About us
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.
The team you will join
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 work you will be doing
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.
What we are looking for
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.
Hybrid Working
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.
Benefits
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 servicePrivate Healthcare with BUPA (offered after prob
