Senior Early Careers Development Advisor

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Department: Human Resources Duration: Permanent
Location: London
Reports to: Early Careers Manager
Type of Role: Hybrid
Reference no: 7836

The Role

Early Careers is a key priority within our people strategy, and this role is integral to the successful development and experience of our early career professionals.

The Senior Early Careers Development Advisor will play a pivotal role in providing expert guidance and pastoral support to our early career professionals, ensuring they receive a high-quality experience that fosters professional growth. Collaborating closely with key stakeholders across the region, the role will drive best practices in early careers development, implement projects and contribute to process improvements that align with the firm's broader business and talent objectives.

Key Responsibilities

Early Careers Professional Development

• Act as the primary point of contact for our Early Careers Professionals, offering professional guidance, coaching, and pastoral support throughout their training with us.
• Collaborate with the Early Careers Manager to shape and implement our early careers talent strategy, ensuring a structured, high quality development framework that supports long-term career progression.
• Manage the seat planning process, ensuring alignment with both individual career aspirations and business needs.
• Oversee and enhance the seat rotation and secondment programmes to provide a well-rounded training experience.
• Lead the design and planning for the annual induction programmes for Early Careers Professionals across all offices.
• Manage and continuously improve biannual practice group rotations, ensuring optimal skill development and business needs alignment.
• Monitor Early Career Professionals performance, proactively identifying areas for support and growth.
• Manage the mid-seat review and end-of-seat review processes for all Early Careers Professionals, ensuring high-quality feedback mechanisms that support professional development.
• Lead and coordinate biannual early careers forums in collaboration with the Training Principal and Development Partners.
• Lead the qualification process, working closely with the Early Careers Manager to provide career guidance and ensure a smooth transition to newly qualified roles.

Relationship Management

• Build and maintain strong collaborative relationships with the Early Career Professionals, their supervisors and the Early Careers Recruitment & Development Partners and other stakeholders.
• Act as a trusted advisor to supervisors, Practice Managers, and Group Leaders equipping them with the tools and insights needed to effectively support the early careers strategy and professionals.
• Manage and enhance relationships with regulatory bodies, professional associations and external training providers e.g. the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), the Law Society of Scotland (LSS), the Law Society of Ireland (LSI), law schools etc. to ensure compliance and best practices.
• Partner with internal teams, including the HR Service Centre (DBSE), to ensure efficient process management and proactive engagement.

Process Improvement and Strategic Projects

• Continuously review and refine early careers programmes, ensuring they remain competitive and responsive to market trends and regulatory changes.
• Oversee the admission process for our Early Careers Professionals, in collaboration with relevant internal teams.
• Contribute to initiatives aimed at enhancing the employee experience, inclusion and professional development.
• Lead and drive strategic projects within the Early Careers team, leveraging data and insights to inform decision making.
• Maintain robust reporting and budgeting processes, providing accurate data for workforce planning and budget management.
• General administrative duties, including always keeping HR records and system up to date.

Regulatory Compliance and Market Awareness

• Stay informed of regulatory developments, including changes to the Solicitors Qualification Examination (SQE) and ensure we remain compliant.
• Provide leadership and oversight for the new Business Services Apprentice Programme ensuring their maintenance and success.
• Conduct and analyse exit interviews for departing Early Career Professionals, identifying trends and areas for improvement.

Required Experience, Skills, and Attributes

• Experience in early careers development, professional development or HR within a legal, professional services or similar environment.
• Knowledge of employment law and practical handling of employee relations issues.
• Knowledge of regulatory frameworks related to early career professionals.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, deadline driven environment.
• Strong rapport-building and relationship management with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.
• Strong facilitation and coaching skills with a focus on developing early career professionals.
• Proficiency in MS Office, particularly Word and Excel with the ability to produce high quality reports and analysis.
• Commercially focused with an understanding of how early careers programmes contribute to broader talent and business objectives.
• High attention to detail, a commitment to high-quality standards and a proactive, solutions focused approach.
• Proactive in seeking continuous improvement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to lead presentations and training sessions.
• Ability and willingness to travel throughout the UK & Ireland for in-house and external events.

Firm Profile

Across more than 80 countries, Dentons helps you grow, protect, operate and finance your organisation by providing uniquely global and deeply local legal solutions. Polycentric, purpose-driven and committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and sustainability, we focus on what matters most to you. www.dentons.com

Inclusion and Diversity

We are committed to building an inclusive culture here at Dentons where our people can thrive, regardless of their background or circumstance. As well as being the right thing to do, it makes good business sense too. A richness of backgrounds, experiences and perspectives helps us best serve our clients and the communities in which we operate. You can find out more about inclusion and diversity at Dentons here: Inclusion and Diversity.

Equal Opportunities

Dentons is committed to providing equal opportunities for all. We welcome applications from everyone including of any age, ethnicity, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, neurodiversity, disability, or with parental or caring responsibilities. We also offer flexible working hours.

During the application process, all applicants have the opportunity to tell us about any adjustments or support they require so they are able to perform at their best. Any information you share with us during the application process is treated in confidence.

If you have any questions about this or the role criteria, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com.

NO AGENCIES PLEASE

If you are interested in applying for this position, we welcome direct applications via our careers page, but if you have any questions beforehand, please email recruitment.matters@dentons.com. Enquiries only please - applications will not be accepted via email.

Please note that we will not accept unsolicited CVs sent to the business, nor will we accept any associated terms of business.