Graduate Recruitment & Development Manager (12-month FTC)

Overview

Mayer Brown is an international law firm positioned to represent the world’s major corporations, funds, and financial institutions in their most important and complex transactions and disputes. We are recognised by our clients as strategic partners with deep commercial instincts and a commitment to creatively anticipating their needs and delivering excellence in everything we do. We are a collegial, collaborative, and diverse firm where highly motivated individuals with an unwavering commitment to excellence receive the opportunity, support, and development they need to grow, thrive, and realise their greatest potential all while supporting the Firm’s client service principles of excellence, strategic partnership, commercial instinct, integrated strengths, innovation, and collaboration across our international firm.

If you enjoy working with team members whose defining characteristics are exceptional client service, initiative, professionalism, responsiveness, and adaptability, you may be the person we are seeking to join our HR department in our London office as a Graduate Recruitment & Development Manager on a 12 month fixed term contract. Start date ideally in June 2026.

Team

Responsible for the management of the Graduate Recruitment & Development Advisor and Graduate Recruitment & Development Senior Co-ordinator.

Responsibilities

• Recruitment

• Key point of contact, both internally and externally, for all queries relating to Graduate Recruitment;
• Manage all aspects of employer branding and graduate advertising, such as reviewing and updating content for the firm’s graduate recruitment website, social media accounts and promotional materials/ merchandise.
• Manage solicitor apprenticeship, trainee vacation scheme, direct training contract and open day selection and offer processes. This involves initial pre-screening, interviewing, chairing the decision making process (alongside the firm’s Graduate Recruitment Partner) and administering the offer paperwork.
• Continue to develop the Training Contract Assessment Centres and provide advice to internal and external stakeholders on all aspects of the process;
• Oversee the planning and delivery of the firm’s Spring and Summer vacation schemes;
• Oversee the annual graduate recruitment attraction campaign including attending and presenting at virtual and in-person events (such as law fairs, workshops and insight sessions)
• Maintain and develop the firm's strategy for profile raising at universities throughout the UK, including partnering with student societies and careers services;
• Collaborate with the Assistant Director: Community Building (Europe) to investigate ways in which Graduate Recruitment & Development can enhance the firm’s outreach programmes.
• Manage the graduate recruitment supplier partnerships and events and attend networking sessions/ events with our partner organisations making sure to involve and keep informed the Assistant Director: Community Building (Europe).

• Oversee the planning and execution of the six-monthly seat allocation process, including conducting one-to-one meetings with trainees and apprentice solicitors;
• Manage the trainee solicitor qualification process to meet business needs and trainee aspirations, including dealing with all SRA paperwork and checks;
• Support and advise trainee and apprentice supervisors on best practice in their roles including conducting meetings at the mid-way point of each seat to discuss trainee performance and development;
• Run trainee and apprentice discussion forums and committee meetings;
• Monitor current and future trainee performance through to qualification, and proactively deal with any performance, disciplinary or pastoral issues alongside the firm’s Training Principal;
• Ensure the mid and end of seat appraisal process for trainee solicitors and apprentice solicitors is completed in a timely manner. Provide training and administrative support as appropriate;
• In conjunction with the Learning & Development team, manage the ongoing development of the Trainees and Apprentice Solicitors, assisting with planning the six-monthly induction process as required;
• Conduct exit interviews with trainees and apprentices where applicable.

• Organise payment of course tuition, exam fees, maintenance grants and interest-free loans.
• Organise and attend future trainee engagement events.
• Participate in the wider future trainee contact programme.

• Keep the HR system (Peoplesoft) up to date at all times.
• Review and update trainee and future trainee personnel files.
• Keep up-to-date with SRA regulations and developments governing trainee solicitors (including SQE) and propose changes to current HR policies and practices as appropriate;
• Keep other members of the HR Department up to date with developments in the client groups. Share knowledge and ideas and provide assistance to other members of the team to ensure the spread of good practice and development of precedents.

• Work with the Global Chief HR Officer and HR Projects team on global graduate recruitment initiatives where applicable;
• Work closely with the Senior HR Manager - Compensation & Benefits to input into the compensation strategy, advising on issues relating to trainee solicitors and apprentice solicitors including salary, university fees and maintenance payments;
• Prepare the graduate recruitment budget and monitor costs throughout the year;
• Provide reports and statistical analysis on graduate recruitment activities as required;
• Liaise with the SRA to ensure that Mayer Brown is compliant with regulatory requirements. Register all trainee solicitors on commencement of employment and upon qualification;
• Undertake projects and ad hoc responsibilities as required; and
• Assume responsibility for own personal development.

Qualifications

Educated to a degree level or equivalent.

Experience, skills and personal attributes

• Experience working in a Graduate Recruitment function at Manager level in a law firm, with a full understanding of the processes involved in trainee solicitor recruitment and development;
• A proven track record of developing and implementing initiatives which have contributed to achieving business objectives;
• A high level of oral and written communication, presentation and influencing skills with the ability to quickly establish credible relationships at all levels;
• The ability to engage and gain support throughout the organisation;
• Persuasive with the ability to gain consensus and collaboration across teams;
• Flexible and adaptable to changing priorities.
• Resilient with the ability to deliver difficult messages;
• Creative thinker who will come forward with new ideas and approaches;
• Self-starter with enthusiasm and energy;
• Excellent communication skills (written and oral);
• Delivery/solution focused;
• Ability to work independently and under pressure;
• Analytical;
• Tenacious; and
• A team player with a commitment to developing junior members of staff.

At Mayer Brown, we are committed to creating an inclusive work environment that offers our people the opportunity and support they need to succeed. Our culture promotes mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation and productivity among people from varying backgrounds and values different perspectives and ideas. One of our core values at Mayer Brown is to promote inclusion at all levels within the business which is actively supported by our diversity networks - LGBT+, Fusion (Race & Ethnicity), Multi-faith, Women, Social Inclusion and Opportunities, Enable (Disability) and Work and Me (Family). We are happy to discuss any reasonable adjustments that individuals may require throughout the recruitment process and once they have joined the Firm.