Lateral Recruitment Manager

Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from diverse backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.
Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions. Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer.
This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

As the Lateral Recruitment Manager, you will be responsible for managing all aspects of the recruitment and integration processes for attorneys across Goodwin's offices in Europe and Asia. This role is critical in attracting top legal talent and ensuring a thoughtful and thorough integration experience to set new hires up for excellence.  The ideal candidate will have a strong background in legal recruitment, excellent communication skills, a results-oriented mindset and the ability to work effectively with various stakeholders across different regions.

What you will do:

Recruitment Management

• Manage the end-to-end recruitment process for lateral associates and counsel across the Firm’s offices in Europe & Asia, to include sourcing, interviewing (where required), managing candidate pipelines, offers and the overall candidate experience;
• Collaborate closely with office leadership, local practice area leads and regional HR teams to identify and meet hiring needs across the region, including managing headcount and offer approvals;
• Develop and implement targeted recruitment strategies aligned with the Firm’s growth goals and talent priorities;
• Develop bespoke sourcing strategies for each search, ensuring the most appropriate and cost-effective methods are adopted;
• Establish and manage strong relationships with key agencies/search firms, including management of fee agreements and annual relationship reviews;
• Enthusiastically sell the Firm’s Talent Value Proposition and effectively communicate the strategic focus and growth strategy to search firms and prospective candidates;
• Work closely with the Opportunity, Inclusion and Belonging team;
• Support the Director of Recruitment, Europe & Asia in administering and maintaining recruiting policies, procedures and practices consistent with the goals and objectives of the Firm;
• Support the Director of Recruitment, Europe & Asia with lateral partner recruiting and act as the primary point of contact in the absence of the Director.

Integration

• Work closely with hiring partners, HR, L&PD and ADMs to oversee creation of comprehensive integration plans for lateral associates and counsel to ensure their successful transition into the Firm;
• Manage the onboarding process for incoming lateral partners, working with the relevant operational teams (IT, facilities, office administration etc) to ensure a smooth transition into the Firm;
• Work closely with hiring partners, practice management, client development and regional OAs to oversee integration taskforce planning for incoming lateral partners.

Relationship Management

• Act as a subject matter expert and strategic advisor to partners on market trends and best practices in associate recruitment;
• Cultivate a network of legal talent across the region to proactively identify potential candidates;
• Represent the Firm at internal and external recruitment events, conferences and networking events.  Cultivate an external network at peer firms and maintain competitive intelligence.

Data & Process Management

• Maintain accurate records and report on recruitment activity across the region, including input into global departmental reports;
• Pro-actively seek feedback from hiring partners and candidates on completion of each project and continually seek to enhance the client and candidate experience;
• Analyse data to provide insights and recommendations on hiring trends and process improvements;
• Keep appraised of legal requirements and regulations (including GDPR) affecting recruiting policies and procedures and ensure compliance;
• Ad hoc projects, as required.

Who you are:

• Strong understanding of the legal recruitment market and landscape;
• Commitment to inclusion in all aspects of recruitment and integration;
• Excellent communication, negotiation and relationship-building skills;
• Strong attention to detail and drafting skills, ability to distill complex information into a clear, digestible format;
• Exceptional interpersonal skills, demonstrating professionalism in all dealings;
• Ability to effectively manage multiple workstreams and stakeholders in a fast-paced and dynamic environment;
• Results-oriented self-starter, able to demonstrate high levels of initiative and motivation;
• Ability to work closely with other team members and display trust and loyalty;
• Proven ability to deal with confidential matters and with discretion;
• Ability to demonstrate sound judgment, identifying and highlighting potential risks;
• Good working knowledge of PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel and familiarity with applicant tracking systems (current ATS is Workday/Lawcruit);
• Proven ability to provide a client focussed service;
• Flexibility to work outside normal office hours as may be required;
• Ability to travel to international offices if required;
• Degree educated or equivalent experience;
• 8+ years of recruitment experience, ideally within the legal profession.

Goodwin Procter LLP is an equal opportunity employer. This means that Goodwin Procter LLP considers applicants for employment, and makes employment decisions without unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, age, religion, national origin, citizenship status, disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other legally protected status.

Goodwin is a disability-inclusive employer. Please contact us if you require any disability-related adjustments during the interview process, or would like to have a confidential conversation with a member of the recruitment team. If there are any disability-related reasons which have impacted your profile, we may also be able to make adjustments for these. Please see our Disability-Related Screening Adjustments page if this applies to you. (Disability refers to sensory and physical conditions, long-term health conditions, neurodivergence and mental health conditions).