Senior Employment Lawyer EMEA

Company Description:

Join the leader in global work. Vialto helps leading organizations identify, develop, and execute their workforce priorities with confidence. Our practice areas include global tax, immigration, rewards, advisory and Vialto private and our team is the gold standard in navigating the complexities of cross-border compliance, and workforce strategies. We look for people our clients and assignees can count on to thoughtfully deliver clear solutions to complex problems.

To be the best in the business, we cultivate a dynamic, highly collaborative culture that fuels the growth of our people. We invite you to inquire boldly, learn deeply, and grow endlessly with us. You’ll work alongside recognized experts, shaping people-first, technology-driven solutions that drive the future of work. We help our clients achieve their goals and imagine new possibilities. And we can do the same for you. Whatever your aspirations, Vialto can help you find your way.

Purpose of the role:

This is a function that is being built with purpose. This is a role where you can shape how things work, not just operate within someone else's system.

This is a permanent, specialist employment law role supporting the Western Europe and EMEA region. You will be the primary employment law resource for Western Europe and EMEA, working alongside the Global Head of Employment Law to deliver high-quality employment law advice, manage risk, and build the legal infrastructure the regions need to operate proactively.

The role is both advisory and operational. The work is varied, the jurisdictions are multiple, and the expectation is that you can hold complexity without losing clarity.

You will work closely with Employee Relations (ER) and the HR Business Partners (HRBPs) who support the regions. A key part of this role is ensuring that the right matters reach Legal through the right channels and you will help embed and reinforce this model as part of how you work.

What you will do:

Employment law advisory

• Provide employment law advice across EMEA jurisdictions, supporting ER and HRBPs on matters that have a genuine legal dimension, including dismissals, grievances, disciplinary processes, and restructuring.

• Advise on employment claims and pre-litigation strategy; manage risk assessment and make recommendations on settlement versus defense.

• Advise on employment law implications of business change, including restructuring, reductions in force, and leadership transitions.

Works council and employee representation

• Support the ongoing management of works council obligations across the region.

• Provide employment law input on works council agreements, collective bargaining, and statutory consultation processes.

• Work alongside local HRBPs who lead works council engagement, providing legal advice and reviewing documentation.

Post-termination restrictions

• Advise the business on the design, use, and enforceability of post-termination restrictions across Western Europe and EMEA jurisdictions.

• Review and maintain the PTR country template library; assess whether existing restrictions in employee contracts are fit for purpose.

• Manage PTR enforcement matters, including coordinating with external counsel where required.

Governance, playbooks, and legal infrastructure

• Maintain and develop the EMEA employment law playbooks and jurisdiction-specific guidance for ER and HRBPs.

• Contribute to the design and upkeep of the employment law knowledge base.

• Support the management of external counsel: scoping instructions, reviewing advice, and ensuring spend is proportionate and within the governance framework.

• Identify patterns in claims and issues; surface systemic risks and recommend preventive measures.

Working with ER and the business

• Work as a Legal point of contact for ER escalations from Western Europe and EMEA, providing clear, practical advice that ER can work with.

• Support HRBPs in understanding their employment law obligations and build their confidence in applying legal guidance to day-to-day people matters.

• Contribute to training and capability-building for ER and HRBP teams across the region.

Who we are looking for

Essential:

• Qualified employment lawyer with five to eight years' post-qualification experience, including substantial exposure to EMEA jurisdictions.

• Strong knowledge of employment law in at least two EMEA jurisdictions, with genuine interest in building multi-jurisdictional expertise.

• Experience advising on the full range of employment matters: dismissals, grievances, restructuring, claims, and contractual issues.

• Familiarity with works council law and employee representation obligations in continental Europe.

• Excellent written and verbal communication: able to translate legal complexity into clear, practical guidance for non-lawyers.

• Collaborative and self-directed: comfortable working across functions and managing a varied workload without close supervision.

• Prior in-house experience, or significant client-side advisory experience in a professional services or multinational context.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of post-termination restriction law and practice across multiple EMEA jurisdictions.

• Experience of employment law playbook development, governance frameworks, or legal process design.

• Exposure to works council negotiations or complex collective consultation processes.

What we offer:

This is a role for a lawyer who wants to do genuinely interesting work in a function that is being built, not just maintained. You will have real scope, real visibility, and the support of a Global Head who knows the region and has built the governance frameworks you will be working within.

We offer a competitive compensation package, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to develop a multi-jurisdictional practice within a business that operates at global scale.

Vialto Partners is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to building a diverse team and welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds.

Additional information:

• This is a hybrid work mode role and requires 2 days of work from our office in London
• We are an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status.
• Please note, AI is used as part of the application process