Early Careers Recruitment Manager – Ipswich or Norwich

Birketts is a full service, UK Top 50 law firm. With a heritage spanning 160 years, we have more than 700 lawyers and legal professionals and over 600 staff based in Bristol, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Ipswich, London, Norwich and Sevenoaks. We advise businesses, government and public sector organisations and individuals in the UK and internationally across four principal practice groups: Real Estate, Corporate Services, Dispute Resolution and Private Client.

We are defined by our Next Level Law proposition. We work with our clients as a proactive partner, horizon scanning and thinking ahead to the changes, challenges or opportunities that they may face.

Next Level Law is also applied to our people. Our collegiate culture means everyone is encouraged to achieve their next level in everything they do. RollOnFriday recently ranked us as the 6th best law firm to work at in 2026.

With our ambition to succeed, comes a strong desire to make a positive contribution to the communities we serve, and we are committed to delivering the objectives set out in our ESG strategy. Diversity plays an integral part in all that we do, with female partners comprising 45% of our partnership.

Our HR team sits within our wider Business Services Division. The team provide expert guidance and advice to managers and employees to support the effective delivery of HR processes across the firm.

Please note this role is avaible based out of our Ipswich and Norwich offices, however we are open to Chelmsford or Cambridge with regular contracted attendence within offices.

The Early Careers Recruitment Manager is responsible for assisting with the firm’s strategy and leading on the delivery of all early careers attraction, recruitment, and selection activity. This includes the summer vacation scheme, training contracts, apprenticeships, internships, and work experience programmes (including the operational delivery of SMILE).

The role plays a key part in shaping the future talent pipeline, enhancing the firm’s employer brand, and ensuring an inclusive and high-quality candidate experience.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Planning

Assist with the design and lead on the operational implementation of a forward-looking early careers recruitment strategy aligned with Birketts’ business needs and growth plans
Forecast trainee and apprentice intake requirements in collaboration with practice groups and Early Careers Partners
Monitor market trends and competitor activity to ensure the firm remains competitive in attracting top talent
Manage budgets for early careers attraction and recruitment activity

Attraction & Employer Branding

Develop and deliver targeted attraction campaigns across universities, schools, and wider talent pools
Build and maintain strong relationships with universities, schools, careers services, and diversity-focused organisations
Oversee branding and content for early careers channels (website, social media, events)
Represent Birketts at careers fairs, networking events, and presentations

Recruitment & Selection

Manage the full end-to-end recruitment lifecycle for all early careers programmes
Design and deliver robust, fair, and inclusive selection processes (application screening, assessment centres, interviews)
Ensure compliance with best practice, legal requirements, and diversity & inclusion objectives
Work closely with partners and hiring managers to support selection decisions

Programme Management

Plan and oversee the running of vacation schemes, insight days, and work experience placements
Manage offers, onboarding processes, and candidate engagement

Stakeholder Management

Partner with senior stakeholders across the firm to ensure alignment on recruitment objectives
Provide regular reporting and insights on recruitment activity, pipeline, and outcomes
Act as a subject matter expert and trustd advisor on early careers recruitment within the HR function

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Champion diversity and inclusion within all early careers activity
Develop initiatives to broaden access and improve representation across programmes
Track and report on diversity metrics and outcomes

Line Management

Manage and develop an Early Careers Outreach Officer
Foster a high-performance, collaborative team culture
Support continuous improvement and innovation in recruitment processes

Please note that this job profile is not an exhaustive list of duties but merely an outline of the key components of the role. You may be required by your line manager to take on additional responsibilities when requested.

The ideal candidate will have proven experience managing end-to-end recruitment processes, ideally within a professional services or legal environment, with a strong understanding of graduate recruitment cycles and best practice selection methods.

They will have hands-on experience designing and delivering assessment centres and attraction campaigns, alongside excellent stakeholder management, influencing, and project management skills. A passion for developing early talent and delivering an outstanding candidate experience is essential.

Desirable qualities include a relevant HR or Employment Law qualification, experience within a law firm, knowledge of legal qualification pathways, and line management exposure.

Personally, the candidate will be a strong communicator with high attention to detail, collaborative and adaptable in approach, and capable of managing multiple priorities effectively.

Birketts is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. This role attracts a split of 60% office days and 40% working from home days per week.

We welcome applications from people looking for flexible, agile, and part-time roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

As a Birketts colleague, you will be eligible to receive a wide range of benefits:

25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays
Long Service holiday award – 1 extra week every 10 years continuous service
Private Healthcare with BUPA (offered after probation is passed)
Scottish Widows Pension Scheme (5% employer / 5% Employee)
Staff Profit Share and Individual Performance Bonus Scheme
Salary sacrifice (Pensions, Staff Profit Share)
Life Assurance – 4 x salary / Permanent Health Insurance
Paid CSR Day
Enhanced Maternity/Paternity Leave
Subsidised gym membership
Electric car scheme
Dress for your Day Policy

You can find out more on our website: https://www.birketts.co.uk/recognition-reward-benefits/

At Birketts, our culture is driven by ambition and a commitment to positively impact all the communities we serve. We are dedicated to the success, development, and wellbeing of our colleagues, helping them achieve their goals and seize the opportunities that come with our growth.

Birketts is committed to being an Equal Opportunity Employer. Our policy is unequivocal: we do not tolerate discrimination based on age, disability, sex, race, religion or belief, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, or sexual orientation.

We pride ourselves on being an inclusive organisation that actively promotes equality of opportunity for all, valuing the right mix of talent, skills, and potential. We welcome applications from a diverse range of candidates, and selection for roles is based solely on individual merit.

If you require this advert in an accessible format, please visit https://diversityjobsgroup.com/company/birketts/

#IHP

At Birketts, we recognise the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the legal profession and recruitment. We welcome innovation and understand that candidates may use AI tools to support their job applications. However, we expect all applicants to use AI responsibly and ethically.

Our expectations regarding AI use in applications:

Your application should reflect your own voice, experiences, and insights. AI may assist in structuring or refining your responses, but it must not replace your personal input.
Do not use AI to misrepresent your qualifications, experiences, or skills. Any form of exaggeration or fabrication may result in rejection from the process.
If you have used AI tools to assist with your application, be prepared to discuss how and why you used them during the interview process.
Do not submit content generated by AI tools that may include personal or sensitive data not intended for public disclosure.
AI-generated content should be reviewed and edited by you to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with the role and our firm’s values.

We are committed to fair and inclusive recruitment practices. The use of AI should enhance, not compromise, your application. We encourage candidates to demonstrate critical thinking, commercial awareness, and a genuine interest in our firm.

If you have any questions about our expectations or the use of AI in your application, please contact our Talent Acquisition Team via talent@birketts.co.uk

Birketts

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Early Careers Recruitment Manager – Ipswich or Norwich