Head of Recruitment (VA794)

We have a new opportunity for a Head of Recruitment to join our busy HR team. The primary purpose of the role is to be responsible for leading and delivering a high-performing recruitment strategy that supports the firm’s growth across multiple offshore jurisdictions. This role oversees all lateral hiring, and strategic workforce planning, ensuring the firm attracts, selects, and retains exceptional legal and business services talent in a competitive global market. The postholder will act as a strategic advisor to senior stakeholders, enhancing the firm’s employer brand and ensuring recruitment processes align with regulatory, cultural, and commercial requirements unique to offshore legal practice

This role can be based in either our London or Jersey office.

Key responsibilities and duties:

Recruitment Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and execute a global recruitment strategy aligned with the firm’s growth plans and talent needs
• Partner with senior leadership to anticipate hiring needs and support workforce plannin
• Monitor market trends in offshore legal recruitment and advise on talent availability, compensation, and hiring strategies​

Team Leadership & Management

• Lead, manage, and develop the recruitment team across jurisdictions, ensuring high performance and engagement
• Provide coaching, mentoring, and professional development to team members to build capability and career progression
• Ensure consistent application of recruitment policies, processes, and best practices across all locations
• Lead resource planning within the recruitment team to meet fluctuating hiring demands​

Senior Legal & Business Services Hiring

• Oversee lateral partner, senior associate, and counsel recruitment processes
• Support the identification and acquisition of high-value legal talent in key practice areas
• Work closely with practice group leaders to define role requirements and candidate profiles
• Manage relationships with specialist legal search firms and head-hunters globally
• Ensure effective recruitment of business services professionals (e.g., finance, risk, compliance, IT, HR)
• Drive direct sourcing strategies to reduce reliance on agencies while maintaining quality pipelines
• Oversee graduate, trainee, and internship programmes​

Employer Brand & Candidate Experience

• Strengthen the firm’s employer value proposition (EVP) in offshore and international markets
• Ensure an exceptional, consistent candidate experience across all touchpoints
• Collaborate with marketing and communication teams on recruitment campaigns and branding initiatives​

Stakeholder Management

• Act as a trusted advisor to partners and senior stakeholders on recruitment matters
• Influence decision-making through data, market insight, and best practice guidance
• Train and support hiring managers on interview techniques and selection processes​​

Data, Reporting & Compliance

• Utilise recruitment metrics to monitor performance, identify trends, and drive continuous improvement
• Ensure recruitment processes are compliant with local employment laws, immigration requirements, and regulatory frameworks in offshore jurisdictions
• Manage budgets for recruitment activities, including agency spend and employer branding initiatives​

Process Improvement & Technology

• Optimise recruitment processes, systems, and tools (e.g., ATS, CRM platforms)
• Drive innovation and efficiency through digital solutions and data-driven decision-making​

​The successful candidate will work closely with:

• Managing Partners and Carey Olsen Board
• Partners and hiring managers across all jurisdictions
• HR Business Partners and HR Operations teams
• Marketing & Business Development (for employer brand and campaigns)
• External legal search firms, recruitment agencies, and talent partners​

Skills, Experience, and Key Competencies:

• Experience leading recruitment within a professional services or legal environment
• ​Strong understanding of offshore legal markets or comparable international recruitment environments
• Proven experience recruiting senior talent
• ​Demonstrated leadership experience managing recruitment teams across multiple locations
• ​Excellent stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior level
• ​Strong commercial awareness and ability to align recruitment with business strategy
• ​Strategic thinking and planning
• ​Leadership and team development
• Commercial acumen
• ​Data-driven decision making
• ​Resilience and adaptability in a fast-paced environment
  
  
  

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