CMS UK
Employment Associate - Bristol, Manchester, Sheffield, Scotland

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We are looking to recruit an experienced Employment Associate to be based in either Edinburgh, Glasgow, Bristol, Manchester or Sheffield.
About The Role
An exciting opportunity to contribute to the continued growth of CMS’s UK Employment group.
You will be advising commercial clients (including many FTSE 100 companies and household names). Our highly ranked Employment group has over 50 lawyers in the UK, and offers a supportive environment where the team are genuinely interested in and enjoy the work that they do.
Our work is fast-paced and offers huge variety, covering the full spectrum of employment law matters including:
- day-to-day employment advice
- corporate, commercial and real estate transactions, business transfers and outsourcings;
- employment tribunal, civil court and appeal litigation;
- collective matters such as restructuring/redundancies, integration and TUPE, and industrial relations;
- investigations (including regulatory investigations); and
- strategic projects such as compliance with new legal requirements.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
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Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
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Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Our team plays a central role in the market-leading international CMS Employment Group as a global provider of employment legal advice and regularly advises clients on cross-jurisdictional projects and matters with an international angle.
About You
You will be an Employment Associate or Senior Associate, we are flexible on level from 4PQE+ who has the desire and ambition to support in the continued development of our successful, dynamic and highly collaborative team. Your experience should include both contentious and non-contentious work. You will be well-organised, proactive, personable and have excellent written and oral communication skills. A strong academic record and lots of enthusiasm are a must as we will be keen for you to hit the ground running.
We provide a truly supportive environment and will invest in your ongoing training and development to support your professional goals and help you to thrive in your role from day one.


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Benefits
We want to reward you today and help you plan for tomorrow. We appreciate that everyone is different, therefore we have designed a benefits system that offers choice and flexibility based on individual needs and lifestyles. To name a few, these include:
- Competitive basic salary (reviewed annually)
- Flexible, hybrid working policy
- Generous bonus scheme
- Up to 25 days holiday (rising to 28 days with service)
- Holiday exchange scheme
- Private medical insurance
- Enhanced parental leave
- Reasonable adjustments and accommodation for disabled talent in accordance with the Equality Act 2010.
If you would like to read more information regarding our range of benefits, please visit our Rewards & Benefits page on our website.
Please note that we have a preferred agency panel in place. Only applications submitted via the portal at the point of instruction will be accepted.
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