Associate, Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs

Spencer Stuart•Philadelphia, PA

20h

About The Position

Spencer Stuart is seeking an experienced Associate for its Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs Practice, focused on Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel, and other senior-level searches. The Associate is an essential member of search teams, helping identify high-quality and diverse candidate slates through research, project management, assessment, and high-touch, relationship-driven advisory discussions. The role involves broad exposure to clients and leadership challenges, and collaboration with consultants, senior executives, and board members as clients and candidates. The Associate ideally will be based in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, or Washington, DC. The role expects at least two days per week in the office; spending more time in the office initially is beneficial for building relationships and participating in the local office community. The position reports to the Legal, Compliance & Government Affairs Practice Leader.

Requirements

At least 3 years of progressive, client-facing experience in a law firm as an associate or paralegal, an executive search firm, or a related professional services environment.
Undergraduate degree required.
Superior project management skills, including experience managing multiple projects and competing demands in a high-performance environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present information clearly, structurally, and concisely.
Strong attention to detail, results orientation, intellectual curiosity, and a proven ability to deliver high-quality work.
Ability to manage a high volume of work and competing priorities in a fast-paced, client-oriented environment.
Resourcefulness, resilience under pressure, flexibility, urgency, and a strong work ethic.
Ability to synthesize information from varied sources, including when information is ambiguous or incomplete, and articulate candidate fit succinctly.
Ability to build relationships and communicate credibly and professionally with internal and external stakeholders.
Willingness to seek feedback, learn quickly, and contribute collaboratively.

Nice To Haves

Experience and interest in legal, compliance, and government affairs.
Postgraduate degree or JD.
Understanding of the legal sector.
Experience using candidate and market information tools such as CapIQ, ZoomInfo, PitchBook, and LinkedIn.

Responsibilities

Contribute to search start-up by participating in client kick-off meetings and helping develop position specifications, search strategies, and target company lists.
Gather information about relevant industries and target companies.
Identify potential prospects and sources, represent clients effectively in the marketplace, and discuss opportunities with relevant executives.
Validate potential candidates through reference and source calls.
Partner with consultants to develop and present qualified candidate slates to clients.
Anticipate what is needed to bring searches to closure and provide additional information, including industry trends, market findings, reactions to opportunities, and compensation data.
Help prepare position specifications, candidate presentations, and reference reports in accordance with the Firm’s assessment methodology.
Communicate with consultants and executive assistants and stay current on search developments to provide accurate information about assignments.
Prepare organized information for client updates and meetings in partnership with consultants and executive assistants.
Provide an informed perspective on prospects and candidates and their alignment with selection criteria.
Monitor activity and management changes in relevant functions and share relevant marketplace developments with team members.
Continually identify and introduce new talent to the Firm’s candidate pool.
Keep assignment, company, and candidate information current and accessible to colleagues by using the Firm’s proprietary database and other technology.
Contribute to responses to new-business inquiries and business development initiatives.
Proactively contribute to local, practice, and firm-wide initiatives.
Coordinate and share practice-related information with colleagues for broader distribution.
Manage multiple searches and competing deadlines while maintaining quality, momentum, and timely communication about commitments.
Develop candidate contact lists and search strategies; gather and synthesize information from internal and external sources, including Third Party Sourcing, to assess candidate capabilities, qualifications, and fit.
Prioritize potential candidates, document meaningful notes in Quest, and use its initial assessment feature diligently.
Build credibility and relationships with stakeholders and candidates, adapting written and verbal communication to the audience.
Identify executive movements, update Quest and colleagues, and use internal and external information resources to develop market and candidate knowledge.
Seek and apply feedback, support self-development, collaborate with colleagues, and participate in office and practice activities in keeping with the Firm’s values and Code of Conduct.