Employment Counsel ( Remote London based)

Job Overview:

Legal and Compliance is responsible for managing all legal and regulatory matters, including contracts, corporate governance, general compliance, academic compliance, employment law matters, intellectual property, product counseling, government relations, and claims. The team includes dedicated teams that support every aspect of Coursera's platform, including university, enterprise and industry partnerships. This role will sit within the Employment & Litigation sub-team within Legal and Compliance, reporting to the Director and Associate General Counsel of Employment and Litigation.

As an Employment Counsel, you will collaborate closely with internal stakeholders, external legal advisors, and HR professionals to provide legal advice and manage employment-related risks. This role involves handling a broad spectrum of employment law matters while ensuring compliance with local laws, regulations, and best practices across multiple jurisdictions in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region. We’re looking for someone who is passionate about education and fostering business growth, is highly motivated and detail-oriented.

We seek an individual with a strong background in UK employment law and employment counseling, with experience counseling on international matters across EMEA, who can also adapt and apply their legal knowledge and skills to new situations and issues. The individual should be able to operate with minimal supervision and be a team player who brings a positive, “can do” attitude to the workplace. This role requires an expert collaborator who can work with other members of the Legal and Compliance team and internal stakeholders. The ideal candidate will be entrepreneurial, organized, and comfortable working in an ever-changing environment while managing several simultaneous projects under deadline pressure. The ideal candidate will have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, impeccable judgment, integrity, and commitment to ethics and equity.

Responsibilities:

• Provide guidance on UK and EMEA employment law matters, including recruitment, contracts, terminations, grievances, disciplinary issues, redundancies, and employment disputes.
• Assist in drafting, reviewing, and updating employment contracts, handbooks, and HR policies to ensure compliance with local laws; Monitor legislative changes across EMEA jurisdictions and advise on necessary adjustments to internal policies.
• Provide support in handling employment-related claims, disputes, or litigation in collaboration with external counsel; assist in managing responses to regulatory inquiries or investigations related to employment matters.
• Support employment aspects of mergers, acquisitions, and other corporate transactions, ensuring alignment with employment laws in EMEA jurisdictions.
• Assist in delivering training to HR and management teams on employment law topics and compliance requirements.

Qualifications:

• UK-qualified solicitor with 3-4 years of post-qualification experience in employment law
• Proven track record of providing reliable, pragmatic, solutions-oriented advice to HR and business partners
• Solid understanding of UK employment law and familiarity with employment regulations across EMEA jurisdictions.
• Experience advising on contracts, terminations, and workplace disputes.
• Excellent legal drafting and analytical skills.

Nice to haves:

• Broad-based experience managing employment law matters in the UK and EMEA, preferably through a combination of in-house and law firm practice
• Knowledge of key employment law frameworks in jurisdictions outside the UK within EMEA.
• Fluency in additional languages relevant to the EMEA region is a plus
• Experience working in a public company or other fast-paced working environment

Keep Learning

If this opportunity interests you, you might like these courses on Coursera:

• International Leadership and Organizational Behavior
• Introduction to Negotiation
• Influencing People

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