Legal Recruiting & Development Manager

About Kirkland & Ellis

At Kirkland & Ellis, we are united in our ambition and drive to move forward. We share core values that help us achieve excellence: collaboration, talent empowerment, service, inclusion, respect and gratitude. Our people are our greatest asset, and we invest in the brightest talent and encourage a diversity of perspectives and strengths to create dynamic teams that operate at the pinnacle of their field. Our talented professionals show up every day knowing they will engage in meaningful work, continuous learning and professional development.

As one of the world’s leading law firms, we serve a broad range of clients with market-leading practices in private equity, M&A and other complex corporate transactions; investment fund formation and management; restructurings; high-stakes litigation and trials; and government, regulatory and internal investigations. We handle the most complicated and sophisticated legal matters because we don’t just meet industry standards, we create them. We bring innovation and entrepreneurialism to every engagement and, as a result, have long-standing client relationships with leading global corporations and financial sponsors. With 6,500 employees (including 3,000+ lawyers) operating from 18 offices across the United States, Europe and Asia, we are one of the largest law firms in the world and a top financial performer.

Essential Job Functions

As a member of the Firmwide Legal Recruiting and Development Department (“LRD”), the Legal Recruiting & Development Manager for the Miami office will provide strategic direction and implementation for all attorney recruiting, engagement, professional development and training at the local office level, while executing Firmwide (FW) initiatives and strategy.  The position is charged with primary oversight of the summer associate program; campus and lateral recruiting; day-to-day management and professional development of local recruiting and development team; relationship building with law schools; industry research; attorney orientation and integration; CLE, diversity, women’s leadership initiatives, and mentoring initiatives; specialized research and benchmarking; budget; and sponsorships.  The position will also work in close collaboration with the FW Legal Recruiting and Development teams, the FW Leads for Diversity & Inclusion, Pro Bono, Legal Education & Development, Alumni Engagement, CareerLink and Administrative teams to locally implement and advance diversity, pro bono, practice area specific training, alumni engagement, associate review and mentoring initiatives.

Essential Functions: (This list is not exhaustive and may be supplemented and changed as necessary.)

Legal Recruiting

• Manage all aspects of the Firm’s campus recruiting efforts, including OCI registration, interview scheduling, callbacks, offer dinners, job fairs, 1L hiring, 1L recruiting events and campus outreach activities. Maintain a calendar of events and candidate files for all open positions and all active candidates.
• Oversee and implement all aspects of the Summer Associate Program, including planning and attending summer associate events, managing work assignments and the review process.
• Build strategic relationships with Career Services professionals, law student groups and affinity groups to advance the Firm’s recruiting strategies.
• Manage all aspects of the Firm’s lateral recruiting efforts, including but not limited to, meeting with partners to determine staffing needs, leveraging utilization reporting and data to assess hiring needs, recruiting talent through both directly through existing Firm relationships as well as fostering new relationships with external headhunters in the legal space.
• Prepare offer packages and welcome notices, including firm announcements for new hires.
• Act as a “Brand Ambassador” for the Kirkland & Ellis brand within the Miami legal market.

Attorney Engagement

• Assist with new attorney, lateral and summer associate on-boarding, including development of local and Firmwide orientation programs. Contribute to the integration of lateral and first-year associate hires and assist with the implementation and delivery of practice-specific training.
• Consult with associates to develop and monitor individual development goals and plans. Meet with partners on a regular basis to identify internal opportunities for personal and professional development and develop programming targeted at achieving those goals (such goals could range from office associate integration to soft-skill trainings or may include more substantive job-related trainings).
• Develop professional relationships with associates and staff such that you can be utilized by the Partnership as a go-between. Work closely with associates on morale and Firm-life initiatives, and coordinate with partners to accomplish goals.
• Develop and implement effective mentoring programs for all levels of associates that complement FW professional development efforts.
• Actively participate and serve as a key point of contact for the Miami Associates’ Committee.
• Support the firm’s diversity initiatives with designated activities, programs and meetings, including implementing the firm’s strategic goals with regards to diversity. Provide local guidance and leadership to local affinity groups/professional networks, including development and execution of annual programs. Work with local Women’s Leadership Initiatives chairs to develop innovative programs. 
• Oversee the associate departure process for the Miami office and monitor trends/statistics therein. Help promote alumni initiatives and CareerLink services within the office.

Legal Education & Development

• Act as a liaison to, and between, partners and associates regarding practice support needs and provide strategic direction and implementation for attorney training and development initiatives.
• Manage annual associate review process as well as local office CLE trainings and assist with FW KITA trainings.

Administrative Responsibilities

• Prepare annual departmental goals and budget as well as review and approve attorney recruiting and development expenses.
• Attend local bi-weekly administrative managers’ meetings.
• Attend regular FW Legal Recruiting & Development team calls and provide necessary metrics, reports, and FW project outcomes as needed.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills

The ideal candidate will have a Bachelor’s degree and eight-plus years of strategic recruiting and professional development experience in a large law firm or professional service industry, preferably with at least 4 years of management experience. Candidates must have strong interpersonal skills, supervisory, and communication skills, project management and change management experience, and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment.  The ability to work effectively with all levels of management, and across all Kirkland departments and offices, is required.  Familiarity with survey and statistical reporting is required. 

Technologies/Software

Computer proficient with knowledge and understanding of various database systems including viDesktop, Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. 

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, and filing cabinets.

How to Apply

Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP.  To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Equal Employment Opportunity

All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Closing Statement

The www.kirkland.com job postings and recruiting mailbox are for candidates only. If you are a recruiter, search firm or employment agency, and do not have a signed contract with Kirkland & Ellis LLP ("K&E") and have not been asked specifically to submit candidates, you will not be compensated in any way for your referral of a candidate even if K&E hires the candidate. Direct contact with K&E employees in an attempt to present candidates is inappropriate and will be a factor in determining any future professional relationship with the Firm. #LI-AT1