The Opportunity
Madden Talent Partners is partnering with Major, Lindsey & Africa, the world’s leading legal executive search firm, to recruit two Directors of Candidate Development—one in New York City and one in Los Angeles.
This is an opportunity to build a meaningful and highly lucrative career within sophisticated legal recruitment. The Director will identify, engage and develop relationships with experienced attorneys and legal professionals for complex interim assignments with leading corporations and law firms.
The role is focused on candidate development and recruiting—not traditional full-desk business development. You will work closely with MLA’s established client-facing leaders, benefit from the firm’s extensive legal network and receive hands-on training and support from highly experienced colleagues.
For someone who loves recruiting, relationship building and learning complex markets, this is a chance to join a premier global platform with significant earning potential and a clear long-term career path.
About Major, Lindsey & Africa
Major, Lindsey & Africa is an Allegis Group company and one of the most established and respected names in legal talent and executive search. Founded in 1982, MLA now operates from 27 offices worldwide and serves Fortune 500 companies, leading law firms, higher education institutions and government organizations.
Its Interim Legal Talent practice provides law firms and corporate legal departments with experienced legal and compliance professionals for project-based, interim and consulting assignments. The practice completed 440 interim starts in 2024 and is supported by more than 50 dedicated interim recruiters globally.
MLA combines the resources, market access and credibility of a global organization with an entrepreneurial, relationship-driven culture. Its recruiters are trusted advisors who develop long-term relationships with candidates throughout their careers.
What You Will Do
- Source and engage experienced attorneys, compliance professionals and other specialized legal talent
- Build long-term relationships with candidates beyond an individual search or placement
- Develop targeted sourcing strategies and map specialized legal talent markets
- Assess candidates’ experience, credentials, motivations and alignment with complex client requirements
- Prepare and present qualified candidates to MLA’s client-facing leaders
- Guide candidates through interviews, compensation discussions, onboarding and placement
- Maintain regular contact with consultants throughout their assignments
- Partner closely with Managing Directors and other recruiters to deliver an excellent candidate and client experience
- Develop an understanding of legal practice areas and the business needs driving each search
- Maintain accurate candidate, placement and compliance information within MLA’s recruiting systems
- Represent MLA at relevant networking events and within the local professional community
What We Are Looking For
MLA is open to several transferable backgrounds, including:
- Approximately one to three years of recruiting or sourcing experience within legal, technology, finance, life sciences or another specialized talent market
- Legal recruiting experience combined with broader recruiting or candidate-development experience
- An early-career attorney interested in transitioning from legal practice into a relationship-driven recruiting career
- Experience engaging passive candidates and building specialized talent pipelines
- Strong communication skills and the presence to work with accomplished attorneys and sophisticated business leaders
- Intellectual curiosity and the ability to learn complex practice areas and candidate profiles
- A proactive, organized and responsive working style
- Comfort operating in a fast-paced, performance-oriented environment
- A genuine interest in relationship building and helping professionals navigate important career decisions
- The maturity, energy and judgment to represent MLA in the market
Prior legal recruiting experience is valuable but not required. MLA is particularly interested in sharp recruiters who have demonstrated that they can learn specialized markets, communicate credibly and build trust with candidates.
Why Join MLA?
- Join one of the most recognized and respected brands in legal search
- Work on sophisticated interim searches with leading corporations and law firms
- Learn from experienced recruiters and legal-market professionals
- Access an established global candidate and client network
- Build a long-term career within recruiting without being required to transition into sales
- Benefit from a collaborative team and significant institutional resources
- Develop visibility and relationships within the New York or Los Angeles legal community
- Participate in a performance-based compensation model with uncapped earning potential
- Grow within MLA as your expertise, network and production develop
Location and Work Model
The role is available in:
- New York City
- Los Angeles
Candidates should be based within commuting distance of the relevant MLA office and comfortable working in a hybrid environment, including regular in-person collaboration, team meetings and local networking activities.
