Our award winning Early Talent Team is part of the People &
Talent Development Department.
Recognised for the high quality of our training programme, our
commitment to our DEIB (diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging),
an engaging summer scheme, peer support and the approachability of our
partners, this is an exciting time to join the RPC team as we begin a
series of strategic projects to shape the future of Early Talent at RPC.
We welcome applications from both London and Bristol candidates but
there is a requirement for regular time to be spent in the London office.
The role
We are looking for an Early Talent Manager to lead the UK Early
Talent function. You will be responsible for delivering the Early
Talent strategy to support the growth of the firm through the
successful recruitment, management, development and qualification of
trainee solicitors and solicitor apprentices.
Working with the Training Principal, Apprentice Champion Partner and
the wider partnership, you will demonstrate skill in senior
stakeholder management. You will have a passion for the development of
Early Talent, with a focus on DEIB and unlocking the potential of next
generation lawyers.
You will be responsible for managing and developing the Early Talent
team including the Early Talent Executive (based in Bristol) and Early
Talent Assistant (based in London).
Reports to
Senior Manager, People Projects and
Early Talent
Responsibilities include:
Recruitment
Design and oversee the implementation of the UK Early Talent
recruitment campaign, including attending both in-person and virtual
events as a firm representative and delivering presentations and
skills sessions where required.
Manage strategic aspects of employer branding for the firm's UK
Early Talent marketing campaign. This includes promotional materials
(adverts, video content and merchandise), website and social media
content, external media and publication partnerships, and our
virtual experience programmes.
Develop existing and new relationships with external consultants,
suppliers and third-party organisations including the firm's
diversity partnerships.
Manage the selection and offer process for solicitor
apprenticeships, summer schemes, training contracts and 10,000 Black
Interns applications. This involves screening applications, running
assessment centres, interviewing, managing selection decisions and
overseeing offer paperwork.
Design and project manage the summer schemes and 10,000 Black
Interns work experience programmes.
Development
Lead on the development and delivery of the people advisory
service to trainees and solicitor apprentices. This will include,
but is not limited to; seat allocation, client and international
secondments, trainee forum management, talent review meetings,
performance reviews and the NQ process.
Responsible for all employee relations and welfare issues within
UK Early Talent (including future and current solicitor apprentices
and trainees). This includes sickness, performance management,
conduct and disciplinary issues, grievances and contract changes.
Oversee any training needs analysis as required and work with the
Learning & Development team to develop and implement training programmes.
Pre-joining programme - work with the Learning & Development
team to organise pre-joining events for future trainee and solicitor
apprentice intakes (currently 4 events per annum).
New starter programme - support the Learning & Development
team with the preparation of any People elements of the trainee and
solicitor apprentice induction annually in September.
Is the main point of Early Talent contact for the SRA and keeps up
to date with any changes to ensure that all regulatory requirements
are met and supported appropriately.
Deliver strategic Early Talent and People projects when appropriate.
People Operations
Expert user of online recruitment systems (CVMail, RARE CRS,
Watson Glaser, TopScore) to process candidates through the various
stages of their application (submission, form updates, tracking firm
contacts, communications, testing, interview scheduling, assisting
with offers, reporting).
Supervise the Early Talent team to manage the starter/leaver/seat
move/secondment/qualification process including paperwork and system
updates (Success Factors).
Oversee loan, bursary and maintenance payments for future trainee
intakes and welcome bonus for apprentices as well as payments for
incoming summer scheme students.
Responsible for approving offer paperwork, references, firm
updates, invites to pre-joining events and pre-joining instructions.
Responsible for managing the Early Talent budget.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging
Work with the Responsible Business team to deliver on the firm's
DEIB strategy, working closely with internal and external
stakeholders to support and implement this. Currently our
partnerships and initiatives include 10,000 Black interns, Aspiring
Solicitors, Bright Network, BIUCAC, Rare Recruitment, Forage,
Connectr, My G Work, SEO, Social Mobility Foundation, Social
Mobility Index, Disability Confident Employer.
Keep abreast of market trends in relation to Early Talent and DEIB
and make recommendations for improvement.
Knowledge, skills and experience
Demonstrates a growth mindset and is committed to lifelong
learning to build knowledge and expertise.
Educated to degree level or equivalent.
Previous Early Talent experience at Manager level within
professional services, ideally in a law firm.
Develops and influences internal and external client relationships
and adopts a client-centric approach to deliver strong results and
innovative solutions.
Has effective communication skills (oral and written).
Demonstrates strong attention to detail.
Manages people, resources, budgets and projects efficiently and
commercially, with the ability to adapt to change.
A collaborative and influential leader within a team who coaches
and develops junior team members to achieve their full potential.
Demonstrates a high level of confidentiality and integrity.
Committed to being part of a supportive, inclusive and
collaborative firm culture.
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
We are problem solvers. Whether in front of clients or behind the
scenes. To solve problems creatively for clients, we need diverse
collaborative thinking; drawing on different experiences, backgrounds
and perspectives. That means that everyone who either applies to, or
works for, the firm is treated equitably. Webelieve in removing
barriers to equal access not least because our people define us and
define what we do. If you need support and adjustments to do your best
work, whether that's during the recruitment process or throughout your
time at RPC, we're here to help.
