Senior Early Talent Manager
Pinsent Masons is looking for an experienced Senior Early Talent Manager to lead and evolve our early talent strategy, overseeing recruitment and development from attraction through to successful programme completion. The role reports to the Head of Talent Acquisition and combines strategic leadership with hands‑on delivery in a fast‑evolving legal landscape.
Standard working hours are 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, with flexibility options available. The role will require national travel to meet operational needs.
What You’ll Be Doing
Attraction & Recruitment
- Deliver a market‑leading early talent attraction strategy for trainee and apprentice roles, aligned to the firm’s EVP.
- Strengthen and prioritise key university and school relationships with a targeted, insight‑led approach.
- Develop a clear strategy for third‑party partnerships, ensuring measurable ROI and alignment to diversity and hiring objectives.
- Continuously enhance assessment and selection methods to reflect future capability needs.
- Ensure a consistent, high‑quality recruitment process with an excellent candidate experience and act as a subject‑matter expert on the early talent market.
Development & Talent Management
- Shape and evolve early careers programmes to build long‑term capability.
- Deliver consistent graduate and apprentice programmes across locations.
- Partner with the Early Talent Development Manager to ensure a seamless end‑to‑end experience.
- Optimise training provider relationships for quality and value.
- Embed strong performance, progression and retention frameworks.
- Use data and feedback to continuously improve programme effectiveness.
Team Leadership & Culture
- Lead and develop a high‑performing Early Talent team aligned to business priorities.
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration and continuous improvement.
- Provide coaching, feedback and development to support team growth.
- Promote strong collaboration across Talent, DEI, HR and L&D teams.
Stakeholder Management & Collaboration
- Build credible relationships with senior stakeholders and Partners.
- Act as a trusted advisor on early talent strategy and market insights.
- Drive stakeholder engagement in recruitment and programme delivery.
- Collaborate across TA, DEI, Global Mobility and HR Shared Services to ensure seamless delivery.
Change Management
- Streamline and automate processes to improve efficiency and scalability.
- Optimise recruitment systems, CRM and assessment tools.
- Ensure robust governance, compliance and risk management.
- Lead continuous improvement and change initiatives aligned to market trends.
- Contribute to wider Talent, DEI and firm‑wide strategic projects.
Data, Insights & Reporting
- Define and track KPIs across the early talent lifecycle.
- Use data to drive decisions, identify risks and improve performance.
- Deliver clear, insight‑led reporting to senior stakeholders.
- Benchmark against the external market to maintain competitiveness.
Qualifications
- Significant experience in early talent recruitment and development, ideally within a law firm or professional services environment.
- Strong understanding of the legal early careers landscape, including international considerations.
- Proven ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels.
- Experience leading and developing high‑performing teams.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders.
- A data‑driven mindset, translating insight into action.
- Strong commercial awareness and understanding of how early talent contributes to long‑term business performance.
We are a Stonewall employer, a Valuable 500 member, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and a proud partner of Neurodiversity in Law. We encourage and value different ideas and styles of thinking.
