Early Talent & Development Specialist

At BDB Pitmans, our commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion sits at the heart of who we are as a firm as we are passionate about ensuring we create a work environment where everyone feels safe, respected, and fully supported to be themselves. Our ED&I work, though, goes beyond how we work with our colleagues. Our firm values - we act with respect, we work in partnership, and we find solutions - are deeply embedded in ED&I principles, and heavily inform how we approach client relationships, as well as external partnerships. The team The HR Department focuses on the delivery of strategy, policy, procedures and advice to enable a supportive working environment for all members of the firm and the development of the skills and expertise of employees and partners. The opportunity KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: Attraction & Recruitment: Graduate

• Attending law fairs and careers events
• Work with local universities and other partners to attract talent
• Organising and managing open days and vacation schemes
• Reviewing and shortlisting all applicants and ensuring the Graduate ATS is up to date
• Planning and running assessment centres at the relevant office locations
• Managing the offer, keep-in-touch and onboarding processes for trainees and vacation scheme students
Early Talent
• Managing attraction, outreach and recruitment of Solicitor Apprentices in London & Reading.
• Managing candidates throughout the application process for the Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme in London, preparing them for interviews, scheduling interviews and assessment centres.
• Planning, running and delivering school outreach events including in schools, and in partnership with social mobility organisations such as (Uptree)
• Coordinating and running Open Days/Insight Days for prospective candidates to the Solicitor Apprenticeship programme and other recruitment events
• Coordinating school outreach across all office locations to feed into work experience opportunities and the Solicitor Apprenticeship talent pipeline
• Promote volunteering and recruit internal volunteers for school outreach, Work Experience and Solicitor Apprenticeship programmes in line with our CSR policy.
• Maintaining and building new relationships with education providers, the CLLS City Century Solicitor Apprenticeship Collective, social mobility and school outreach organisations
• Supporting the creation and updating of content on social networking sites and BDBP website relating to WEX opportunities and the SA programme
Development Trainee Solicitors:
• Coordinating seat rotations by working with the business departments, Training Principle and trainees
• Managing and developing trainees throughout their two-year training contract
• Managing the PDR process for trainees throughout their contract
• Coordinating trainee induction and all professional trainee training when they have started with the business
• Coordinating NQ recruitment and qualification process with the departments and the SRA
• Coordinating exam and course needs for all inbound and current trainees
Early Talent:
• Pastoral care of Solicitor Apprentices throughout their seat rotations, including collating feedback in collaboration with Graduate Recruitment.
• Planning the structure of the Solicitor Apprenticeship Programme to include training, seat allocations, supervisor training, social events, internal and external speakers in collaboration with Grad Rec and the SA Partner Sponsor
• Managing the administration of the WEX and SA programmes (before and during)
General:
• Review existing processes and make recommendations for improvement.
• Liaising closely with HR Team and/or Resourcing Advisor who assist with the graduate recruitment programme.
• Ensuring all graduate recruitment activities are in line with the firms' ED&I strategy.
• Consistently seeking out new initiatives to ensure we are targeting a wide breadth of candidates.
• Assisting wider HR team and ED&I strategy group with key diversity initiatives.
• Occasional attendance at our other offices (Reading, Southampton & Cambridge) as necessary.
  
  Essential
• At least 18 months/ 2 years' experience at Early Talent Advisor level within a Law firm environment
• Strong knowledge of routes to qualification (Training contracts/SQE) for Trainee Solicitors
• Strong knowledge of alternative routes to qualification (Solicitor Apprenticeship programme).
• Desire to engage with pastoral responsibilities for Trainees and Solicitor Apprentices
• Experience running assessment centres & work experience sessions.
• Strong ability to form working relationships with internal and external stakeholders and quickly building rapport with candidates.
  
  We are BDB Pitmans, recognised for our market-leading expertise in infrastructure. We also specialise in real estate, energy, technology, transport as well as corporate and commercial matters, private wealth, employment, and public and charity law.
With offices in London, Cambridge, Reading and Southampton, we have a team of over 420 experts dedicated to making a clear and positive difference, with the legal precision we are known for. At BDB Pitmans, we care about helping shape what's important to people and society. Working constructively with our colleagues and clients and by explaining things clearly in a friendly and approachable way.