Pinsent Masons
Senior Early Talent Manager
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Senior Early Talent Manager
Role Overview
Here at Pinsent Masons, we bring together the best people to achieve extraordinary outcomes. Our culture is built on curiosity, growth, and collaboration—truly valuing ideas while delivering impactful results. As part of an award-winning, commercially driven team, you’ll work alongside leading experts, forge meaningful relationships, and contribute to groundbreaking work.
We’re looking for an accomplished Senior Early Talent Manager to lead and elevate our early talent strategy. Reporting to the Head of Talent Acquisition, this high-impact role blends strategic leadership with hands-on delivery, covering the entire journey: attraction through to successful programme completion.
You’ll be coaching, mentoring, and shaping future talent in a sector that is evolving rapidly. Join us at a pivotal moment—guided by a passion for innovation, diversity, and holding inclusion at the forefront—as we build the workforce of tomorrow.
Standard working hours are 9:30 AM–5:30 PM, though flexible arrangements are welcome. The role requires national travel to support operational objectives.
What You’ll Be Doing
Attraction & Recruitment
- Develop and execute a market-leading early talent attraction strategy, aligned with the firm’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP)
- Strengthen and prioritise strategic relationships with universities and schools, ensuring targeted engagement with high potential
- Build third-party partnerships to drive measurable ROI while aligning with diversity hiring goals
- Continuously refine assessment methods to future-proof capability needs
- Deliver a consistent, high-quality recruitment experience while nurturing a positive candidate journey
- Act as the market lead for early careers trends and insights
Development & Talent Management
- Design and evolve early careers programmes to build long-term capability
- Ensure consistent, high-performing graduate and apprentice programmes across locations
- Partner with the Early Talent Development Manager for seamless talent progression
- Optimise training provider relationships to maximise quality and value
- Implement strong retention frameworks, while refining progression pathways via data and feedback
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Team Leadership & Culture
- Lead a high-performing Early Talent team, driving growth and supporting their development
- Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, and continuous improvement
- Provide coaching, feedback, and career development to team members
- Strengthen cross-team alignment between Talent, DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion), HR, and L&D
Stakeholder Management & Collaboration
- Build credible stakeholder relationships with senior leadership and partners
- Serve as a trusted advisor on early career strategy, market trends, and hiring efficiency
- Drive engagement for recruitment and programme delivery at all levels
- Collaborate with international mobility teams, HR shared services, and talent acquisition to streamline operations
Change Management
- Streamline and digitise processes to enhance efficiency and scalability
- Optimise recruitment systems, CRM, and assessment tools for performance
- Ensure robust governance, compliance, and risk management
- Lead continuous improvement and strategic projects aligned with industry shifts
Data, Insights & Reporting
- Define and track KPIs across all talent stages (attraction, experience, retention)
- Utilise data to drive strategic decisions, risk mitigation, and performance insight
- Present data-driven reports to senior leaders for informed strategic direction
- Benchmark against the market to uphold competitive primacy
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What We’re Looking For
We seek a strategic, commercially astute leader who bridges big-picture vision with operational excellence. Key attributes include:
- Significant experience (7+ years) in early talent recruitment and development, ideal in law or professional services
- Deep understanding of the legal early careers market, including international talent strategies
- Proven track record of operating at both strategic and execution levels
- Strong background in leading and developing high-performing teams
- Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to influence and challenge senior leaders
- Data-driven mindset to translate insights into actionable strategies
- Commercial awareness of how early talent contributes to long-term business performance
Bonus attributes:
- Collaborative and forward-thinking approach with a passion for cultivation
- Commitment to diversity, inclusion, and career development for early talent
What Happens Next?
Upon submission and review, our Recruitment team will share outcomes via email. Due to high application volumes, response feedback is provided only to those progressing to interview.
Our interview process typically consists of two stages:
- Initial virtual meetings with members of the hiring team
- On-site day (unless flexible arrangements are preferred)
We thrive because of diversity in thought and background. As a Stonewall Top Employer, Valuable 500 member, Race at Work Charter signatory, and Neurodiversity in Law ally, we celebrate authentic talent. Our aim is for every interview to reflect personal strengths and potential—on our terms.
Your ideas matter. If this sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you.
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