Legal Recruiter

£25000-£50000 doe plus uncapped commission

Colchester, Essex – initially fully office based, moving to 3 days office, rest from home

Our client is a well-established legal recruitment specialist based in Colchester, Essex, operating across the UK and internationally. They focus exclusively on the legal sector and serve law firms, in-house legal teams and legal support services. The business provides recruitment at all levels – from paralegals and legal support through to solicitors, legal executives and international placements.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of legal candidates (paralegals, legal executives, NQ/experienced solicitors, support staff) through advertising, head-hunting, networking, direct approach.
• Build and sustain client relationships – liaise with law firms and in-house teams, understand their hiring needs, define job specifications, advise on market conditions, salary benchmarking, candidate availability.
• Conduct effective candidate interviews and assessment: evaluate skills, experience, motivation, cultural fit; prepare candidates for interview and guide them through the recruitment process.
• Manage the full recruitment lifecycle: job posting, short-listing, arranging interviews, feedback, offer management, contract negotiation, and post-placement follow-up.
• Meet and exceed agreed targets (placement numbers, revenue, margin, candidate convert, client retention).
• Keep abreast of legal market trends (law firm restructuring, practice area growth/shrinkage, in-house legal hiring, offshore/international roles) and share insight with your team.
• Maintain accurate database records of candidates and clients; ensure timely follow-up, pipeline tracking and CRM integrity.
• Collaborate with colleagues (marketing, research, operations) to enhance candidate engagement (e.g., content, campaigns, events).
• Represent the firm at networking events, legal industry gatherings, client meetings and candidate outreach initiatives.
• Uphold high standards of professionalism, confidentiality, compliance (data protection, discrimination, fairness) and the firm’s values.

Essential:

• Proven recruitment experience (ideally in legal recruitment or professional services) – minimum 1-2 years (or more depending on seniority)
• Strong commercial acumen: comfortable selling services to clients, driving candidates to placements, closing deals.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills – able to engage with solicitors, legal executives, senior in-house counsel, law firm hiring partners.
• High levels of initiative, resilience, drive and competitiveness – recruitment is fast-paced and target-driven.
• Ability to multitask, manage time effectively, prioritise multiple assignments and deliver quality under pressure.
• Good networking skills; ability to source passive candidates and build long-term relationships.
• Organised and detail-oriented, with strong follow-through and a client-/candidate-centric mindset.
• Strong ethics, integrity and understanding of confidentiality in legal recruitment.

• Specific experience or interest in legal recruitment (private practice, in-house, paralegal/ support roles)
• Knowledge of legal market dynamics (practice areas, PQE levels, region vs London, salary ranges)
• Experience in business development (identifying new clients, building new desks, expanding market share)
• Exposure to international/offshore legal recruitment would be a plus.
• A track record of meeting or exceeding placement/revenue targets.

* Wisdom Recruitment acting as an employment agency with regard to this vacancy. 

As a Rec 2 Rec, Wisdom Recruitment works extensively across London, Surrey, Sussex, Essex, Dorset, Kent, and Hampshire.

If this role does not suit your requirements and you are an experienced Recruiter or Resourcer, please feel free to forward your CV to the team at Wisdom to hear about our other vacancies or connect with us on LinkedIn. 

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