National Manager, Talent Acquisition

at  Gowling WLG

ABOUT GOWLING WLG

At Gowling WLG, our dedication to excellence and quality service begins with our people. As a global law firm with offices across Canada, the U.K., Europe, the Middle East and Asia, we pride ourselves on sourcing and retaining top talent who bring energy, passion and commitment to the delivery of outstanding client service.
Employee satisfaction is important to us. We work hard to ensure that our people are motivated, engaged and empowered. We are guided by our firm’s Core Values - The Power of Teamwork, Always Striving to be Better, We all Bring Something Different - in all that we do.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are an integral part of our firm’s core values. We are always striving to build a more equitable, engaging and rewarding workplace by attracting and retaining talented people from a diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. Our aim is to help everyone reach their full potential and achieve their personal and professional goals.
Our diverse group of legal professionals, law students, law clerks, paralegals, legal administrative assistants and business services team members work together, and are respected and valued for their individual contributions.

QUALIFICATIONS

• A minimum of 5 years of proven experience in a senior talent acquisition leadership role.
• A minimum of 5 years’ experience in effectively leading teams and inspiring others to achieve goals, with the ability to mentor and develop an engaged team.
• Experience influencing cross-functional teams and driving programs/projects against KPIs through to completion.
• Demonstrated ability and experience as a true Talent Partner at all levels of the business and externally.
• Experience with applicant tracking systems (ATS) and other relevant HR technologies.
• Significant experience in developing and scaling recruitment sourcing strategies.
• Demonstrated experience managing full-cycle recruiting and employer branding initiatives.
• Strong understanding of recruitment best practices, employment laws, and market trends.
• Knowledge of strategic planning and program delivery principles and best practices.
• Professional Services experience a strong asset but diverse industry experience is equally sought after.
• Bilingual English/French is a strong asset.
• Excellent leadership and team management skills with the ability to build high performing teams.
• Effective interpersonal, communication and leadership skills in order to influence operational changes and maximize adoption of new ideas, tools and practices.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, including presentation skills and the ability to lead group discussions.
• Strong organizational skills and judgement with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple deadlines and priorities.
• Strong internal service mindset coupled with a passionate goal to provide an excellent candidate experience reflective of the culture of our firm.
• Ability to think out of the box to reach broad networks and attract diverse candidates.
• Strong project management skills.
  Gowling WLG employees benefit from a hybrid work environment.
  Not sure if you meet all the requirements? If you are excited about this opportunity but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles.
  Gowling WLG is dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation at any time during the recruitment process, please let us know.
  While we appreciate all applications received, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted

• Develop, implement and execute the overall talent acquisition strategy aligned with the firm’s strategic plan and business objectives.
• In partnership with office HR and Legal Talent teams, establish, lead and execute a recruitment strategy and a proactive approach to building an effective talent pipeline to support the growth of the firm in key areas across both legal and business services’ team positions.
• Key voice in the design and execution of a firm employment branding strategy, anchored in the firm’s core values.
• Build strong action plans to position the firm as an employer of choice both within and outside of the legal sector.
• Benchmark and provide innovative candidate sourcing strategies by leveraging available trends, tools and best practices both within and outside of the legal sector.
• Consult with various department leads to provide proactive and strategic guidance and support for organizational planning of future talent acquisition initiatives.
• Year one deliverable is to build and maintain a high-performing talent acquisition team that is service oriented towards our internal clients.
• Provide guidance on recruitment best practices, performance metrics, and professional development.
• Oversee the development and facilitation of in-house training workshops related to talent acquisition in close partnership with our Head of Learning & Development.
• Identify and communicate the actions needed to implement the firm’s talent acquisition strategy across all 7 Canadian offices.
• Develop, maintain and communicate a robust talent acquisition dashboard inclusive of modern, innovate KPI’s.
• In partnership with our Head of DEI, support the organization’s diversity and inclusion objectives through targeted partnerships and by overseeing program design, implementation, and program management to attract diverse candidates.
• Lead standardization activities to ensure that the firm’s assessment tools meet internal quality standards and, relevant, legal requirements and make recommendations for continuous improvement.
• Research and communicate market trends and best practices that support effective talent strategies, contributing to the team’s ability to make data and insights-driven decisions.