Future Talent Manager (12 month fixed term contract)

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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 gain 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, cycle and electric car schemes
• We support the causes you care about, by giving you one day per year off to volunteer with any charity that you are involved with outside of work.
• A wellbeing strategy that focuses on preventative measures to maintain overall health, and tools and support for when our people experience physical or mental difficulties. The strategy focuses on four pillars: physical, emotional, financial and social aspects.
• 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.
• We are an equal opportunity organisation, committed to having a diverse workforce. We do not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, culture, or any other protected characteristics. We aim to create a culture where everyone can be themselves and is valued for their strengths and unique perspectives

The post holder will report to the Senior Future Talent Manager and line manage the Future Talent Adviser, and work closely with the Future Talent Assistant and wider HR Team. They will develop relationships with partners and colleagues across the business.

The HR, Talent Development and Responsible Business department comprises over 50 people globally and is responsible for the effective management of all matters concerning the attraction, engagement, development, progression and retention of our people. We play a key role in creating a diverse and inclusive environment where all of our people can do their best work and realise their full potential to the benefit of the firm and themselves. We are involved in a wide range of activities including:

• Implementing the firm's people and talent strategy
• Recruitment of partners and employees, including early careers (trainee and apprentice) talent recruitment and development
• Talent and career management
• Reward strategy and salary review
• Supporting the performance management process

The Future Talent Manager leads on attraction and selection of the firm’s future talent. Responsibilities include:

Leadership of recruitment activity and line management

• Line manage the Future Talent Adviser (and support the Future Talent Assistant), providing direction, coaching and regular feedback.
• Oversee the planning and delivery of recruitment events (vacation schemes, open days, insight sessions, skills workshops, law fairs), ensuring they support the firm’s early careers strategy and employer brand.
• Ensure effective liaison with internal and external stakeholders and that events are delivered to a high standard, with clear measures of success.

Application screening and assessment centre design/coordination

• Lead the design and continuous improvement of selection processes for trainees, apprentices and scholars, in collaboration with the Senior Future Talent Manager.
• Oversee initial screening of applications and the administration and coordination of assessment centres, ensuring consistency, fairness and a positive candidate experience.
• Ensure that offers, rejections and other outcomes are communicated in a timely, professional and brand‑aligned manner.

Social media and outreach strategy

• Shape and oversee the social media strategy for Future Talent, working with the assistant and wider HR/marketing teams to plan and approve content that promotes early careers initiatives.
• Ensure that campaigns are targeted appropriately, support social mobility and diversity goals, and align with the firm’s brand and values.

Future Talent Development

The Future Talent Manager will lead the development and onboarding of future talent, helping them transition smoothly into the firm and progress through the trainee/apprentice lifecycle. Key responsibilities include:

• Onboarding and pre employment activities
• Oversee onboarding processes for future trainees and solicitor apprentices, including timely payment of SQE grants, organisation of pre employment events, and relationship building with offer holders.
• Line manage the Future Talent Adviser to ensure these activities are delivered consistently and to a high standard.
• HR generalist support and employee relations
• Provide day to day HR support for trainees and apprentices throughout the employee lifecycle, ensuring issues are managed promptly and appropriately.
• Lead on monitoring sickness, other absence and seat reviews, escalating trends or concerns as needed.
• Support the Senior Future Talent Manager and wider HR team on employee relations matters affecting early talent, and take ownership for managing workplace adjustments for incoming and current trainees/apprentices.
• Managing key lifecycle processes
• Take overall responsibility for key early careers processes, including:
• New joiners and induction programmes;
• The bi annual seat rotation process (including seat allocation and coordination of international and client secondments);
• NQ (newly qualified solicitor) transitions and admission to the Roll of Solicitors.
• Ensure appropriate stakeholder engagement, clear communication and compliance with professional and regulatory requirements.
• HR information system oversight
• Oversee the maintenance of accurate records for trainees and solicitor apprentices in the firm’s HR system (WorkDay), ensuring data integrity, compliance with internal policies and data protection regulations.
• Use data and reporting to inform decision making and continuous improvement of early careers processes.

