Head of Lateral Partner Integration

Norton Rose Fulbright is a global law firm with more than 3,000 lawyers advising clients across locations in the United States, Europe, Canada, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa and the Middle East. We provide the world's preeminent corporations and financial institutions with a full business law service. With over 50 offices and 7,000 employees worldwide, our culture is the thread that connects us, as well as our values of unity, quality and integrity. Our strategy and culture are connected - defined by shared ambition, global collaboration and a one-team mindset. We believe pioneering work happens when people are empowered to think beyond boundaries, explore new opportunities and grow through diverse experiences.

The Head of Lateral Partner Integration (EMEA) is the focal point of accountability for ensuring that all lateral Partner hires across EMEA are integrated effectively and deliver against their agreed commercial business cases. Operating as a senior leader within the Partner Recruitment function, this role owns the post-hire value realisation agenda for lateral Partners, translating recruitment decisions into measurable growth outcomes. The role sets the firm's EMEA-wide standards for lateral integration, embeds disciplined governance, drives cross-functional execution, and intervenes decisively where business cases are at risk.

Key Accountabilities:

• Lateral Integration Strategy & Ownership: Create, own, and lead the EMEA lateral Partner integration strategy, ensuring it aligns closely with the firm's growth priorities and recruitment strategy. Define the end-to-end lateral lifecycle post-offer, from acceptance through to business case maturity and stabilisation.
• Business Case Governance & Commercial Rigour: Develop and own the governance framework for lateral Partner business cases, ensuring consistency, transparency, and disciplined decision-making.
• End-to-End Onboarding & Integration Leadership: Oversee the creation and execution of bespoke induction and integration plans for each lateral Partner aligned to strategic objectives.
• Integration Partner Accountability & Risk Management: Design and own the Integration Partner model for lateral hires, including clear role expectations and success measures.
• Metrics, Review Cadence & Executive Reporting: Define and implement standard EMEA integration and business case KPIs, including leading and lagging indicators.
• Operating Model, Capability & Continuous Improvement: Act as the EMEA owner of the lateral integration operating model, including playbooks, templates, tools, and reporting standards.

Measures of Success:

• Lateral Partners achieving agreed business case milestones at defined review points.
• Reduced time from start date to meaningful revenue and pipeline traction.
• Consistent, high-quality integration experience across practices and geographies.
• Early identification and resolution of integration risks, with minimal late surprises.
• Clear evidence that lateral integration insights are improving future hiring decisions and outcomes.

Skills & Experience Required:

• Significant experience operating at a senior level in a complex professional services or partnership environment.
• Proven ability to lead enterprise-wide programmes with measurable commercial outcomes.
• Strong commercial judgment and confidence challenging senior stakeholders constructively.
• Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills, with credibility at Partner level.
• Highly analytical, with the ability to translate data into insight and action.
• Experience leading change, embedding governance, and scaling operating models.
• Pragmatic, resilient, and outcome-focused, with a flexible and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Ability to delegate operational tasks effectively in a matrixed model, to ensure appropriate focus on commercial outcomes and objectives.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: To attract the best people, we strive to create a diverse and inclusive environment where everyone can bring their whole selves to work, have a sense of belonging, and realize their full career potential. Our new enabled work model allows our people to have more flexibility in the way they choose to work from both the office and a remote location, while continuing to deliver the highest standards of service.