Senior Recruitment Advisor

Baker McKenzie; Brussel; On-site; EUR 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Baker McKenzie Belgium is seeking a Senior Recruitment Advisor to manage end-to-end recruitment for Early Talent and Lateral Associate roles across Belgium. You will liaise with universities, hiring managers, and the EMEA team to attract top legal talent and uphold global standards.

Responsibilities include leading recruitment cycles for trainee and junior programs in Brussels, building university relationships, designing compelling attraction campaigns, and driving candidate engagement with a

Qualifications

• Fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Working knowledge of Dutch.
• Working knowledge of French is highly desirable.
• Experience in fee earner and graduate or early careers recruitment, ideally within professional services or legal environment.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including experience advising senior leadership.
• Excellent organisational and project management abilities.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across multiple locations.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability in a multinational environment.
• Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment and talent development.

Responsibilities

• Lead all associate recruitment across the Belgium offices, pursuing direct sourcing and building agency relationships.
• Lead the recruitment cycle for trainee/junior associate and intern programs in Brussels and assist Amsterdam team with end-to-end processes.
• Engage with universities, student associations, and law faculties to enhance campus presence.
• Design and deliver attraction campaigns, events, law fairs, and networking opportunities.
• Coordinate assessment and selection processes, including screening, interviewer training, and feedback.
• Align recruitment goals with stakeholder headcount targets regionally.
• Oversee employer branding and digital strategy for the local market while maintaining global consistency.
• Provide insights from data trends, benchmarking, and market knowledge.
• Collaborate with EMEA teams to support global consistency and initiatives.
• Drive recruitment innovation through technology and social media.
• Oversee internship and vacation scheme programs from planning to onboarding.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Independent work

Diversity & inclusion passion

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Applicant tracking systems

Microsoft Office

Job description

The Senior Recruitment Advisor will work closely with the Belgium Office, Regional Practice Group Leads, Hiring Managers, and the wider EMEA Recruitment team to deliver a first-class recruitment experience across both Early Talent and Lateral Associate hiring. The role holder will play a key role in supporting the attraction, selection, and engagement of high-calibre legal talent, ensuring a seamless candidate experience aligned with the Firm's global standards.

The role holder will be responsible for the end-to-end recruitment lifecycle for Early Talent and Lateral Associate vacancies within the Belgium offices. Leveraging relationships with universities, professional networks, and internal stakeholders, they will build strong and diverse talent pipelines, enhance the Firm's employer brand, and support the successful hiring of market-leading legal professionals.

Main responsibilities:

• Lead all associate recruitment across the Belgium offices. Pursuing a direct sourcing strategy where possible and building relationships with the relevant recruitment agencies.
• Lead the recruitment cycle of trainee/junior associate and intern programmes in Brussels and assist the wider Early Careers team in Amsterdam, from attraction through to onboarding.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with target universities, student associations, and relevant law faculties to enhance campus engagement.
• Design and deliver impactful attraction campaigns, including in-person and virtual events, law fairs, presentations, and networking opportunities.
• Coordinate the assessment and selection process, including application screening, interviewer training, assessment centres, and feedback management.
• Partner closely with local and regional stakeholders to align recruitment goals with strategic headcount targets.
• Manage employer branding and digital strategy specific to the local market, while maintaining global brand consistency.
• Provide insights and recommendations based on analysing data trends, competitor benchmarking and market knowledge.
• Collaborate with the wider Early Careers and Recruitment teams across EMEA to support broader initiatives and global consistency in approach.
• Drive innovation in recruitment and candidate engagement, particularly through technology and social media.
• Oversee intern and vacation scheme programmes, including planning, delivery and conversion processes.

Skills and experience:

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, but not required

Language Skills:

• Fluent in English (written and spoken)
• Working knowledge of Dutch
• Working knowledge of French is highly desirable
• Proven experience in fee earner and graduate or early careers recruitment, ideally withing professional services or legal environment.
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including experience advising senior leadership.
• Excellent organisational and project management abilities.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively across multiple locations.
• Cultural sensitivity and adaptability in a multinational environment.
• Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment and talent development.

Market Knowledge

• Strong understanding of the legal education landscape in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• Knowledge of the regulatory and cultural nuances impacting early careers in the EMEA region.

Technical / Technology Skills

• Proficient in Mircosoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with applicant tracking systems
• Ability to analyse data to inform recommendations and business decisions
• Familiarity with digital recruitment tools and social media platforms

Reports to: EMEA Associate Director, Recruitment.

Travel requirements:

Regular travel to university campuses and recruitment events across Belgium and the Netherlands. Occasional travel to the Firm’s London office and other EMEA locations for team collaboration, training, and regional meetings.