Head of Recruitment

Head of Recruitment

Full-Time 59576 - 70089 £ / year (est.) No working from home possible
McKinlay Law

At a Glance

  • Tasks: Lead recruitment strategies and manage talent acquisition for a top law firm.
  • Company: Join a leading international law firm in Central London.
  • Benefits: Negotiable salary, excellent benefits, and performance bonuses.
  • Other info: Great opportunity for career advancement and professional growth.
  • Why this job: Shape the future of recruitment and make a real impact in a competitive market.
  • Qualifications: Proven experience in legal recruitment and strong stakeholder management skills.

The predicted salary is between 59576 - 70089 £ per year.

Location: Central London

Salary: £Negotiable depending on experience

Leading international law firm are looking for a Head of Recruitment to join their London team. You will be leading the development and execution of a talent acquisition strategy designed to support the organisation’s expansion, as well as managing lateral recruitment and long-term workforce planning initiatives, ensuring the business continues to attract and secure high‑calibre legal professionals and business support personnel.

Key Duties

  • Design and implement recruitment initiatives that support the firm's long‑term business objectives and expansion.
  • Collaborate with executive and departmental leaders to forecast talent requirements and develop proactive workforce plans.
  • Provide insight into market conditions, talent trends, compensation benchmarks, and competitive hiring practices within the sector to inform strategic decision‑making.
  • Direct and develop a geographically dispersed recruitment function, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
  • Support team growth through ongoing coaching, skills development, and career advancement opportunities.
  • Allocate resources effectively to ensure recruitment delivery remains aligned with changing business priorities and hiring volumes.
  • Manage the end‑to‑end recruitment of senior legal professionals, including partners, counsel, and experienced associates.
  • Partner with practice leaders and key stakeholders to define hiring requirements, role specifications, and candidate success profiles.
  • Build and maintain productive relationships with external search partners and specialist recruitment providers across relevant jurisdictions.
  • Oversee the recruitment of business services professionals across functions such as finance, technology, human resources, compliance, and risk.
  • Provide strategic oversight of early‑career recruitment programmes, including graduate, trainee, and internship pathways.
  • Enhance the organisation’s position as an employer of choice.
  • Champion a seamless and engaging candidate journey, ensuring a consistently positive experience throughout the recruitment process.

The successful candidate will be liaising with senior leadership to provide strategic guidance on talent matters, strengthen the organisation’s reputation as an employer of choice, and drive recruitment practices. A key focus of the position is building sustainable talent pipelines and delivering an exceptional hiring experience in a highly competitive market. It is essential that you have a solid background leading recruitment within a legal or professional services environment, and proven experience recruiting senior legal talent. You must also have excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior level. Fantastic opportunity for a recruitment manager looking for a step up in responsibility and take on a strategic role. Excellent benefits + bonus.

Head of Recruitment employer: McKinlay Law

As a leading international law firm located in the heart of Central London, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and inclusive work culture. Our commitment to employee growth is evident through ongoing coaching and development opportunities, ensuring that our team members can thrive in their careers while contributing to our strategic objectives. With competitive benefits and a focus on creating a positive candidate experience, we are dedicated to attracting top talent and maintaining our reputation as an employer of choice in the legal sector.

McKinlay Law

Contact Details:

McKinlay Law Recruitment Team

We think you need these skills to ace Head of Recruitment

Talent Acquisition Strategy
Lateral Recruitment
Workforce Planning
Market Insight
Talent Trends Analysis
Compensation Benchmarking
Stakeholder Management