Legal Recruiter (Contract)
$124,800–$156,000 year
On-siteCosta Mesa, California, United States
Job Summary
Conduct in-depth interviews and competency assessments for legal counsel, contracts managers, trade compliance leaders, and federal proposal candidates while maintaining high interview-to-offer ratios. Target and engage passive legal talent through LinkedIn Recruiter, Boolean strings, referrals, and specialized networks to drive a diverse pipeline. Partner with Legal Leadership to define role requirements, craft value propositions, and articulate the company's business model to top-tier candidates. Manage the full recruiting lifecycle from initial outreach to offer acceptance, reporting transparently on pipeline progress and market conditions. This six-month contract role requires 5+ years of direct recruiting experience in legal, regulatory, and defense sectors, including familiarity with federal security clearances and GovCon lifecycles. Candidates must be U.S. persons due to export control requirements.
Required Qualifications
- 5+ years of direct, full-cycle recruiting experience specifically focused on legal and regulatory roles, including corporate counsel, trade compliance (ITAR/EAR), commercial real estate, cybersecurity law, and government/defense contract management roles
- Proven experience conducting thorough competency assessments and evaluating legal capabilities (e.g., contract drafting, regulatory risk mitigation, intellectual property, GovCon procurement regulations) against technical and cultural requirements
- Experience managing strategic stakeholder relationships, particularly with general counsel, proposal and capture teams, driving strategic recruiting efforts based on business needs, profile calibration, and providing transparent pipeline progress via reporting
- Experience acting in a consultative manner, where your guidance on market conditions, talent availability, and candidate expectations has led to improved outcomes and a positive candidate experience within the defense-legal space
- Clear and effective communication with legal candidates to understand motivation, drivers, and cultural fit within a fast-paced, high-impact organization
- Experience managing various funnels of legal candidates and keeping track of their progress throughout the recruitment process using an ATS (e.g., Greenhouse)
- Highly autonomous but highly collaborative, thriving in a dynamic, high-growth environment
- Must be a U.S. Person due to required access to U.S. export controlled information or facilities
Desired Qualifications
- Experience recruiting within the defense technology, aerospace, or federal government contracting (GovCon) sectors, including a familiarity with federal proposal/capture lifecycles or defense contract management
- Familiarity with the national security arena, including an understanding of federal security clearance lifecycles (Secret, TS/SCI) and how they impact candidate timelines
- Experience recruiting for senior to leadership-level legal roles (e.g., corporate counsel or senior attorneys from top tier law firms, specialized boutique firms, or sophisticated corporate legal departments)
- A strong network within the defense-contracting (NCMA), legal (ACC/ABA), or federal proposal (APMP) communities
- Multiple years of experience working at an agency or fast-paced startup environment, particularly one with a strong product or engineering culture
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