Senior Recruitment Consultant - Legal

Your new role

We're looking for a Senior Recruitment Consultant to join our Legal division in Dubai, focusing on the in-house legal market across the UAE and wider Gulf region.

This is an exciting opportunity for an experienced recruitment professional or someone with a legal background who understands the legal profession and is passionate about building relationships, developing business, and connecting exceptional legal talent with leading organisations.

You'll be empowered to succeed by supportive leaders who encourage curiosity, collaboration, and bold thinking. With access to market-leading tools, high-calibre clients, and a collaborative culture, you'll be trusted to take ownership of your market and build a successful specialist desk.

What You'll be Doing

• Develop and manage a specialist recruitment desk focused on in-house legal roles across the UAE and wider Gulf region
• Grow existing client relationships while identifying and converting new business opportunities across the in-house market
• Build and maintain a strong network of legal professionals with corporate and in-house experience
• Provide clients and candidates with relevant market insights, including talent availability, salary trends and hiring activity
• Collaborate with colleagues across the business to share market knowledge, generate leads and achieve team goals
• Represent clients effectively in the market and communicate each opportunity clearly and professionally
• Present well-qualified shortlists supported by clear candidate assessments and market feedback
• Prepare client updates covering search progress, market response, compensation data and hiring challenges
• Stay informed about developments affecting the in-house legal market and use these insights to advise clients and candidates
• Contribute to pitches, proposals and wider business development activities for the Legal division

What We're Looking For

Here, a growth mindset is essential. It's not just about who you are today, but who you want to become.

You'll thrive in this role if you understand the legal market, enjoy building long-term relationships, and are motivated by developing business and delivering an exceptional recruitment experience.

You will have:

• Experience gained within a recruitment agency, executive search firm, or professional services environment, ideally with exposure to the legal sector.
• A background in legal practice or legal functions, such as a solicitor, legal counsel, paralegal, legal assistant, or in-house legal professional.
• A recognised legal qualification or relevant legal education such as an LLB, JD, LPC, SQE, Bar qualification, or international equivalent.
• Strong understanding of the legal market, including law firms, in-house legal functions, and the key stakeholders and roles that operate within them.
• Proven business development skills and the confidence to engage with senior decision-makers.
• A mature, credible and consultative approach, with the confidence to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills.
• A proactive and commercially minded approach, with the ability to take ownership and deliver results.
• The agility to work effectively in a fast-paced, target-driven environment.
• A collaborative mindset and commitment to delivering a high-quality service to clients and candidates.

What you'll get in return

At Hays, we believe personal growth drives professional success. You'll join a business where you're encouraged to be yourself, supported to develop your career, and empowered to make an impact.

You'll receive:

• Monthly uncapped commission
• Clear career progression opportunities
• Hybrid and flexible working
• Monthly wellbeing initiatives
• Weekly prizes and incentives
• Ongoing support, development, and learning opportunities
• Relocation support available for suitable international candidates

Open to International Talent

We welcome applications from candidates currently based in the UAE as well as overseas professionals who are open to relocating to Dubai. Whether your background is in recruitment, executive search, legal practice, in-house legal, or professional services, we'd love to hear from you.

What you need to do now

If you're driven, curious and ready to go further in your career than you thought possible, this is the place to be. At Hays, you'll be part of a forward‑thinking organisation shaping the future of the world of work - and owning your part in that journey.