Senior Associate or Principal Associate - Employment

We are looking for a senior employment law solicitor to join our growing Employment team based in our Oxford office.

The role

This is an exciting senior‑level opportunity to join a high‑performing and growing employment team, supporting continued growth, leading client relationships and mentoring junior lawyers.

You will advise on a broad mix of contentious and non‑contentious employment matters, with a particular (but non‑exclusive) focus on corporate and education sector clients. The role includes advisory and Employment Tribunal work, alongside delivering client training, seminars and legal updates, and contributing to business development activity.

You will work closely with Partner William Downing, Head of the Employment team and Oxford Office, and play an active role in supervising and supporting a small team of employment lawyers. You will also be part of a large, collaborative national Employment, Pensions and Immigration practice, benefitting from cross‑office training and development.

Based in our expanding Oxford office, this role offers the chance to join a growing team with a start‑up feel, backed by the strength and resources of a leading national firm. You will be expected to champion Mills & Reeve's strategic priorities, including outstanding client service and leadership in innovation and technology.

The person

7+ years' employment law experience gained in a reputable firm with a strong employment practice Proven ability to deliver outstanding client service and build trusted, long‑term client relationships Strong business development capability, including growing existing client work and winning new work Excellent technical expertise in employment law, delivering high‑quality, commercial advice and managing Employment Tribunal litigation Experience supervising junior lawyers and delivering training to clients and prospective clients

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

The Benefits

As you'd expect, we offer a competitive salary and a wide range of benefits. Click here to find out more about our core benefit offering.

Pre employment screening

If we offer you a role, we will conduct comprehensive pre-employment screening. This screening will include, but is not limited to, a basic DBS, verification of your right to work, a three year employment history and a self-declaration to assess your character and suitability for the role. Full details of our pre-screening employment process are available upon request.

The firm

Mills & Reeve is centred on achieving more for clients, their businesses and the wider communities we serve. Our clients and their industries benefit from our knowledge and learning, and receive consistent experiences with no surprises. We tell them what they need to know when they need to know it.

We build personal relationships, with advice individually tailored to individual need. And if clients need things we don't offer, we draw on our network to give recommendations. Our 1,450 plus people and over 850 lawyers share one vision – achieving more for clients.

By joining Mills & Reeve, you'll have the chance to build your skills and experience within a firm that's not only ranked in the top 50 UK law firms, but also one that truly values their people. We're also ranked in The Sunday Times Best Places to Work list, and have been awarded Platinum Investors in People. Our mantra is “Achieve more. Together.”, which we feel embodies our purpose and is more than just a catchphrase!

Our values are the principles that help us fulfil our purpose. Our people shaped them and live them every day.

We're ambitious - We aim high, we embrace new ideas and we're passionate about our work We're open - We communicate openly and honestly to build trust, and we do what's right We care - We're committed to each other, our clients, our communities and the planet We collaborate - We're easy to work with, we offer help willingly and we get things done – together

And finally

Everyone at Mills & Reeve brings a unique perspective and ideas to the team and we do everything we can to help each person to thrive. We're committed to providing an inclusive and supportive working environment, are happy to consider flexible working arrangements, and want to achieve the right balance for both our people and the firm. We encourage everyone to ask if they feel they need any workplace adjustments, and will do our best to support with these.

To find out more about our diversity and inclusion work, visit our website .