Early Careers Specialist (6 month FTC)

Freshfields; City Of London; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading law firm in London seeks an Early Careers Specialist for a six-month contract. This role involves supporting recruitment and development activities for future trainees and apprentices. The ideal candidate will have experience in early careers recruitment, strong project management skills, and empathy in employee development. This position requires willingness to travel and attend events outside normal hours.

Qualifications

• Prior experience in early careers recruitment or development in a legal or professional services environment.
• Strong understanding of legal education pathways and solicitor apprenticeships.
• Willingness to travel and attend events outside core working hours.

Responsibilities

• Assist in delivering attraction and selection processes.
• Support induction and performance review processes for trainees and apprentices.
• Coordinate logistics for campus events and maintain communications.

Skills

Organisational skills

Project management

Communication

Empathy

Financial literacy

Education

Educated to degree level or equivalent experience

CIPD or relevant HR/L&D qualification

Tools

Microsoft Office

Workday

Job description

Role summary/purpose of job

We are seeking a proactive and highly organised Early Careers Specialist to join our dynamic Early Careers team on a six-month fixed term contract. This role will provide critical support across both the Recruitment and Development functions during a peak period of activity. The successful candidate will contribute to the delivery of high-quality recruitment campaigns and development programmes for future and current trainees, solicitor apprentices, and early talent.

Key Responsibilities and Deliverables

• Recruitment Support
  • Assist in the delivery of attraction and selection processes for vacation schemes, training contracts, and solicitor apprenticeships.
  • Support the planning and execution of assessment centres, open days, and insight schemes.
  • Coordinate logistics for campus events, law fairs, apprenticeship-focused events and diversity initiatives.
  • Manage candidate communications and application tracking via the ATS (e.g., Workday or Candid).
  • Liaise with marketing teams to support recruitment campaigns and maintain website/social media content.
  • Provide data and reporting support for recruitment metrics and diversity statistics.
• Development Support
  • Support the induction, seat planning, and performance review processes for trainees and apprentices.
  • Coordinate training sessions and workshops in collaboration with L&D.
  • Maintain regular contact with future trainees during their study period (PGDL, SQE, LLM), offering guidance and access to firm resources.
  • Assist in planning and delivering engagement events (virtual and in-person).
  • Facilitate mentorship connections and wellbeing initiatives.
  • Manage documentation and communications related to trainee development.
  • Process maintenance grants, tuition fees, and supplier invoices.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Partners, Supervisors, HR, and Learning & Development teams to ensure a consistent and engaging experience for early talent.
  • Provide support to Early Careers Assistants and act as a point of contact for future trainees and prospective applicants.

Key Requirements

• Prior experience in early careers recruitment and/or development, ideally within a legal or professional services environment.
• Strong understanding of legal education pathways, including SQE and solicitor apprenticeships.
• Excellent organisational and project management skills with strong attention to detail.
• Confident communicator with the ability to present to groups and influence stakeholders.
• Empathetic and solutions-focused approach to employee development and wellbeing.
• Financially literate with experience managing budgets and vendor relationships.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and HR systems (e.g., Workday, ATS platforms).
• Willingness to travel and attend events outside core working hours.

Educational Requirements

• Educated to degree level or equivalent experience.
• CIPD or relevant HR/L&D qualification would be a plus.

Inclusion

Freshfields is an equal opportunities employer and all applications received by the firm will be considered on the basis of their merit alone. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified individuals regardless of background. All offers of employment will be conditional on the candidate having/securing the right to work in the UK in the role in question and providing the firm with evidence of that right (as required by the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006) prior to employment commencing.

Freshfields is a Ban the Box employer. We ask applicants to disclose criminal convictions only if and when a conditional job offer is made. A conviction does not automatically lead to withdrawal of the offer: we make decisions on a case‑by‑case basis and take a number of relevant factors into account (e.g. the role you are applying for and the circumstances of the offence). You would have the opportunity to discuss the matter with us before we make a decision.