Senior Graduate Recruitment Manager – London/EMEA

The Senior Graduate Recruitment Manager will be responsible for driving excellence across the Graduate Recruitment & Development (GR&D) function, in London and across EMEA. The role-holder will work closely with GR&D Partners, recruitment panels, and key stakeholders to deliver a market-leading graduate recruitment strategy. The role will focus on ensuring exceptional candidate experiences, maintaining rigorous recruitment standards, and attracting diverse, high-quality talent aligned with the Firm’s brand and global objectives.

Main responsibilities:

London:

• Lead, coach, and develop the London GR&D team and foster a high-performance culture
• Build and maintain relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, working closely with the Graduate Recruitment Partner, the Training Principal and other key stakeholders within the business, to shape and execute strategic recruitment initiatives
• Design and implement the Firm’s Graduate Recruitment marketing, attraction and media strategy
• Lead and manage all HR-related areas for the trainee solicitor population
• Oversee strategic projects and manage an annual budget exceeding a million
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of industry trends, innovations, and best practices to inform continuous improvement in strategy and delivery

Recruitment:

• Work closely with the Graduate Recruitment Officers (GROs) to lead and deliver the First-year insight scheme, training contract and vacation scheme recruitment processes
• Work closely with the Graduate Recruitment Interview Panel to ensure recruitment best practice, and consistent and robust decision making
• Build and manage high-impact relationships with universities, law faculties, careers services, and student societies; Attend relevant events as a senior representative of the Firm
• Oversee the delivery of the annual Graduate Recruitment marketing campaign
• Work closely with the Inclusion and Diversity team, manage key relationships with Diversity partner organizations, and ensure the Firm’s graduate recruitment process supports the diversity agenda
• Design and deliver presentations and training sessions to support recruitment best practices across the business

Development:

• Work closely with the Firm's Training Principal, Trainee Partners, Department Managers, Leadership and Learning (L&L) and the Graduate Recruitment & Development Officers (GRDOs) to manage and deliver the trainee development programme through to qualification
• Provide a strategic view of the talent pipeline into key groups and oversee the GRDOs on the trainee seat allocation and secondment process
• Work closely with the Trainee Solicitors and Training Principal to manage the qualification process, discuss trainee performance and qualification decisions with Partners, Department Heads and the Management Committee
• Manage trainee performance issues and provide pastoral care to the trainee population throughout their training contract
• Oversee and manage the team to deliver all trainee development processes (e.g. trainee evaluation process) and ensure regulatory compliance and best practice

EMEA:

• Build and maintain key relationships with the Early Careers Teams across the EMEA region to promote a consistent, high-quality approach to graduate recruitment, which aligns with the Baker McKenzie brand
• Lead the evolution of the graduate marketing and attraction strategy across the region, starting in London and expanding to key EMEA offices
• Design and deliver impactful attraction campaigns, including in-person and virtual events, law fairs, presentations, and networking opportunities
• Partner 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 analyzing data trends, competitor benchmarking and market knowledge
• Drive collaboration between Early Careers and Recruitment teams, across the EMEA region, to support broader initiatives and global consistency in approach
• Help drive centralization to facilitate further collaboration amongst recruitment teams across different offices
• Facilitate the sharing of best practices, resources, and insights; Help to pursue innovative solutions and a more cohesive recruitment strategy that benefits the entire EMEA Region and Firm
• Assist in designing an ever-better candidate experience
• Drive innovation in recruitment and candidate engagement, particularly through technology and social media
• Seek out and drive potential economies of scale across the region, both in attraction as well as procurement of materials, etc.
• Oversee intern and vacation scheme programmes, including planning, delivery and conversion processes

Skills and experience:

• A bachelor’s degree is preferred, but not essential
• Proven experience of managing a Graduate Recruitment team, preferably within a legal or other large professional services environment
• Experience in working across multiple EMEA jurisdictions
• Able to demonstrate excellent relationship management skills
• A sound understanding of recruitment best practice as well as the wider graduate recruitment market.
• Able to provide subject matter expertise and deliver on strategic projects
• Able to operate effectively at a tactical level
• Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, including experience advising senior leadership
• Excellent organisational and project management abilities
• Able to work both independently and collaboratively across multiple locations
• Show cultural sensitivity and adaptability in a multinational environment
• Passionate about diversity, equity, and inclusion in recruitment and talent development
• Market knowledge
• A strong understanding of the legal education landscape across Europe, in particular London, Amsterdam, Brussels and other major hubs
• Knowledge of the regulatory and cultural nuances impacting early careers in the EMEA region

Technical/Technology Skills:

• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Experience with applicant tracking systems
• Able to analyze data to inform recommendations and business decisions
• Familiar with digital recruitment tools and social media platforms

Reports to: Associate Director of Recruitment, EMEA

Direct Reports:

• 2 x Senior Graduate Recruitment & Development Advisors
• Graduate Recruitment & Development Officer
• Graduate Recruitment Officer
• Graduate Recruitment & Development Coordinator

Travel Requirements: As required for the role.

Position Type: In Market

Development Framework: Senior Manager

About us

At Baker McKenzie we are different in the way we think, work and behave. With our team of 13,000 people, including over 6,500 locally admitted lawyers, in over 70 offices worldwide, we have a passionately collaborative community of 60 nationalities and are committed to world-class career development to everyone in every job at every level. Baker McKenzie can offer you both the uncompromising commitment to excellence expected of a top firm paired with a passionately global and genuinely collaborative working environment.

Additional Information

Baker & McKenzie is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to promoting diversity and inclusion for all. Our unique international culture is reflected in the drawing together of a worldwide family of individuals from diverse cultures and backgrounds in all of our offices. We encourage the best people - regardless of race, religion or belief if any, gender, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or age - to fulfill their professional aspirations with us. We are committed to ensuring an inclusive and accessible experience for all candidates.