Sr. Manager​/Director of Lateral Partner

Position: Sr. Manager / Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting
Join Goodwin’s Global Operations Team, and make a real impact on a global scale. At Goodwin, we work with some of the world’s most successful and innovative investors, entrepreneurs and disruptors in the life sciences, private equity, real estate, technology and financial industries, and where they converge. As part of the Global Operations Team – all business professionals at the firm – you’ll collaborate with colleagues from varied backgrounds and experiences, fostering an environment where cross-functional learning, networking, and collaboration are at the core of what we do.

Here, we’re not just supporting a law firm; we’re partnering with attorneys and clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions in high-stakes litigation and dispute resolution, world-class regulatory compliance and advisory services, and complex transactions.

Our commitment to integrity, ingenuity, agility, and ambition drives us, and we’re proud to have been recognised as the “Best Business Team” by The American Lawyer.

This is your opportunity to grow professionally in a dynamic, global environment, surrounded by forward-thinking peers.

The Senior Manager / Director of Lateral Partner Recruiting ("Manager") supports the firm's lateral partner recruiting efforts by managing the day-to-day execution of assigned searches and related projects. Reporting to the Managing Director, Partner Recruiting, the Manager works with industry and practice leaders, the partner recruiting team, and cross-functional partners to organize search activity, conduct market research, coordinate candidate activity, and keep each search moving against agreed priorities and timelines.

The Manager handles multiple searches at different stages, maintains accurate records and reporting, prepares analysis and recruiting materials, coordinates internal review and diligence, and delivers a responsive candidate and stakeholder experience. This role requires strong recruiting judgment, detailed project management, clear communication, careful handling of confidential information, and the ability to identify and escalate issues promptly.

What You Will Do:

Partner with the Managing Director and other recruiting leaders to confirm the scope, candidate criteria, stakeholders, and timeline for each assigned search; translate those priorities into practical workplans, clear ownership, and defined next steps.

Manage the day-to-day execution of assigned lateral partner searches from launch through onboarding, coordinating sourcing, interviews, feedback, diligence, approvals, offer support, transition planning, and handoffs while tracking deadlines and escalating decisions or risks as needed.

Conduct market research and mapping across relevant firms, practices, geographies, clients, and candidate profiles; monitor partner moves, compensation, and competitive developments and use those insights to build and regularly refresh accurate, diverse target lists and pipelines.

Review prospective candidates against agreed criteria and prepare clear summaries of their experience, business profile, strategic fit, strengths, open questions, and potential concerns; gather and organize supporting information for business cases, committee memoranda, financial summaries, and presentations.

Develop and maintain tailored recruiting messages, search briefs, candidate presentations, sector materials, and other content that clearly communicates the firm’s value proposition, practice strengths, growth opportunities, culture, and platform.

Coordinate with practice management, client development, finance, conflicts, integration, and other teams to collect required information, manage dependencies, follow up on outstanding items, and flag delays or issues.

Manage candidate communications,…