Early Careers Advisor

DWF; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A global legal business is looking for a Recruitment Specialist in Manchester to drive talent attraction strategies for their trainee and apprentice programs. This role involves managing relationships with educational institutions, coordinating recruitment campaigns, and ensuring a high-quality candidate experience. Candidates should have strong organisational and communication skills and an understanding of GDPR compliance. The company values diversity and offers an inclusive work environment.

Benefits

Inclusive work environment

Support for candidates needing adjustments

Qualifications

• Knowledge of structured recruitment and selection processes.
• Considerable organisational and administrative skills.
• Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Understanding of GDPR and data privacy requirements.

Responsibilities

• Design and deliver recruitment attraction strategies.
• Build relationships with universities and external partners.
• Coordinate recruitment campaigns including advertising and selection activities.
• Screen applications and coordinate interview scheduling.
• Maintain effective candidate communication throughout the recruitment process.

Skills

Organisational skills

Communication skills

Relationship-building

Attention to detail

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Tools

Shortlister

TopScore

AllHires

RealRating

Job description

Why join us?

At DWF, we’re committed to creating an inspiring early careers experience that helps future talent grow, achieve and thrive. You’ll join a supportive, people‑focused team that is passionate about delivering meaningful development opportunities, enhancing our employer brand, and shaping the next generation of talent across the business. This is a role where you’ll make a real impact, strengthening attraction pipelines, elevating candidate experience, and contributing to the ongoing success of our global people strategy.

Responsibilities

You will design and deliver engaging attraction strategies to draw high‑quality candidates into our trainee and apprentice pipelines. This includes building considerable relationships with universities, colleges, and external partners to position DWF as an employer of choice. You’ll organise and facilitate online and in‑person attraction and selection activities throughout the year, while coordinating recruitment campaigns including advertising, social media engagement, and careers event participation.

You will also support the full recruitment lifecycle by screening applications, coordinating interview scheduling, maintaining effective communication with candidates, and ensuring our processes consistently deliver a best‑in‑class experience.

You’ll also work closely with our Trainee and Apprentice Specialists to provide seamless administrative and operational support, assisting with onboarding, induction activities, and acting as the primary contact for our pre‑joiner population. You will lead on data management across our CRM and recruitment platforms (Shortlister, TopScore, AllHires and RealRating), ensuring accurate reporting and GDPR‑compliant record keeping.

The role also involves being a trusted point of contact for candidates, hiring managers and external partners. You’ll collaborate with internal teams to align recruitment activity to business needs, develop relationships with location heads, and support the firm’s D&I initiatives particularly those connected to early careers.

What will help you succeed in this role?

Essential

• Knowledge of structured recruitment and selection processes (e.g. application screening, video interviews, in‑person assessment).
• Considerable organisational and administrative skills with excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent communication and relationship‑building skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast‑paced environment across different locations (in person and hybrid).
• Understanding of data privacy and compliance requirements (e.g. GDPR).
• Previous experience within recruitment or early careers programmes.

Desirable

• Experience using recruitment or CRM systems such as Shortlister, TopScore, AllHires or RealRating.

What we offer?

We are committed to ensuring that each member of our team feels valued and duly rewarded during their time at DWF.

We are an equal opportunities employer that celebrates diversity and we are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all. We aim to create a positive experience for all candidates and offer any adjustments or additional support needed. If you're excited about the opportunity but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with all the requirements, please apply anyway. You may be the right candidate for the role or others across the wider team.

About us

DWF is a global legal business providing Complex, Managed and Connected Services. We empower people to be themselves within an inclusive and supportive environment, enabling everyone to achieve their full potential in line with their abilities and career aspirations.

#LI-Hybrid