Early Careers Manager

Herbert Smith Freehills LLP; Melbourne; On-site; AUD 110,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer is seeking an Early Careers Manager to lead the delivery of our early careers strategy and programs, creating an outstanding experience for vacation clerks and graduates.

Working closely with senior stakeholders, universities, colleagues across our global network and external partners, you will help strengthen our employer brand, build diverse talent pipelines and ensure our programs respond to the evolving needs of the firm.

Qualifications

• Experience managing the full graduate or early careers recruitment lifecycle.
• Experience developing and delivering employer branding, attraction and social media strategies.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills.
• Experience leading complex programs and initiatives across locations.
• Commitment to attracting and developing diverse talent.

Responsibilities

• Lead the end-to-end early careers recruitment lifecycle, delivering an inclusive, engaging and high-quality candidate experience.
• Shape and deliver our graduate attraction strategy, employer brand, university engagement, events and marketing campaigns.
• Oversee the vacation clerk and graduate programs, including onboarding, development, rotations, placements and ongoing engagement.
• Partner with senior leaders, supervising partners and People teams to align graduate resourcing with business needs.
• Lead the firm’s national early careers social media and employer brand strategy, leveraging digital channels to strengthen market presence.
• Coach and support graduates throughout their early careers, wellbeing and development.

Skills

Graduate lifecycle

Employer branding

Stakeholder mgmt

Program leadership

Diversity & inclusion

Organisational PM

Workday experience

AI in recruitment

Job description

The Opportunity

Join Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer, a leading global law firm, and play a pivotal role in attracting, developing and supporting the next generation of legal talent.

As Early Careers Manager, you will lead the delivery of our early careers strategy and programs, creating an outstanding experience for vacation clerks and graduates. Working closely with senior stakeholders, universities, colleagues across our global network and external partners, you will help strengthen our employer brand, build diverse talent pipelines and ensure our programs respond to the evolving needs of the firm.

What you’ll do

• Lead the end-to-end early careers recruitment lifecycle, delivering an inclusive, engaging and high-quality candidate experience.
• Shape and deliver our graduate attraction strategy, employer brand, university engagement, events and marketing campaigns.
• Oversee the vacation clerk and graduate programs, including onboarding, development, rotations, placements and ongoing engagement.
• Partner with senior leaders, supervising partners and People teams to align graduate resourcing and talent decisions with business needs.
• Lead the firm’s national early careers social media and employer brand strategy, leveraging digital channels to strengthen market presence, engage future talent and enhance candidate experience.
• Coach and support graduates throughout their early careers, responding sensitively to wellbeing, development and workplace matters.
• Lead strategic early careers initiatives across Australia, partnering with colleagues nationally to drive consistency, innovation and continuous improvement across recruitment and development programs.
• Use market insights, recruitment metrics and program data to inform strategy, improve processes and deliver effective reporting.
• Lead early careers projects, budgets, supplier relationships and team members, sharing knowledge and best practice across our global network.

What you’ll bring

• Demonstrated experience managing the full graduate or early careers recruitment lifecycle.
• Experience developing and delivering employer branding, attraction and social media strategies that strengthen talent pipelines and candidate engagement.
• Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the confidence to build trusted relationships at every level.
• Experience leading complex programs and initiatives, ideally across multiple locations or business groups.
• A collaborative, inclusive approach and a commitment to attracting and developing talent from diverse backgrounds.
• Excellent organisation, communication and project management skills, supported by sound commercial judgement.
• The ability to work autonomously, navigate ambiguity and adapt effectively as priorities evolve.
• Experience using applicant tracking systems and HR technology, ideally including Workday.
• Curiosity about AI, emerging technology and new ways to improve recruitment and talent programs.

What you can expect from us

• We’re a world leading international law firm with a global team of over 6,000 professionals across 26 offices. As the market leader in Australia, we are committed to high performance, collaboration, diversity and digital innovation. We are client-centred, commercially driven, and renowned for our solution-focused expertise. We will align your growth with our ambitions.

• We make your personal and professional growth our business. And as part of the team, our ambition is yours too. Wherever you are in your career: grow and help the firm grow with you.

• We will provide opportunities to learn on the job as well as a mix of learning opportunities tailored to you. Daily experiences, supportive challenges, team collaboration, mentors, and structured learning opportunities help you to expand your knowledge and reach your goals.

• We value your wellbeing, both at home and work and we place a strong emphasis on mental health. If you need support, you’ll have it and we’ll empower you to harness your personal strengths, navigate uncertainty, embrace opportunities, and effectively manage things within your control.

• For more benefits on offer such as our holistic wellbeing fund or home office allowance please click here.

• Join us to be part of a human, bold and outstanding team at Australia’s market leading law firm.

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values - Human, Bold, and Outstanding.

Team

People

Working Pattern

Full time

Location

Melbourne

Contract type

Permanent Contract

Diversity & Inclusion

We are committed to attracting people from all backgrounds and creating a respectful and inclusive culture where everyone thrives. We see this as essential to our success, including our ability to innovate and achieve sustained high performance. This is a key part of our Values—Human, Bold, and Outstanding.