Senior Legal Recruiting Manager

Sidley Austin•Palo Alto, CA

4d•$150,000 - $206,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Senior Legal Recruiting Manager provides strategic leadership and oversight of legal recruiting for the Palo Alto and San Francisco offices. The role covers law student recruiting, the Summer Associate Program, lateral attorney recruiting, and related initiatives and events. It develops and implements recruiting strategies, manages departmental operations and budgets, and helps the Firm attract and retain legal talent. The position serves as a strategic partner and advisor to Northern California Hiring Partners, the Summer Associate Committee, office leadership, and the West Coast Legal Recruiting Director. It collaborates with recruiting professionals and Firm leadership across US offices to align local efforts with Firmwide objectives, policies, and best practices. The manager oversees recruiting strategy and operations, candidate selection and experience, recruiting data and reporting, market analysis, committee and Hiring Partner relations, law school outreach, and Summer Associate Program planning and delivery. The role also supervises and develops the Northern California Legal Recruiting team, manages staffing and workflow, and works with Human Resources and Firm leadership on employee matters and policies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) from an accredited college or university.
At least four years of experience in legal recruiting, talent acquisition, or a related field.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Strong organizational and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
Strong attention to detail and sound judgment.
Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to research and think strategically.
Self-starter who demonstrates ownership of and commitment to the job.
Ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise discretion.
Outstanding oral and written communication skills, including excellent writing and editing skills.
Strong presentation skills.
Accurate proofreading and a strong command of English grammar, spelling, and sentence construction.
Ability to comprehend information presented in general business records, legal documents, common scientific and technical journals, and various reports.

Nice To Haves

Law firm experience, preferably in Big Law.
At least one year of supervisory experience.
Law school recruiting experience, including on-campus interviewing and summer program coordination.
Familiarity with NALP guidelines and applicant tracking systems.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic direction for legal recruiting in the Palo Alto and San Francisco offices, aligned with Firmwide goals and business objectives.
Develop, implement, and evaluate strategies for recruiting law students, entry-level attorneys, and lateral attorneys.
Advise Hiring Partners, office leadership, and the West Coast Legal Recruiting Director on recruiting matters, market trends, hiring strategies, and candidate engagement.
Oversee the annual recruiting budget, including development, forecasting, expense management, and operational efficiencies.
Direct candidate interviews and selection, and establish processes for candidate tracking, coordination, feedback, and communications.
Oversee applicant records, recruiting databases, and reporting systems, ensuring accuracy, confidentiality, and compliance.
Monitor recruiting markets, competitive hiring practices, and industry developments; provide recommendations to Firm leadership.
Collaborate with recruiting leadership and colleagues across US offices on Firmwide initiatives and best practices.
Represent the Northern California offices in Firmwide recruiting meetings, strategic planning, and other initiatives.
Serve as a strategic partner to Hiring Partners in developing and executing recruiting objectives and hiring strategies.
Lead the development and evaluation of office recruiting policies, procedures, and practices in coordination with Firmwide Legal Recruiting leadership.
Advise Hiring Partners on candidate selection, hiring recommendations, offer strategies, and market conditions.
Facilitate recruiting committee meetings and hiring discussions, and prepare and present recruiting reports, hiring analyses, and market updates.
Collaborate with Hiring Partners to identify recruiting priorities, evaluate candidate pipelines, and address hiring needs.
Lead law student recruiting, including on-campus recruiting, direct applications, callback interviews, and offer management.
Manage law school relationships and coordinate interviews, interviewer preparation, candidate evaluation, hiring decisions, and offer strategies.
Oversee candidate engagement initiatives such as recruiting receptions, dinners, and other events.
Lead and manage the Northern California Summer Associate Program, including onboarding, orientation, mentoring, work assignments, evaluations, professional development, and social programming.
Partner with Hiring Partners, the Summer Associate Committee, and office leadership to establish program goals and evaluate effectiveness.
Lead Summer Associate Committee meetings and oversee evaluation and offer recommendations, including timely feedback collection and communication.
Develop and manage the Summer Associate Program budget and oversee program events, training, and professional development.
Evaluate program feedback and implement improvements; coordinate with Firmwide Legal Recruiting and professional development teams on program standards and objectives.
Develop relationships with law schools, career services professionals, student organizations, and other recruiting contacts.
Oversee law school outreach, receptions, sponsorships, networking, and other initiatives; assess their effectiveness and represent the Firm at relevant events.
Lead, direct, and supervise the Northern California Legal Recruiting team, setting priorities and delegating responsibilities.
Manage recruiting team staffing, including recruitment, interviewing, onboarding, and training.
Conduct performance evaluations, coach team members, and support their professional development and career growth.
Improve team performance, workflows, and departmental operations; manage workload distribution, time and attendance, and staff scheduling.
Partner with Human Resources and Firm leadership on employee relations, performance management, and Firm policies and procedures.
Promote a professional, collaborative, responsive, and service-oriented environment, and mentor recruiting professionals on complex matters and best practices.
Perform other duties and special projects as assigned.