Flexible Talent Manager

We are seeking an experienced and commercially minded Manager to play a pivotal role in the continued growth of Law& Flexible Talent.

Working closely with the Head of Flexible Talent and wider Law& leadership team, you will drive the expansion of our interim legal talent business across the UK whilst supporting international best practice and collaboration.

This is a highly visible, revenue-generating role that combines lawyer recruitment, business development, consultant and client relationship management, and operational leadership. You will identify opportunities, build strategic relationships, and deliver exceptional talent solutions that help clients and DLA Piper access high-quality flexible legal expertise on demand.

The successful candidate will thrive in a fast-paced growth environment, combining commercial acumen, relationship-building skills and a passion for delivering outstanding client and consultant experiences.

Main duties and responsibilities:

Support Head of and Senior Management team in growth of Law& Flexible Talent working across all aspects of the business in the UK and deliver international best practice. Work as a collaborative team player providing additional capacity and support across the breadth of the business.

Business Growth and Commercial Development

• Drive growth of the Flexible Talent business through revenue generation, opportunity creation and market expansion.
• Develop relationships with partners, clients and key stakeholders to identify and convert new opportunities.
• Position Flexible Talent as a strategic workforce solution and integral part of DLA Piper's broader offering.
• Monitor legal market trends, competitor activity and client demand to inform growth strategies.

Recruitment and Talent Attraction

• Act as a Flexible Talent recruitment specialist. Deliver a high quality recruitment and vetting process to legal consultant candidates.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of high-quality legal talent across the UK well aligned to evolving client demand.
• Manage the end-to-end recruitment process from role briefing and job posting through to placement, onboarding, and ongoing engagement.
• Lead strategic talent attraction initiatives and targeted sourcing campaigns.
• Proactively headhunt to meet specific client demand and develop pipelines of passive candidate.
• Conduct candidate screening, interviews and assessments, and support the completion of due diligence processes.
• Stay connected with DLA Piper HR on alignment and best practice.

Client Relationship Management

• Lead client engagement throughout the opportunity lifecycle.
• Understand client workforce challenges and develop tailored interim resourcing solutions.
• Present consultant recommendations, negotiate competitive rates for assignment, commercial terms, and ensure successful delivery.
• Build long-term client relationships that generate repeat business and referrals. Deliver effective account management.
• Ensure excellent client experience throughout assignments.
• Coordinate and work closely with the DLA Piper relationship teams.

Talent Community Development

• Build and maintain a high-quality network of interim legal professionals across key practice areas and sectors developing a strong understanding of their expertise, career aspirations, and availability.
• Develop and implement consultant career development and retention strategies, identifying opportunities for learning, networking, and professional growth, while fostering a sense of community and connection to the broader DLA Piper offering.
• Manage the consultant engagement lifecycle, including regular check-ins, performance feedback, assignment reviews, and redeployment opportunities.

Consultant Placement and Lifecycle Management

• Oversee the end-to-end placement process from opportunity qualification through to assignment completion.
• Support consultants through interview and selection processes, escalate to involve Senior Flexible Talent team where needed.
• Deliver an exceptional consultant experience that drives engagement and repeat placements.

Operational excellence

• Champion continuous improvement across systems, processes and ways of working.
• Support reporting, data integrity and performance tracking.
• Ensuring all records and systems are kept up do date to accurately reflect activity, pipeline and consultant availability.
• Contribute to strategic projects supporting the growth and scalability of the business.

Brand, Marketing and Market Presence

• Represent Law& Flexible Talent internally and externally.
• Contribute thought leadership, events, market engagement and social media initiatives.
• Raise the profile of Flexible Talent across DLA Piper and the wider legal market.

About you

• Significant (5+ years) experience within legal recruitment, ideally gained within a law firm, professional services organisation, recruitment agency or ALSP, with a strong understanding of legal practice areas and specialisms.
• Knowledge of the legal consultancy market and relevant contractor legislation, including IR35, would be advantageous.
• A focus on recruiting to positively impact diversity and inclusion, including the ability to ensure ethical hiring decisions, without bias. Commercial and pragmatic approach to deliver outcomes with integrity and to the highest standards.
• Demonstrated success in building client relationships and generating revenue.
• Strong commercial awareness and confidence managing rate negotiations.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and legal professionals at all levels, including General Counsel and law firm partners.
• Highly organised with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-moving and demanding environment whilst sustaining exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for growing new opportunities.
• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements.
• Passion for legal services, with a strong commitment to client service, professionalism and integrity.
• Collaborative and committed team player who is energised to contribute to a growth business within the law firm and to the wider Law& function.
• Enthusiasm to utilise technology platforms to excel in our delivery including familiarity and compliant use of Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), HR and marketing software.