Legal Recruiter

£25000-£50000 doe plus uncapped commission

Happy to consider remote working for experienced Legal 360 recruiters, with the expectation that they attend the Colchester, Essex office once a month.

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.

Person Specification / Skills & Experience

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.

Legal Recruiter in Colchester, up to £50k doe plus uncapped commission, must drive due to location.