Senior Talent Acquisition Manager (Lateral Partner recruitment)

We will offer you a place where you can be yourself and where there are no limits on what you can achieve. With us, you can take ownership of your career and have honest conversations throughout. You would join an ambitious firm with a clear strategy for profitable growth where you can get early responsibility and early involvement in growing the business. Here you can expect a competitive and fair reward as well as recognition based on all round performance. This forms part of our internal promise to you, The Deal, between the firm and its employees.

You can expect: 

• A competitive salary and a host of family friendly policies
• Life assurance, private health and dental care for you and your family
• A range of flexible benefits including gym discount and retail vouchers
• Tech and cycle schemes
• The opportunity to support the firm's charity through volunteering leave
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when we experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.

The HR and Talent Development function comprises c45 people globally and is responsible for the effective management of all matters concerning the attraction, recruitment, engagement, retention, development and progression of our people. This involves guiding and supporting partners, managers, and all employees alike, as well as supporting the creation of an inclusive and diverse environment, enabling our people to thrive. We are involved in a wide range of activities including:

• Setting and implementing our people strategy
• Resourcing, talent and career management
• Reward (financial and non-financial) strategy
• Engagement initiatives including supporting the performance development process
• Policy, procedures setting and the practical application of these across the business
• People projects to support the firm's strategy

Role overview 

Based in London, reporting to the Global Head of Talent Acquisition and Mobility ("GHoTAM"), you will be a key member of the lateral partner recruitment ("LPR") team, with responsibility for the end-to-end recruitment of both lateral partners and other senior/specialist hires. You will excel at building and maintaining relationships with partners, senior stakeholders and business services C-suite/heads of business, and other colleagues, providing high quality, proactive advice, guidance and recommendations on recruitment attraction, assessment and selection options. As a trusted advisor to the firm, you will enjoy leading and supporting on key projects to drive forward the lateral growth priorities and wider firm strategy.

As an experienced people manager, you will deputise for the GHoTAM and/or Senior Manager (Talent Acquisition), in overseeing and managing the day-to-day operational delivery of the LPR team and/or TA teams (each comprising c4 people).

Main responsibilities

As a senior member of the LPR team, the responsibilities of this role include: 

Talent acquisition and recruitment

• Working closely with the GHoTAM to set and deliver the firm's LPR strategy across all locations.
• Ownership of a variety of LPR mandates, across a range of practice areas and geographies, as well as supporting the GHoTAM on the delivery of more complex, confidential mandates.
• Leading end-to-end recruitment processes, including the proactive direct sourcing of candidates, as well as the use of agencies.
• Providing expert guidance to both candidates/agencies and internal stakeholders regarding the recruitment process itself, to include best practice interviews, completion of documentation (to include LPQs and internal business cases), offer approval/management and onboarding.
• Delivering an excellent standard of recruitment customer service to the firm, demonstrating in-depth understanding of the firm's practice areas, sectors and business.
• Acting as a strategic and operational partner to senior stakeholders, able to influence senior management in relation to recruitment strategy. Both individually and through LPR/TA colleagues, support in positioning the LPR/TA function as a proactive, strategic service.
• Confidently articulate the firm's proposition to prospective targets, candidates and external partners, helping to position the firm as a partnership/employer of choice.
• Delivering a high touch, high quality candidate experience.
• Consistently developing own specialist expertise (and that of others in the team), particularly around market trends, developments in LPR/TA, and the broader legal landscape, to drive best practice.
• Providing support to the GHoTAM to define and implement a LPR/talent acquisition strategy to enable the firm-wide objectives.
• Providing accurate, comprehensive research to support direct sourcing methods, to include market maps, short list recommendations, and guidance on the most appropriate methods of lateral candidate attraction.
• Championing and role modelling our employer brand throughout the firm internally, as well as to the external market.
• Supporting the firm's diversity goals through widening searches, partnering with expert external organisations, and ensuring the recruitment process is inclusive to all.
• Encouraging, introducing, and maintaining strong relationships with all recruitment suppliers to promote the firm, developing and managing PSL relationships, where appropriate.
• Promoting and supporting the use of the applicant tracking system/recruitment system, answering day to day queries and facilitating any necessary training.
• Creating and monitoring the global annual LPR budget, provide regular and ad hoc reporting to the GHoTAM and others.
• Assisting with any recruitment related projects or events, taking the lead where appropriate.
• Where necessary, working alongside the future talent team to support interviews and assessment days.

