Director, Legal Recruiting
Apply NowCompany: K&L Gates
Location: Pittsburgh, PA 15237
Description:
Job Description
At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.
The Director of Legal Recruiting is responsible for the strategic planning, direction, execution and continuous improvement of the firm's summer associate, lateral associate, and lateral partner recruiting initiatives. This position ensures alignment with the firm's goals and values and collaborates closely with senior leadership and key stakeholders to build a robust and high-quality legal talent pipeline. This role requires a forward-thinking approach to talent acquisition, focusing on elevating the firm's presence in competitive markets, building strategic relationships with targeted law schools and search firms, and creating innovative programs to attract and retain top-tier candidates. In addition, this role is responsible for managing the firm's brand and reputation as an employer of choice. This involves strategic marketing, candidate engagement, and ensuring a seamless and positive experience for candidates throughout the recruiting process.
Key Relationships
Management Committee, Office leadership, including OMPs, PALs, PGCs, ADC chairs, and hiring partners, D&I, WIP, and GALC Committees, Chief Officers, Office of General Counsel, HR Senior Leadership team and global HR team
Essential Duties
Experience and Skills
Additional Abilities Required
Compensation Salary $164K - $329K
The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.
As required by the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative Ordinance and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants for our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices with arrest and conviction records will be considered.
ABOUT THE FIRM
K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world. We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.
The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.
For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.
Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.
BENEFITS
K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person's race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm's policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above). The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR[redacted]
At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.
The Director of Legal Recruiting is responsible for the strategic planning, direction, execution and continuous improvement of the firm's summer associate, lateral associate, and lateral partner recruiting initiatives. This position ensures alignment with the firm's goals and values and collaborates closely with senior leadership and key stakeholders to build a robust and high-quality legal talent pipeline. This role requires a forward-thinking approach to talent acquisition, focusing on elevating the firm's presence in competitive markets, building strategic relationships with targeted law schools and search firms, and creating innovative programs to attract and retain top-tier candidates. In addition, this role is responsible for managing the firm's brand and reputation as an employer of choice. This involves strategic marketing, candidate engagement, and ensuring a seamless and positive experience for candidates throughout the recruiting process.
Key Relationships
Management Committee, Office leadership, including OMPs, PALs, PGCs, ADC chairs, and hiring partners, D&I, WIP, and GALC Committees, Chief Officers, Office of General Counsel, HR Senior Leadership team and global HR team
Essential Duties
- Lead, mentor and develop a high performing recruiting team, promoting a collaborative, client service focused and results driven culture.
- Develop strategic recruiting plans for the full life cycle of legal recruitment to source highly qualified candidates and implement strategies that increase the firm's capability to attract, assess, select, and onboard superior talent while aligning with the firm's growth objectives.
- Partner with leadership to understand hiring needs, market trends and best practices
- Act as the primary liaison with firm leadership, partners, and practices regularly providing updates on recruiting efforts, challenges and opportunities.
- Oversee all aspects of the summer associate, lateral associate, and lateral partner recruiting programs, including candidate sourcing, onboarding, mentorship an, ensuring each team provides a seamless, enriching experience.
- Establish key performance indicators (KPI's) and metrics to measure the success and efficiency of recruitment initiatives
- Continuously improve processes, leverage data-driven insights, and align recruiting efforts with the broader firm goals, ensuring that recruiting strategies effectively support the firm's commitment to excellence and client service.
- Foster strong relationships with law schools, search firms and other external recruiting sources.
- Collaborate with the Director of Diversity & Inclusion and other committees to continue the Firm's efforts to implement and enhance D&I initiatives.
- Prepare and manage the recruiting budget, ensuring effective resource allocation for events, marketing and operational expenses
- Evaluate and select vendors, technology solutions and recruiting tools to enhance efficiency and candidate experience.
Experience and Skills
- Juris Doctor (JD) or Bachelor's degree in business, human resources, or equivalent preferred
- Prior law firm experience preferred
- Extensive experience developing and leading Talent Acquisition and Talent Development processes for a global law firm or other professional services organizations
- Deep knowledge of the Talent management cycle, including processes and programs in recruitment and career development
- Experience with selection and implementation of integrated talent management systems in conjunction with a fully integrated HRIS
- Growth mindset with a commitment to continuous learning, innovation and adaptation in response to changing industry and firm dynamics and needs.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities and competing demands; demonstrated success in managing and delivering large programs and in leading change in a demanding environment
- Excellent communication and presentation skills; executive presence, maturity, and sound judgment to communicate effectively and gain credibility with internal and external audiences
- Ability to lead in a complex multicultural environment with multiple stakeholders; excellent relationship-building skills and ability to influence across HR functions, global offices, and various functional departments
- Strong business and financial acumen; ability to develop strategic plans, make sound decisions and anticipate, diagnose, and develop creative solutions to complex problems
Additional Abilities Required
- Ability to handle confidential situations, maintain complete confidentiality, exercise prudent judgment, and execute tactfully
- Travel, as necessary, to support business needs
- In-office work, as necessary, to support business needs
- Responsibilities occasionally may require an adjusted work schedule and evening/weekend hours in order to meet deadlines
Compensation Salary $164K - $329K
The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.
As required by the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative Ordinance and San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, qualified applicants for our Los Angeles and San Francisco offices with arrest and conviction records will be considered.
ABOUT THE FIRM
K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located across five continents in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world. We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.
The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.
For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.
Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.
BENEFITS
K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:
- Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)
- Back-up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge
- Dental Insurance
- Wellness Program
- Vision Insurance
- Pre-tax Commuting Benefits
- 401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Sharing
- Business Travel Accident Insurance
- Short- and Long-term Disability Protection
- Pet Insurance
- Life Insurance (including Basic, Supplemental, Spouse, Child, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment)
- Health Advocacy Services
- Paid Time Off (25-30 days per year)
- Identity Protection/Restoration and Fraud Insurance
- Parental Leave (18 weeks of which 6 are paid; short-term disability may provide additional paid time off)
- Student loan refinancing options and access to a student loan concierge service
- Paid Holidays (12)
- Addiction Resources
- Family Building Benefits
- Breast Milk Delivery and Lactation Support Services
- Flexible Spending Accounts
- Employees also may be eligible to receive bonuses and certain expense reimbursements
- Employee Assistance Program
- Professional Development and CLE Credit Opportunities
- 529 Deductions
- Relocation
- Accident Insurance
- Employee Referral Program
- Critical Illness Insurance
- Hybrid/Remote Work Opportunities
- Hospital Indemnity Insurance
- Perks including: Technology, Entertainment, and Travel Discount Programs
- Bereavement Leave
- All other benefits (such as leaves of absence) required by law
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person's race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm's policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above). The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR[redacted]