Early Career Development Program Manager

Sidley Austin LLP is seeking an innovative and strategic Early Career Development Program Manager to build and lead a comprehensive campus recruitment program and talent development initiative aimed at identifying, developing and growing emerging talent into our Business Professional Business Unit. Based in Chicago, this role will focus on developing and implementing a career development program focused on sourcing, recruiting, and developing early career talent into Finance and Accounting, specifically piloting in our Billing department, to ensure long-term talent succession in our growing firm. The ideal candidate will be passionate about, and have exhibited experience developing university relationships to source talent, will create a full scale talent development program to orient, assimilate and coach talent through introduction to professional services and expertly partner with Finance leadership to curate a meaningful training and professional development program aiming to build a pipeline of talent to sustain superior service delivery and value to our professional services environment.

Campus Recruitment Program Development & Execution:

Design, launch, and execute a campus recruitment strategy targeting top talent from colleges and universities with a focus on accounting and finance programs.
• Develop relationships with university career centers, professors, and student organizations to build a strong pipeline of candidates for Sidley's Billing Function.
• Organize and participate in campus recruitment events, job fairs, internship programs, and networking activities to engage students early in their careers.
• Identify key universities and programs for ongoing talent acquisition, ensuring alignment with firm needs and values. Partner with Sidley's Legal Recruiting team to leverage existing university relationships and EVP to expand to our Business Professionals function

Early Career Development Program:

• Design and manage an Early Career Development Program focused on nurturing the professional growth of new hires in Billing, ensuring they have the tools, mentorship, and exposure to succeed within Sidley's Finance & Accounting team.
• Create structured learning paths for early career talent, integrating training in finance, accounting principles, billing systems, and law firm operations.
• Implement regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and skill-building workshops to support career growth and retention.
• Partner with senior billing leaders and the Human Resources team to ensure the program is aligned with Sidley's broader talent development strategy.

Talent Pipeline Strategy:

• Build a sustainable pipeline of early-career finance and accounting professionals for the Billing Function by working closely with the firm's hiring managers to understand current and future talent needs.
• Create and communicate a clear value proposition for developing a career in Billing at Sidley, emphasizing the opportunities for growth, development, and impact within a prestigious law firm.
• Support talent retention through a combination of competitive development opportunities, mentoring programs, and career progression pathways within Sidley.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Management:

• Work cross-functionally with Human Resources, the Finance team, and the Learning and Development team to ensure the recruitment and development programs are aligned with firm-wide initiatives and business goals.
• Partner with senior leadership to ensure the Billing Function's needs are met with top-tier talent and that the program fosters an inclusive environment.
• Leverage insights and data to refine the recruitment and development strategies over time, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with business priorities.

Branding & Marketing:

• Lead efforts to promote Sidley's Billing Function to college students, highlighting the unique opportunities available for early career professionals in a prestigious law firm environment.
• Develop and partner with the Marketing function to create compelling content (e.g., brochures, social media posts, presentations) to attract top talent and build Sidley's brand as an employer of choice within the business professional space, initially within the finance and accounting sectors.

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.

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

Education and/or Experience:

Required:

• Bachelor's degree
• 5+ years of experience in early career recruitment, talent development, or human resources, ideally supporting a finance or accounting-focused function.
• Strong understanding of the Finance and Accounting industry, with particular agility to learn functional requirements of billing processes in professional services to inform selection and development needs.
• Proven experience developing and executing campus recruitment strategies and talent development programs or other HR program management or Operations experience. Must have operational lens to standardize processes and program management execution.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, managing multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Passion for developing early-career talent and creating lasting relationships with universities, students, and internal stakeholders.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite and HR/talent management software.

Other Skills and Abilities:

The following will also be required of the successful candidate:

• 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.