Head of Talent Acquisition

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 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: property corporate services litigation and private client advisory.

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 5th best law firm to work at in 2024.

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 40 of our partnership.

The Head of Talent Acquisition will be responsible for developing and executing comprehensive strategies to attract and retain highcalibre legal and business support professionals. This leadership role involves collaborating with HR marketing and leadership teams to create a positive and engaging work environment that supports employee growth and satisfaction.

You will also be instrumental in shaping the organisations culture enhancing employee engagement and maintaining Birketts as an outstanding place to work.

• Manage and support the Talent Acquisition team:Set direction and priorities actively coaching developing and mentoring team members to excel in their roles.
• Strategic Leadership:Develop and implement longterm strategies for Talent Acquisition
• Talent Acquisition:Oversee the recruitment process including managing job postings conducting interviews and collaborating with recruitment agencies to attract top legal talent.
• Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with senior leadership and Heads of Division to understand their hiring needs and provide strategic advice on talent acquisition. Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders to ensure alignment and support for recruitment initiatives.
• Recruitment Process Management: Oversee the entire recruitment and selection process from sourcing and screening candidates to conducting interviews and facilitating the onboarding process. Ensure a positive candidate experience by maintaining clear communication and providing timely feedback.
• Employer Branding:Promote the firms brand as an employer of choice through various channels including social media job fairs and industry events.
• Diversity Equity and Inclusion:Champion diversity equity and inclusion initiatives to create a welcoming and inclusive workplace for all employees. Collaborate with the Chair of the People and Culture Committee to enhance and implement the firms approach to equity diversity and inclusion.
• Data Analysis:Utilise recruitment metrics and data to monitor the effectiveness of the hiring process and identify areas for improvement. Generate regular reports on key recruitment metrics such as timetofill costperhire and candidate quality.
• Compliance: Ensure all recruitment activities comply with relevant employment laws and regulations including data protection and equal opportunity legislation. Stay updated on changes in employment law and adjust recruitment practices accordingly.
• Vendor Management: Manage relationships with external recruitment agencies and vendors ensuring they deliver highquality candidates and services. Negotiate contracts and service level agreements with recruitment vendors to ensure costeffective solutions.
• Budget Management: Oversee the talent acquisition budget ensuring recruitment activities are costeffective and within budget. Monitor and report on recruitment expenses identifying opportunities for cost savings.
• Innovation: Implement innovative recruitment technologies and practices to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the hiring process. Stay informed about industry trends and best practices in talent acquisition and incorporate them into the recruitment strategy.
• Leading Senior Recruitment Assignments: Develop tailored recruitment strategies for executive roles including targeted sourcing networking and headhunting. Conduct indepth interviews and assessments to evaluate candidates leadership capabilities cultural fit and potential for longterm success.

• Relevant degree (e.g. Business HR Law) or equivalent experience.
• CIPD qualified or equivalent professional HR qualification.
• Proven experience in a senior Talent Acquisition role with a strong focus on both strategic and operational aspects.
• Proven track record in implementing and managing recruitmentrelated data and reporting applicant tracking systems and direct sourcing tools.
• Advanced knowledge of employment law policies and best practice.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships at all levels of the organisation.
• Expertise in producing and presenting engaging reports to the board and senior leadership team.
• Strong analytical skills to assess and interpret HR metrics and data and use insights to inform recruitment strategies.

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. Alongside a flexible and inclusive work environment we offer the following core benefits:

• 25 days holiday (FTE) plus Bank Holidays (rising to 30 days)
• 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
• Agile/Hybrid Working Policy
• Dress for your Day Policy

is a flexible business which has embraced a hybrid working model where our colleagues enjoy a mix of home and office working. We welcome applications from people looking for flexible agile and parttime roles and we are happy to explore your preferred working patterns as part of your application.

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.

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.