Graduate Recruitment Consultant

Graduate Recruitment Consultant | Legal Sector | London

Location: Liverpool Street, London — 5 days/week in office

Salary: £27,000 base + commission (Year 1 OTE £40,000)

Start Date: 29th June 2026 (not flexible)

The Opportunity

Specialist executive recruitment is one of the most dynamic, challenging and lucrative sectors that an ambitious graduate can launch their career within.

There is no prior sector knowledge require as all skills and process is taught on the job by the high performing team and dedicated learning and development function. What you need to succeed is to be: Ambitious, polished, intellectually curious, have incredible work ethic and a hunger to learn fast and develop quickly.

The business

My client is a fast-growth, specialist legal recruitment firm operating at the very top of the global legal market. They work with Magic Circle law firms, leading in-house legal teams, and international private practice firms across the UK, US, and Europe — placing senior professionals into roles that define careers and shape organisations.

They are growing their Graduate Academy and have a small number of places available for an exceptionally talented cohort starting on 29th June 2026. This is a rare chance to enter one of the most lucrative and intellectually demanding sectors in global recruitment — inside a firm that takes graduate development seriously.

You will sit alongside some of London's highest-billing recruitment professionals — consultants billing well over £1 million per year, with the firm's top biller at £2.3 million annually. From day one, you learn by osmosis, proximity, and doing.

The Role

This is a full 360° recruitment consultant position covering the complete executive search lifecycle: market mapping, candidate identification and engagement, business development, client relationship management, and end-to-end deal execution.

You will begin as a 180° Consultant, focusing on candidate work and supporting live mandates for senior members of the team. Once you have contributed to three completed deals, you will be promoted to a full 360° Recruitment Consultant and begin originating your own client relationships.

Approximately 80% of work is contingent and 20% retained — a candidate-led market where relationship quality and speed set the best consultants apart.

Successful candidates will be matched to one of the following specialist desks based on strengths identified through the interview process:

• US Desk
• In-House Legal
• Benelux Division
• German Division

Training & Development

My client invests heavily in the development of their graduate consultants. From the moment you join, you enter a structured training programme that blends:

• On-desk learning — working live from week one, on the phone with candidates against real mandates for senior members of the team
• Classroom sessions — structured theoretical training delivered by an experienced L&D team
• One-to-one coaching — tailored guidance to accelerate your development

There is no lengthy observation period. You will be trusted with real work, real candidates, and real impact from your very first week.

Key Responsibilities

• Supporting live executive search mandates across senior leadership hires in the legal sector
• Engaging and building relationships with passive, highly senior candidates
• Conducting detailed market mapping and research to identify top-tier talent
• Supporting business development activity across existing and new client accounts
• Assisting in negotiation and end-to-end deal management
• Participating in client presentations, pitches, and candidate briefings
• Developing deep market knowledge to engage confidently with senior stakeholders
• Learning to originate and convert high-value search mandates

Working Hours

• European desks (In-House, Benelux, German): Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm
• US Desk: Mon–Wed 11am–8pm | Thu: 11am–8pm or 9am–6pm | Fri: 9am–4/5pm (early finish subject to team targets)

All desks benefit from an early Friday finish when weekly targets are met — a firm-wide norm that reflects the meritocratic culture.

What's On Offer

• £27,000 base salary + uncapped commission
• OTE £40,000–£60,000 in Year 1 | £80,000+ in Year 2 | £150,000+ in Year 3
• Fast-track, merit-based promotion structure with full transparency from day one
• A London office of ~35 people with a genuinely collaborative, high-performance culture
• Exposure to sophisticated international markets — Private Practice Law, In-House Legal, and more
• Monthly performance incentives
• Annual luxury holiday incentives
• Relocation support and international travel opportunities

Who They're Looking For

My client recruits very senior legal professionals on behalf of their clients — so they need consultants who can hold their own in those conversations from an early stage. This requires more than sales ability. It requires gravitas, polish, and intellectual curiosity.

The ideal candidate will have:

• The presence and professionalism to engage credibly with senior partners, GCs, and legal leaders
• Exceptional listening skills and the ability to spot patterns and distil complex information clearly
• Hunger, ambition, and a work ethic that doesn't need managing
• A competitive streak with a track record to prove it — in sport, academia, business, or all three
• Strong commercial awareness and a high level of both EQ and IQ
• A genuine desire to build something: a desk, a market, a career

A 2:1 degree or above is preferred but not essential. Prior sales, business development, marketing, or consulting experience is advantageous but not required.

You must be available to start in London on 29th June 2026. This date is fixed.

Interview Process

• Stage 1: Video screening call with the Head of In-House Talent Acquisition
• Stage 2: On-site meeting with the Managing Partner and managers from different divisions
• Stage 3: Final on-site meeting with further members of the leadership team

To apply or find out more, please apply via the advert or email [email protected] with the subject line, legal role.