claims from instruction through to resolution, including drafting pleadings, preparing witness statements, liaising with external counsel, and supporting hearings as required.\n, • Work proactively with stakeholders to identify legal risk, resolve disputes early, and minimise exposure.\n\n Projects & Strategic Support \n\n • Provide legal input into strategic HR initiatives, including organisational restructures, TUPE transfers, change programmes, and employee engagement projects.\n, • Deliver training and legal updates to HR teams and managers.\n, • Support senior leadership with complex, sensitive, or high-risk people matters.\n\n Corporate & Commercial Support \n\n • Advise on employment aspects of commercial agreements, consultancy arrangements, and third-party relationships.\n, • Support due diligence and integration activity linked to acquisitions, partnerships, or wider business development.\n\n Skills & Experience Required \n Essential \n\n • Qualified Solicitor in Scotland, or England & Wales with a willingness to advise on Scottish employment law (with support where required).\n, • Minimum of 5 years’ PQE specialising in Employment Law.\n, • Strong technical expertise across contentious and non-contentious matters.\n, • Proven experience managing Employment Tribunal litigation.\n, • Commercially minded with the ability to balance legal risk and business objectives.\n, • Excellent drafting skills and high attention to detail.\n, • Strong stakeholder management and communication skills.\n, • Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.\n, • Willingness to travel across the UK as required.\n\n Desirable \n\n • Previous in-house experience, particularly within healthcare, retail, or large multi-site organisations.\n, • Experience delivering training or presenting complex legal concepts to non-legal audiences.\n, • Working knowledge of data protection and privacy issues in the employment context.\n\n Personal Attributes \n\n • Pragmatic and solutions-focused with a strong commercial mindset.\n, • Confident, credible, and able to influence at senior levels.\n, • Resilient and discreet, with high levels of professionalism and integrity.\n, • Proactive, self-motivated, and comfortable working autonomously within a busy in-house environment.\n\n What We Offer \n\n • Competitive salary and benefits package.\n, • 33 days Annual leave*\n, • Opportunities for ongoing professional development.\n, • A supportive in‑house legal team within a dynamic and growing business.\n\n