Chicago - Associate Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting

Reporting to the Managing Director of Attorney Recruiting & Integration, the Associate Director provides operational leadership for the firm's lateral partner recruiting function, overseeing the day-to-day execution of recruiting processes while leading the partner recruiting team and the attorney intelligence and research team. In this highly visible role, the Associate Director will partner closely with the Managing Director, practice group leaders and other firm stakeholders to execute recruiting strategies that support the firm's strategic growth priorities. This role acts as a critical bridge across the Firm, collaborating seamlessly with key administrative verticals-including the Attorney Recruiting and Attorney Integration Teams, Conflicts, Finance, and Business Development-to deliver a sophisticated, highly coordinated candidate experience. As a leader, the associate director is responsible for mentoring and developing high-performing Partner Recruiting and Attorney Intelligence & Research Teams, driving operational excellence, and utilizing data-informed market insights to guide the Firm's growth initiatives.

Position responsibilities

Lateral Partner Recruiting Operations

• Manage the end-to-end execution of the lateral partner recruiting process, from candidate engagement through offer and acceptance, ensuring a seamless, highly responsive, and professional candidate experience.
• Coordinate lateral partner interview processes, including preparing interview materials, briefing interviewers, managing schedules, facilitating feedback collection, and ensuring timely follow-up.
• Prepare and coordinate lateral partner recruiting materials, including candidate summaries, Executive Committee memoranda, business cases, offer packages, and related documentation, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and appropriate quality control.
• Partner with internal stakeholders, including Conflicts, Finance, Business Development, Marketing, and Attorney Integration, to facilitate efficient execution of lateral partner recruitment.
• Oversee due diligence processes and coordinate information gathering required for lateral partner evaluation and approval.
• Manage the transition of accepted candidates to the Attorney Integration team, ensuring effective handoff and continuity of the candidate experience.
• Serve as a knowledgeable resource on lateral partner recruiting processes, providing guidance and support to recruiting team members and internal stakeholders.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead, supervise, mentor, and develop the Partner Recruiting and Attorney Intelligence & Research teams, fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and service-oriented culture.
• Establish clear priorities, workflows, and expectations across the teams to ensure alignment with firm recruiting objectives.
• Provide day-to-day guidance, coaching, and professional development opportunities to enhance team capabilities and judgment.
• Oversee the quality, prioritization, and delivery of attorney intelligence and research support for lateral partner recruiting efforts.
• Build team capabilities by implementing best practices, enhancing institutional knowledge, and promoting continuous learning.

Operational Leadership & Process Excellence

• Provide operational leadership for the lateral partner recruiting function, ensuring consistent, efficient, and high-quality execution across recruiting activities.
• Establish and maintain recruiting standards, processes, templates, and playbooks to drive consistency and scalability.
• Review and provide quality assurance for sensitive recruiting materials, including Executive Committee memoranda, offer letters, candidate communications, and other leadership-facing documents.
• Manage workflow, resources, and competing priorities across the partner recruiting function to ensure timely execution of critical recruiting activities.
• Monitor recruiting metrics, dashboards, and operational trends to identify opportunities for improvement and inform decision-making.
• Oversee recruiting collateral, templates, and process documentation to ensure materials remain current, accurate, and aligned with firm standards.
• Identify and implement process improvements that enhance efficiency, candidate experience, and internal stakeholder service.
• Manage the operational aspects of external search firm relationships, including engagement administration, communications, fee arrangements, and performance tracking.
• Serve as an escalation point for complex recruiting issues, exercising sound judgment and escalating strategic matters appropriately to the Managing Director.

Strategic Partnership & Collaboration

• Partner with the Managing Director of Attorney Recruiting & Integration to execute lateral partner recruiting priorities aligned with the firm's strategic growth objectives.
• Collaborate with practice group leaders, department leaders, office managing partners, and other firm stakeholders to support successful execution of lateral hiring initiatives.
• Provide operational insights and recommendations to inform recruiting strategies, processes, and resource allocation.
• Work closely with the Strategic Partner Recruitment Director to ensure effective handoff and coordination between candidate development activities and recruiting execution.
• Support the continuous evolution of the firm's lateral partner recruiting model through process innovation, technology adoption, and operational improvements.
  

Experience, skills, and qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required.
• 7+ years of legal recruiting experience, including at least 3 years of partner recruiting that included successful management of people, programs, projects, and finances/budgets required. Partner integration experience a plus.
• 3+ years in a supervisory or team-leadership role required.
• Ability and willingness to travel as needed to support recruiting, integration, and business objectives required.
• Must live within a commutable distance to a firm office with the ability to come into the office 3-4 days per week.

• Ability to learn and embrace new skills and best practices as the position evolves and Firm needs change.
• Ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to work well independently as well as effectively within a team.

• Ability to develop relationships and foster teamwork at all levels of the Firm.

• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a diverse group of internal and external clients, attorneys, and business professionals.
• Ability to manage confidential information and sensitive situations with tact and discretion.

• Strong leader with business acumen and the ability to motivate and mentor a team.
• Demonstrates keen business acumen, superior organizational skills, and rigorous attention to detail in all deliverables.
• Reliability, flexibility, and adaptability in a team and service-oriented environment.
• Ability to organize, prioritize, and multi-task in a time-sensitive environment while maintaining the highest standards of work quality.
• Demonstrated ability to produce quality work in a fast-paced dynamic environment, including prioritizing numerous tasks and completing them under time constraints.
• Ability to identify and accomplish long and short-term goals, projects, and activities.

• Broad knowledge of Microsoft applications.
• Ability to identify and evaluate appropriate Generative AI tools to enhance productivity.

• Ability and confidence to identify and analyze issues, make decisions, initiate actions/solutions, and apply sound judgment.
• Agility to be able to respond to unexpected challenges, including proactively developing innovative solutions to complex problems while maintaining a professional demeanor.

• Ability to maintain composure and demonstrate good judgment.

• Must be available for work outside of normal schedule hours.
• Availability to travel, as needed.