Policies, Know how and Developing the HR Function
The Future Talent Manager will contribute to the ongoing development and improvement of HR processes and documentation and help shape the future talent strategy.

• Document creation, maintenance and governance
• Lead the development and regular review of standard HR documents, know how and guidance materials relating to future talent, ensuring they are up to date, clear and consistent.
• Ensure policies and processes are communicated effectively and applied consistently across the early careers population.
• Project leadership and contribution
• Play a key role in firm wide and departmental projects aligned with the firm’s people and early careers strategy (e.g. social mobility initiatives, process redesign, new assessment methods).
• Balance operational responsibilities with project work, bringing ideas, structure and momentum to initiatives.
• Regulation and practice updates
• Keep up to date with changes in regulations and best practice relating to early careers, apprenticeships, SQE, and trainee development.

Advise stakeholders on implications for the firm and support the implementation of any necessary changes to processes or policies.

Working with Others
The role requires strong collaboration within the HR team and across the firm, as well as engagement with external stakeholders.

• External networking and representation
• Build and maintain relationships with universities, schools, apprenticeship providers, professional bodies and external networks to enhance the firm’s presence and stay informed on best practice.
• Represent Stephenson Harwood at external events and forums, promoting the firm’s early careers offering and social mobility commitments.
• Continuous improvement and team development
• Proactively identify opportunities to improve processes, candidate experience and trainee/apprentice support, and drive implementation of agreed changes.
• Contribute to the development of the Future Talent team and wider HR function by sharing knowledge, coaching colleagues and supporting team building activities.
• Stakeholder collaboration
• Build effective working relationships with partners, practice group leaders, supervisors and business services teams to ensure alignment on future talent recruitment, development and resourcing needs.
• Act as a trusted advisor on early careers matters, providing clear, evidence based recommendations.

• Proven ability to line manage, coach and develop junior team members.
• Able to set clear expectations, provide constructive feedback and support others to deliver high quality work.
• Comfortable operating at both a strategic and hands on level: able to see the bigger picture while managing detailed processes.
• Capable of translating firm and HR strategy into practical plans for early careers recruitment and development.
• Strong organisational and project management skills; able to manage multiple processes and projects simultaneously (e.g. recruitment cycles, seat rotations, onboarding, NQ processes) and deliver to deadlines.
• Experienced in prioritising effectively and managing workload in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder skills.
• Clear, confident written and verbal communicator, able to tailor messages for different audiences (trainees, partners, external providers, schools/universities).
• Strong influencing skills; able to build credibility and trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Comfortable working with data from HR systems and recruitment platforms, drawing insights to inform decisions and improvements.
• Attention to detail in reporting, documentation and compliance.
• Proactive in identifying opportunities to enhance processes, candidate experience and trainee/apprentice support.
• Works effectively as part of the wider HR and Future Talent team, sharing knowledge and supporting colleagues.
• Professionalism, sound judgement and resilience.
• Calm and resourceful under pressure; able to handle sensitive issues (e.g. performance, ER matters) with discretion and maturity.
• Demonstrates sound judgement and a high degree of integrity in all interactions.
• Genuine commitment to social mobility and widening access to the legal profession, with an understanding of how early careers programmes can support these goals.

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.

Stephenson Harwood is an international law firm, and we're committed to creating 'positive partnerships' with our clients. We represent listed and private companies, institutions and individuals, building lasting relationships to help them succeed in a complex and ever-changing world.

Our focus is on five core sectors: Energy Transition, Life Sciences and Healthcare, Private Capital and Funds, Technology, and Transportation and Trade.

With more than 1,500 people, including 250+ partners, across eleven offices in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we combine deep legal capabilities and broad commercial expertise. We have also forged close ties with high quality law firms around the world, blending local knowledge with global savvy for clients in over 100 countries.

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.

250 + PARTNERS
11 OFFICES
45+ LANGUAGES SPOKEN BY OUR PEOPLE

Offices in Al Khobar, Athens, Dubai, Hong Kong, London, Madrid, Paris, Riyadh, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and associated office in Guangzhou

Our brand strengths:

GO FAR, GO TOGETHER

EXPERTS IN MORE THAN LAW

CAN DO PERSONALITIES

ALWAYS READY