Legal Counsel, Employment (UK & EMEA)

About the Role NScale is hiring a Legal Counsel, Employment (UK & EMEA) to shape and support compliant employment frameworks across its EMEA footprint. You’ll advise on a broad range of employment law matters, report to the Senior Director, Employment, and collaborate with the People team, Compliance & Ethics, business leaders, and other members of Legal. This role sits at the intersection of legal risk, employee experience, and organizational change to help navigate growth with a pragmatic, risk-based approach. What You'll Do

• Employment advisory across the lifecycle: advise on hiring, contracts, contractor classification, performance management, restructurings, and exits; provide pragmatic, risk-based employment law advice; partner with business leaders and the People team to support compliant decision-making across relevant jurisdictions.
• Disputes and employee relations: manage pre-litigation matters, settlement negotiations, ACAS Early Conciliation, and employment tribunal claims; advise on grievance, conduct, disciplinary, and performance-related matters; manage risks from investigation outcomes.
• Policies, frameworks, and compliance: draft and maintain employment templates and policies across UK and EMEA; monitor developments; implement updates in response to changes in the legal landscape.
• Projects, transactions, and investigations: partner with People on transformation projects requiring practical employment law support; assist with employment aspects of corporate transactions (due diligence, integrations, reorganisations, TUPE); support workplace investigations with Compliance & Ethics, advising on fair process and remediation with People Operations.
• Enablement and stakeholder training: contribute to the development of employment law training for managers, the People team, and other stakeholders; deliver guidance to help non-legal partners navigate employment risks with confidence; collaborate across Legal, People, and Compliance to strengthen consistent employment practices across EMEA. What We're Looking For
• 5+ years of UK employment law experience, with exposure to employment law issues across multiple EMEA jurisdictions
• Qualified solicitor in England & Wales in good standing
• Strong grounding in UK employment law, including the Employment Rights Act, Equality Act, Working Time Regulations, and TUPE
• Experience advising on employee relations matters, including disciplinary, grievance, performance management, and workplace investigations
• Ability to provide clear, practical, and commercially focused legal advice to non-legal stakeholders
• Strong drafting, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Experience working collaboratively with HR, People teams, Compliance, and business stakeholders
• Ability to manage multiple priorities effectively in a fast-paced environment Compensation & Benefits
• Highly competitive UK compensation package (base + bonus + equity), with performance reviews every 12 months
• Dynamic progression plan tailored to your ambitions; grow by leading critical cross-functional initiatives with full support
• Human-First Flexibility: flexible workplace autonomy to shape your day around life's moments
• Equal Opportunities Statement: We encourage applications from diverse backgrounds and will provide accommodations as needed