Sr. Manager / Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting

Goodwin•Washington, DC

20h•$160,000 - $220,000•Hybrid

About The Position

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 varied 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. The Senior Manager / Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting ("Manager") supports the firm's lateral partner recruiting efforts by managing the day-to-day execution of assigned searches and related projects. Reporting to the Managing Director, Partner Recruiting, the Manager works with industry and practice leaders, the partner recruiting team, and cross-functional partners to organize search activity, conduct market research, coordinate candidate activity, and keep each search moving against agreed priorities and timelines. The Manager handles multiple searches at different stages, maintains accurate records and reporting, prepares analysis and recruiting materials, coordinates internal review and diligence, and delivers a responsive candidate and stakeholder experience. This role requires strong recruiting judgment, detailed project management, clear communication, careful handling of confidential information, and the ability to identify and escalate issues promptly.

Requirements

BA, BS or equivalent required.
Minimum of 8 years of experience in attorney recruiting with demonstrated exposure to partner recruiting or practice growth initiatives is strongly preferred; experience in executive recruiting, strategic business development, practice management, consultative sales, competitive or market intelligence, or a related professional services function will be considered.
Experience supporting complex recruiting processes, preferably lateral partner hiring, with working knowledge of candidate assessment, market mapping, search firm coordination, interviews, pre-hire diligence, and onboarding.
Strong research and analytical skills, including experience using market, client, competitive, practice, candidate, financial, and pipeline data to identify growth opportunities, assess prospective lateral candidates, summarize findings, and support recruiting and practice-development decisions.
Strong consultative selling, persuasion, and influencing skills, including the ability to develop tailored value propositions, engage senior-level candidates and search firms, navigate questions and objections, and gain alignment among partners and other internal stakeholders.
Excellent project management, organization, and attention to detail, with the ability to translate priorities into practical workplans, establish clear next steps and realistic timelines, and advance multiple searches and deadlines with consistent follow-through.
Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills, including the ability to prepare clear candidate summaries, reports, correspondence, presentations, and meeting materials.
Professional presence and strong relationship-management skills, with a collaborative, responsive, and service-oriented approach to candidates, search firms, partners, and colleagues at all levels.
Sound judgment, integrity, and discretion, including the ability to determine when to act independently, seek input, or escalate a decision or risk and to protect confidential candidate, partner, client, and firm information.
Proactive and resourceful, with practical problem-solving skills and the ability to anticipate needs, resolve process issues, and ask focused questions when direction is needed.
Ability to learn and consistently apply recruiting systems, templates, processes, reporting standards, and quality controls; proficiency with recruiting technology, Microsoft Office, reporting tools, and AI-enabled tools.
Team-oriented mindset and commitment to accountability, inclusion, high-quality work, professional excellence, and the firm’s values.

Responsibilities

Partner with the Managing Director and other recruiting leaders to confirm the scope, candidate criteria, stakeholders, and timeline for each assigned search; translate those priorities into practical workplans, clear ownership, and defined next steps.
Manage the day-to-day execution of assigned lateral partner searches from launch through onboarding, coordinating sourcing, interviews, feedback, diligence, approvals, offer support, transition planning, and handoffs while tracking deadlines and escalating decisions or risks as needed.
Conduct market research and mapping across relevant firms, practices, geographies, clients, and candidate profiles; monitor partner moves, compensation, and competitive developments and use those insights to build and regularly refresh accurate, diverse target lists and pipelines.
Review prospective candidates against agreed criteria and prepare clear summaries of their experience, business profile, strategic fit, strengths, open questions, and potential concerns; gather and organize supporting information for business cases, committee memoranda, financial summaries, and presentations.
Develop and maintain tailored recruiting messages, search briefs, candidate presentations, sector materials, and other content that clearly communicates the firm’s value proposition, practice strengths, growth opportunities, culture, and platform.
Coordinate with practice management, client development, finance, conflicts, integration, and other teams to collect required information, manage dependencies, follow up on outstanding items, and flag delays or issues.
Manage candidate communications, interviews, meeting materials, travel, and follow-up; understand candidate motivations and concerns, tailor communications appropriately, and maintain engagement and momentum throughout the recruiting process.
Support productive search-firm relationships by clearly communicating the firm’s value proposition, hiring priorities, and target profiles; coordinate submissions and feedback, resolve duplicate or ownership questions, and track candidate flow and agreed actions.
Maintain complete and current information in recruiting systems, pipeline trackers, evaluation reports, and shared files; prepare accurate pipeline reports, search updates, activity summaries, and analyses that identify changes, bottlenecks, overdue actions, and matters requiring leadership attention.
Consistently apply established templates, processes, technology, documentation standards, and quality controls; identify recurring workflow issues and help implement approved improvements.
Apply sound judgment and discretion throughout the recruiting process, protect confidential information, follow firm policies and protocols, and contribute to a collaborative, responsive, and accountable team culture.
Support other partner recruiting projects and team priorities as assigned by the Managing Director.