Sr. Specialist, Lateral Recruiting

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP in New York seeks an experienced Senior Lateral Recruiting Specialist to serve as the primary point of contact for associate and counsel hiring and to support the Senior Director of Legal Recruiting.

You will collaborate with management and practice group leaders to identify hiring needs, manage the full lifecycle of lateral, clerk, and 3L recruiting, coordinate interviews, hosting, feedback, onboarding, and maintain accurate candidate records, reports, and postings.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in legal or campus recruitment for a Big Law firm.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines and budgets.
• Strong communication and relationship-building with candidates, vendors, and attorneys.
• Ability to work with cross-functional teams and travel 2–3 times yearly.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with management to identify lateral hiring needs and develop recruiting strategies.
• Manage full lifecycle for lateral, judicial clerk, and 3L hiring, including screening and interviews.
• Oversee all recruiting communications, drafting correspondence and collecting feedback.
• Liaise with search firms and recruiters; convey criteria and provide feedback.
• Build relationships with candidates, vendors, and Weil personnel; ensure high service levels.
• Coordinate onboarding for lateral hires, including conflicts checks and background checks.
• Maintain recruiting databases, fee agreements, and expense reporting for searches.
• Support law school recruiting and Summer Associate Program as needed.
• Handle additional responsibilities as assigned.

Skills

Legal recruiting

Lateral recruiting

Project management

Stakeholder communication

Relationship management

Job description

This role will serve as the primary point of contact for lateral recruiting of associate and counsel candidates, while providing support to the Senior Director of Legal Recruiting and the broader recruiting team.

Primary Responsibilities and/or Essential functions:

• Collaborate with firm management and practice group leaders, as well as the Senior Director of Legal Recruiting, to identify lateral associate hiring needs and develop effective recruiting strategies.
• Manage the full lifecycle of recruiting for the firm’s lateral, judicial clerk, and 3L hiring, including candidate screening, interview coordination, candidate hosting, feedback collection, and maintaining accurate candidate records.
• Oversee all lateral recruiting communications and follow-up, including drafting correspondence and coordinating the distribution, collection, and review of evaluation feedback.
• Serve as a primary liaison to search firms and other recruiting professionals; communicate search criteria clearly and provide timely, thoughtful feedback.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with candidates, vendors, and Weil attorneys, managers, and staff, ensuring a high level of service and responsiveness.
• Manage lateral recruiting materials, including reports, printed materials, website content, and online postings.
• Coordinate onboarding for lateral hires, including orientation with legal personnel, initiating conflicts checks, and managing background check processes through approval.
• Maintain and update recruiting databases, fee agreements, expense reimbursements, and reporting for lateral searches and placements.
• Provide support for additional recruiting initiatives, including law school recruiting, and the Summer Associate Program, as needed.
• Handle other responsibilities as assigned by management.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• 5+ years in legal or campus recruitment for a Big Law firm.
• Strong ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines and within budget.
• Self-starter; ability to remain self-directed and self-motivated with minimal supervision.
• Ability to work well in a team atmosphere.
• Flexibility to work overtime as needed (significant overtime during summer/fall).
• Must be open occasional (2-3 times a year) travel.
• Excellent time management and prioritization skills.
• Makes appropriate and timely decisions within area of responsibility.
• Speaks and writes clearly and accurately; actively listens and responds to the needs of others.
• Without direction, anticipates needs and seeks alternatives to situations.
• Respond actively, thoroughly and courteously to the needs of clients and internal requests within the Firm; volunteers time and knowledge; works effectively and willingly with others

Education/Certifications:

Estimated salary range is $125,000 - $145,000. This position is bonus eligible. Compensation decisions within the range are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case including but not limited to the individual's skills, experience, and qualifications.