Career Services Manager

Manager, Career Services

The Manager, Career Services plays a central role in advancing Sidley's Career Services program, which supports lawyers, alumni, clients and friends of the firm in identifying and pursuing career transitions. Reporting to the Associate Director, Career Services, the Manager combines direct candidate advising with program development and operational oversight. This includes providing personalized support to program participants, designing events and communications, and overseeing the firm's in-house opportunities database and the work of the Technology Analyst. The Manager ensures that the Career Services program delivers a high-quality experience, maintains operational excellence, and aligns with the firm's broader strategic priorities.

Duties and Responsibilities

Candidate Advising & Support

• Conducts intake and follow-up meetings with candidates, providing guidance on in-house career paths, job-search strategies, and Sidley's careers services offerings.
• Facilitates opportunity matching, introductions, and curated job reports, leveraging firm data and networks, with discretion and sensitivity.
• Develops relationships with alumni, recruiters, and strategic contacts to proactively identify job opportunities.
• Tracks candidate progress and gathers feedback to refine program offerings.
• Provides guidance on resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn profiles, and interview preparation.

Program Development & Communications

• Supports efforts to promote the program and job board as a resource for internal and external stakeholders.
• Designs and delivers career-focused events, workshops, and webinars to engage candidates and enhance preparedness.
• Develops and manages newsletters, intranet pages, and alumni portal content to promote opportunities and showcase program successes.
• Collaborates with Marketing/BD, Alumni Relations, and Learning & Development to integrate career services programming into broader firm initiatives.

Database & Technology Oversight

• Oversees the in-house opportunities database, ensuring accuracy, integrity, and user-friendliness.
• Supervises the Technology Analyst responsible for daily system management, workflows, and data entry.
• Establishes standards for data hygiene, reporting, and user support, and partners with IT and marketing technology teams on system enhancements.
• Ensures compliance with data privacy policies across databases and platforms.
• Produces regular reports and dashboards to highlight trends and program outcomes.

Operational Management & Continuous Improvement

• Develops and documents standard processes for candidate intake, opportunity tracking, and program communications.
• Monitors program activity against established metrics and contributes to reporting for firm leadership.
• Collects feedback from candidates, stakeholders, and partners, recommending and implementing improvements.
• Supports cross-departmental collaboration to ensure Career Services integrates seamlessly with other firm resources.

Other Responsibilities

• Execute other tasks, duties, projects, and initiatives as needed and/or assigned

Salaries vary by location and are based on numerous factors, including, but not limited to, the relevant market, skills, experience, and education of the selected candidate. If an estimated salary range for this role is available, it will be provided in our Target Salary Range section. Our compensation package also includes bonus eligibility and a comprehensive benefits program. Benefits information can be found at Sidley.com/Benefits.

Target Salary Range

$130,000 - $172,000 if located in Illinois, New York, or Washington D.C.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the Duties and Responsibilities (Duties) above satisfactorily and meet the requirements below. The requirements listed below are representative of the minimum knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job. If you need such an accommodation, please email staffrecruiting@sidley.com (current employees should contact Human Resources).

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
• 5-7 years of career services experience
• Deep market knowledge and understanding of the business and legal landscape
• Excellent writing, proofreading, and critical thinking skills
• Strong communication skills and demonstrated ability to present to management and peers
• Experience working with sensitive or confidential information
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office and Outlook
• Experience working with databases and quality control of data entries
• Proficiency and aptitude with software applications and design tools for creating and formatting graphs, charts, and other visuals or the willingness and ability to learn

Preferred

• Experience working in a law firm or professional services environment
• Experience reviewing legal resumes and assisting in interview preparation
• Advanced degree in a related area, such as marketing, law, business, or communications
• Working knowledge of project management, customer relationship, pipeline, and experience management databases such as InterAction, Salesforce, and/or Foundation
• Familiarity with relevant company/market research tools

Other Skills and Abilities:

• Strong organizational skills
• Strong attention to detail
• Good judgment
• Strong interpersonal communication skills
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Able to work harmoniously and effectively with others
• Able to preserve confidentiality and exercise discretion
• Able to work under pressure
• Able to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines and priorities

Sidley Austin LLP is an Equal Opportunity Employer

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