Job Description

Immigration Partner / Legal Director

Location: Manchester

Salary: c.£120,000 – £160,000 + Equity/Partner Profit Share & C-Suite Backing

Are you an accomplished Immigration Partner or Senior Director with an established client following, seeking the strategic authority, autonomy, and firm backing to establish and lead a flagship Immigration practice in Manchester? Our client is a dynamic, commercially minded national law firm known for doing law differently—putting authentic client relationships and cross-departmental collaboration at the heart of its business. Expanding its commercial footprint across the North West, immigration is a designated priority growth area for the firm. They are seeking an entrepreneurial Immigration Partner (8+ PQE) with a portable client base to establish and lead a standalone offering serving corporate employers and high-net-worth individual clients across the region and nationwide.

The Opportunity

In this high-profile equity-track position, you will leverage your existing client connections and take lead operational responsibility for establishing and scaling the firm's Manchester-based Immigration practice. Supported directly by C-Suite leadership, senior partners, and a dedicated marketing engine, you will deliver sophisticated advisory services across both corporate and personal immigration law. Designed for a commercially sharp practitioner with a proven track record of fee generation who wants to build a practice within a firm genuinely committed to investing in immigration as a standalone specialism, this role offers direct strategic influence, a lucrative profit distribution model, and full cross-referral backing across employment, corporate, and private client practice groups.

Key Responsibilities & Requirements

• Qualifications & Experience: Qualified Solicitor (England & Wales) with a minimum of 8+ years’ post-qualification experience (PQE) specialising in UK Immigration law within a recognised UK practice.

• Portable Client Following: Demonstrable track record of fee generation and an established, portable client following across business sponsor clients, corporate entities, or private individual portfolios (essential).

• Corporate & Business Immigration: Advanced technical expertise in sponsor licence applications, Level 1 user management, UKVI compliance audits, Right to Work frameworks, Skilled Worker visas, Global Business Mobility routes, and Senior Leader transfers.

• Personal & Private Client Expertise: Proven capability in managing complex private immigration matters, including High-Net-Worth visas, Innovator Founder routes, Ancestry, Settlement (ILR), British Citizenship applications, and complex administrative reviews or appeals.

• Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Strategic capability to integrate with Manchester employment teams on workforce mobility and talent management, as well as private client teams on personal wealth and residency affairs.

Package & Working Structure

• Competitive Remuneration: £120,000 – £160,000 base compensation per annum (commensurate with PQE, Manchester market standing, and portable following) plus attractive Partner profit share / equity distribution options.

• Agile & Hybrid Structure: Modern hybrid working policy based out of Manchester—built on trust, allowing you to choose the environment where you work best.

• Comprehensive Healthcare & Benefits: Private Medical Insurance (Vitality), Cash Plan (Medicash), salary sacrifice pension scheme (NEST), and an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) extended to family members.

• Leave & Flexibility: 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays, your birthday off (increasing with service), and enhanced wellbeing and family-friendly policies.

• Culture & Perks: Direct C-Suite and Senior Partner access from day one, regular CSR events, seasonal celebrations, referral bonuses, free fruit/drinks, and regular team lunches.

How to Apply

To discuss this opportunity in complete confidence or request a full position profile, please contact  Lee Hawthorne-Finch directly:

• Email: lee.hawthorne-finch@h-fts.com

Hawthorne-Finch Talent Solutions is acting as an employment agency for this vacancy. All applications and enquiries are treated with the strictest confidence, and candidate details are never shared without prior express consent.