Director of Associate Recruiting

Seyfarth; New York (NY); On-site; USD 250,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

Seyfarth Shaw LLP in New York, NY, seeks a Director of Associate Recruiting to lead entry-level and lateral attorney recruiting, shaping how the firm attracts top legal talent. You will partner with senior directors and school relations teams to drive impactful recruiting programs.

You will design campus outreach, manage the summer associate program, and lead a recruiting team, while collaborating on budget, strategy, and diversity initiatives to ensure continued growth and success.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of legal recruiting or talent management experience in a law firm or professional services setting.
• Bachelor’s degree required; J.D. preferred.
• Strong knowledge of the legal market and professional relationships in legal professional groups and other organizations related to the legal industry.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, manage, and oversee year-round campus outreach initiatives at key law schools.
• Oversee the design and execution of the firm-wide summer associate program.
• Drive lateral associate recruiting strategy and hiring processes across the firm.
• Draft job descriptions, source candidates, coordinate interviews, and manage candidate communications.
• Collaborate with senior leadership and diversity office to align recruitment with strategic goals and budgets.

Skills

Legal recruiting

Talent management

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Communication skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree

J.D.

Tools

iCIMS

LawCruit

viDesktop

FloRecruit

Firm Prospects

Job description

Why Seyfarth

At Seyfarth, we understand that great people are the key to our success, and we provide the opportunities to match. If you join us, you’ll work with state-of-the-art technology in a friendly and professional environment, and we will continue to invest in your professional development. If you want the freedom to grow at a firm that is invested in your future, keep reading.

The Opportunity

As the Director of Associate Recruiting, you will be responsible for overseeing execution of the firm’s entry-level recruiting program and managing the firm’s on campus presence at law schools, including developing and advancing key initiatives surrounding the recruitment and hiring of law students into the firm as summer and entry-level associates. You will also spearhead all lateral associate recruiting for the firm.

You will report to and work closely with the Senior Director of Legal Recruiting to provide strategic direction for all associate and law student recruiting including, but not limited to: lateral associate and entry level hiring processes; strategic sourcing; direction and planning; day to day management and professional development of the associate recruiting team; relationship building with candidates, search firms, and vendors; budget planning; and industry research.

The Day-To-Day

• Design, manage, and attend year-round campus outreach initiatives to raise the profile of Seyfarth at key law schools, including:
  • Partnering with Senior Director of Legal Recruiting to analyze recruitment data and trends and make recommendations on which law schools to include in on campus outreach;
  • Cultivating and maintaining relationships with law school career services and student groups;
  • Identifying organizations for sponsorship and partnerships;
  • Developing innovative recruiting programming (student receptions, speaking engagements, etc.); and
  • Facilitating firm participation in mock interview programs, career fairs, and other opportunities to interact with law students throughout the academic year.
• Oversee the design and execution of the firm-wide summer associate program, including:
  • Coordinate with HR and other Business Services departments to onboard summer associate hires;
  • Plan and conduct orientation for the summer associates;
  • Design and attend social events;
  • Liaise with Talent Development team to develop and execute substantive summer associate trainings;
  • Prepare evaluation materials for summer associate reviews; and
  • Track and review summer associate assignments and evaluations and assist with offer decisions.
• Drive the Firm-wide lateral associate recruiting strategy to attract, hire and retain top candidates in relation to the hiring directives and growth initiatives set by firm leadership.
• Oversee the lateral associate hiring process including drafting job descriptions, proactive candidate sourcing, reviewing candidate resumes, coordinating interview schedules, assessing evaluations, negotiating offers, and managing candidate communications.
• Collaborate with Senior Director of Legal Recruiting, Department Chairs, Office Managing Partners, and other stakeholders on associate and entry-level hiring needs assessments and search tactics.
• Collaborate with Communications team to maintain social media and other marketing materials related to law student and associate recruitment.
• Cultivate relationships with search firm recruiters and regularly communicate the firm’s lateral associate hiring needs.
• Assist in the preparation and management of budget categories that are directly relevant to summer program, student recruiting, entry-level, and lateral associate recruitment initiatives.
• Represent the firm in local and national legal recruiting organizations.
• Keep abreast of key market issues and trends. Track information and analyze competitive data, best practices and trends to provide strategic recommendations to recruiting team, department and firm leadership in alignment with the firm’s strategic recruitment goals.
• Partner with the Senior Director of Legal Recruiting and collaborate with the firm’s Inclusion & Diversity Office to develop relationships with a wide range of legal talent, including managing the firm’s relationships with law school affinity groups and facilitating firm sponsorship and participation in inclusive recruitment programs and activities.
• Supervise and contribute to professional development of junior members of the Associate Recruiting team.

You Have

• Minimum of 8+ years of legal recruiting/talent management experience in a law firm or other professional services setting required.
• Bachelor’s Degree Required; J.D. Preferred.
• A strong knowledge of the legal market and professional relationships in legal professional groups and other organizations related to the legal industry.
• Sophisticated strategic and analytical thinking, drive, initiative, and problem-solving skills.
• Effective client service skills, with proven organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability prioritize and multi-task effectively.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to interact effectively with personnel at all levels.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint, as well as strong attention to detail and organization.
• Ability to accommodate a flexible work schedule that will occasionally require travel and extended hours.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and to recognize and treat confidential information in a professional manner.
• Proficiency in the use of recruiting databases/applicant tracking systems (e.g., iCIMS, LawCruit, viDesktop, FloRecruit, Firm Prospects, etc.).

What We Provide

Seyfarth provides competitive salary and benefits at all levels, and our culture embraces the entrepreneurial spirit of its professionals like no other firm. Our professional staff are a collaborative team, helping to define the unique client experience offered by the firm. We understand that it takes more than attorneys to build a successful legal practice; everyone participates in our commitment to excellence.

More About Seyfarth

With approximately 1,000 lawyers across 19 offices, Seyfarth Shaw LLP provides advisory, litigation, and transactional legal services to clients worldwide. Learn more about The Seyfarth Experience at www.seyfarth.com/careers/.

Seyfarth Shaw is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, gender, sex, age, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, medical condition, military and veteran status, gender identity or expression, genetic information, change of sex or transgender status, genetic information or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law.

If you would like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant under the law, please click EEO is the LAW and the Supplement poster through the following link: https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/migrated_files/employers/poster_screen_reader_optimized.pdf

Location Specific Language

The salary range for this role is $250,000 to $300,000 annually, which is based on a 40-hour work week. This range is only applicable for jobs to be performed in New York City. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s pay within the salary range will be based on numerous factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, experience, skills, and business or organizational needs. This job is also eligible for an annual merit increase and bonus pay.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, and 401(k).

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This position is based in New York, NY 10018