Team management (where applicable)

• Taking ownership for managing the global LPR team, delivering a professional, best in class service, in accordance with the overall strategy of the firm and the recruitment budget.
• Deputising for the GHoTAM and/or Senior Manager (Talent Acquisition), from time to time and as appropriate.
• Role modelling and driving high performance within the LPR team, to include the delivery of excellent client and candidate service, acting as a senior member of the wider HR team.
• Motivating, mentoring, coaching and providing leadership to any direct reports, setting and reviewing performance objectives on a regular basis. Proactively work to upskill more junior colleagues, through support, coaching and effective delegation. Setting clear expectations and monitoring outputs to ensure success.
• Sharing knowledge and developing appropriate training for the LPR team (and, where relevant, the TA team) to embed a proactive, business partnering approach.
• Line management responsibility/volume to be discussed.
• Building and maintaining strong and trusted relationships across the wider HR, D&I and TD teams globally.

Most of our roles are hybrid, meaning that colleagues benefit from working in our office and remotely. We are happy to discuss this and other flexible working arrangements with you as part of the application and interview process.

• Previous experience in a recruitment/talent acquisition senior manager role within a law firm or professional services sector is essential.
• Extensive experience of lateral partner recruitment, to include direct sourcing and agency introductions.
• People management experience, delivered in a fair and proactive manner.
• A service oriented and commercially focused approach, supported by strong communication and presentation skills.
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with excellent attention to detail.
• High credibility and ability to influence at all levels but particularly with senior stakeholders.
• Resilient and pragmatic, with the ability to respond quickly to requests, manage time and stakeholders effectively, and to work and stay calm under pressure.
• Results-focused with a positive "can do" attitude
• Analytical with strong ability to create, manipulate and interpret management information and data.
• Experience of identifying and delivering process and service improvement.
• Have an in-depth knowledge of current TA trends and up to date legislation.

This job description is indicative only and does not represent an exhaustive list of responsibilities. The firm reserves the right to alter or change the responsibilities at any time, in line with the firm's strategy and business needs.

With 8 offices worldwide and with our headquarters based in London, Stephenson Harwood is a law firm where our people are committed to achieving the goals of our clients - listed and private companies, institutions, and individuals across the globe. Our mix of expertise and culture results in a combination of deep local insight and the capability to provide a seamless international service.

Our experience encompasses corporate, commercial litigation and arbitration, employment, pensions and private wealth, finance, marine and international trade, and real estate and projects.

We assemble teams of bright thinkers to match our clients' needs and give the right advice from the right person at the right time. Dedicating the highest calibre of legal talent to overcome the most complex issues, we deliver pragmatic, expert advice that is set squarely in the real world.

We understand the power of diversity in delivering that high calibre advice to our clients. We want to attract diverse talent and we particularly encourage applications from underrepresented demographics.

Our values:

Individuality - We encourage creativity and develop talent

Commitment - To be the best and deliver the highest standard

Teamwork - We work together to build close, long-term relationships

Straight talking - We say what we mean and do what we say

These values express the personality of the individuals within our firm. They are the behaviours we encourage in our people and the standards which inform our decisions and actions.

Our vision into 2026

To be a successful firm where talented people work together in an entrepreneurial environment, building long term client relationships.

This vision is about who we want to be, as well as who we are. It is as much about our values as about our character – the attributes we want to see from all of our people. It also reflects the importance of remaining independent - a clear sign that we are confident in our own future. That's how we unlock our entrepreneurial spirit, advising our clients with top performing teams.

A key part of the 2026 strategy is to focus on five core sectors: decarbonisation, life sciences, private capital & funds, technology, and transportation & trade. These have been identified as crucial in the drive for accelerated profitable growth.