Partner Recruitment Manager

We are looking for a Partner Recruitment Manager to join our HR department in London or Bristol. The Partner Recruitment team plays a critical role in delivering the firm's strategic growth ambitions through the attraction, assessment, hiring and integration of exceptional lateral partner talent across our international network.

As Manager within the Partner Recruitment team, you will work closely with National and International Practice Group Heads, regional leadership teams and business services stakeholders to develop and execute lateral partner hiring strategies globally. You will provide end-to-end support throughout the recruitment lifecycle, from identifying growth priorities and advising on market opportunities through to candidate assessment, offer negotiation, onboarding and integration.

You will act as a trusted adviser to senior stakeholders, bringing deep understanding of the legal recruitment market, competitor landscape, partnership dynamics and practical hiring considerations. Working across multiple jurisdictions, you will help ensure a consistent, commercially focused and high-quality approach to partner recruitment that supports the firm's long-term growth strategy.

What will you do:

• Strategic hiring advisory: Partner with senior stakeholders to understand growth priorities, identify hiring opportunities and develop recruitment strategies that align with the firm's global and regional objectives.
• Market intelligence: Build and maintain knowledge of legal markets, competitor activity, talent trends and practice-specific developments to inform hiring decisions and support business planning.
• Talent identification and engagement: Develop approaches to identify and attract high-calibre lateral partner candidates across multiple jurisdictions, sectors and practice areas.
• Stakeholder management: Act as a trusted adviser to practice group leaders, regional leaders and hiring partners throughout the recruitment process, ensuring alignment and effective decision-making.
• Assessment and due diligence: Support the evaluation of candidates by reviewing business plans, analysing strategic fit and advising stakeholders on areas for investigation, challenge and testing throughout the assessment process.
• Commercial negotiations: Manage relationships with external search firms, negotiate agency terms and fees, and ensure value for money and a consistent approach across the firm's recruitment activities.
• Recruitment process management: Lead and coordinate recruitment processes from initial engagement through to offer stage, ensuring an efficient, professional and candidate-focused experience.
• Risk and practical advisory: Advise stakeholders on practical recruitment considerations including restrictive covenants, notice periods, team moves, portability of work and other market-specific risks associated with lateral hiring.
• Cross-functional collaboration: Work closely with HR, Finance, Risk, Conflicts, Legal and Marketing & Business Development teams to ensure a seamless and coordinated approach to partner hiring.
• Offer management: Support the preparation and negotiation of offers, ensuring commercial alignment and a positive candidate experience.
• Onboarding and integration: Lead the onboarding and integration of new partners, working with key stakeholders to support successful transition, early engagement and long-term success within the firm.
• Continuous improvement: Contribute to the development of recruitment processes, market insights, reporting and best practice frameworks that enhance the effectiveness of the Partner Recruitment function globally.

What we are looking for:

• Significant experience within legal partner recruitment, professional services recruitment or executive search.
• Strong understanding of the lateral partner market, including the commercial, financial and strategic considerations associated with senior-level hiring.
• Experience managing complex recruitment processes involving multiple stakeholders and jurisdictions.
• Proven ability to build credibility and influence senior stakeholders, including partners and business leaders.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to assess business cases, growth opportunities and strategic fit.
• Experience of reviewing and challenging business plans and financial information.
• Knowledge of practical considerations associated with senior-level hiring, including restrictive covenants, notice periods and team moves.
• Experience negotiating with search firms and managing external supplier relationships.
• Excellent project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Outstanding communication and relationship-building skills.
• Resilient, adaptable and comfortable operating in a fast-paced and evolving international environment.
• A collaborative approach and a commitment to delivering an exceptional stakeholder and candidate experience.

Career Level: The career level assigned to this role is level 4. The career level framework provides a formal structure for the business services functions at the firm. The framework, which ranges from level 1 to level 7, clearly defines the responsibilities, skills and competencies required at each level.

Equal opportunities: We are committed to fostering equality, diversity and inclusion within our firm and to ensuring equal employment opportunities. We believe that this commitment creates a vibrant and rewarding work environment.

We encourage you to apply even if you don't meet every single requirement. We are looking for individuals who are passionate and eager to learn and grow with us. Your unique experiences and perspectives could be a great addition to our team.