Marten Law is seeking applicants for a Director of Human Resources and Talent Development to support its growing environmental and energy law practice in five offices: Seattle, Portland, Washington DC, and Boston. The person hired for this position must have prior law firm experience and be committed to finding, hiring, retaining and developing the most talented lawyers and staff in a successful and demanding law firm working on some of the largest environmental and energy projects in the country.
This position is based in Seattle, where the successful applicant will be a member of our Senior Staff and meet regularly with our Managing Partner, Chief Administrative Officer, and heads of technology, document management, hiring, and marketing. Lawyers and staff at our firm work in the office currently four days/week and we believe in-person work in the office is critical to our success. Therefore, successful applicants must have the ability to travel from Seattle to one or more of our other offices at least monthly.
To be successful, the person we hire into this position must demonstrate not only traditional human resource skills, but also the ability to manage and communicate with a highly motivated and credentialed group of diverse lawyers and staff. The members of our firm have high expectations of themselves and of the firm. They are in different age groups (24-70) and from diverse backgrounds but all share a history of academic and work success and passion for their work. Your job will include listening to and managing their needs to ensure a positive work environment—despite demanding workloads and the stress that comes with legal work and the high expectations of our clients.
The successful applicant will need to demonstrate from prior experience the ability to motivate employees to be their best selves. Required skills include the ability to: work with a sense of urgency under time pressure, manage multiple projects to different deadlines, and be responsive to the needs of both the Firm and its clients and vendors.
Firm Overview:
Marten enjoys a national reputation as a leader in environmental, energy, and natural resource law. Our team of lawyers includes recognized authorities in climate change, greentech, wind and solar development, air quality, water resources and water quality, fisheries, emerging contaminants, environmental review and permitting. We work throughout the United States on large-scale, complex and high value projects involving negotiations and litigation. Experience with, or interest in, these issues would be beneficial but is not required.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure all firm policies and the employee manual are current with all legal guidelines, and that HR policies are appropriate and competitive in the legal industry.
- Ensure employee awareness and understanding of all HR policies by owners and employees, and answer questions.
- Monitor internal compliance with HR policies and serve as a point of contact for employee concerns regarding compliance. Ensure all owners and employees comply with all policies and consistently apply them.
- Identify and assist with expansion of firm in size and geographic reach, in coordination with the Managing Partner and Chief Administrative Officer.
- Lead DEI efforts across the firm, including: trainings; events; policy reforms; managing involvement with national law firm organizational efforts to advance DEI; and ongoing, evolving efforts to attract individuals of diverse backgrounds to the firm and retain them
- Manage benefits programs, including annual renewal, ensuring benefits plans are competitive in the legal industry, and responding to employee questions.
- Manage the annual performance review cycle.
- Manage summer associates.
- Manage annual on-campus interviews at 8-10 top law schools across the country.
- Maintain employee records.
- Travel from Seattle to at least one other Marten Law offices monthly to work with employees in person.
- Support hiring efforts, including performing reference checks, background screening, interviewing, and coordinating interviews by lawyers.
- Manage on-boarding process: taking charge of day-one orientation and ongoing training as needed.
- Complete appropriate new-hire paperwork and establish benefits accounts.
Qualifications:
- Undergraduate degree, with preference for candidates who have demonstrated superior academic performance
- Prior law firm experience, preferably at an Am Law 100 or highly regarded boutique law firm, and preferably in a senior capacity
- Creativity, professionalism, and positive attitude
- Ability to listen, translate, and manage diverse work force expectations
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Excellent interaction skills with internal and external customers
- Exceptional attention to detail producing high quality work product
- Mastery of multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment
- Demonstrated desire to take initiative and learn by doing
- Microsoft Office Suite expertise
- Willingness and ability to travel at times to our offices outside Seattle
Hours & Benefits:
This is a full-time exempt position with a full benefits package that includes: medical/dental, PTO, 401k with employer contribution, life insurance, transportation subsidy program, and long-term and short-term disability policies. Office hours are M-F, 8:30 am – 5:00 pm, although it is typical for someone with this senior position to work outside office business hours.
We are currently in a hybrid work schedule, with employees required to be in the office at least four days a week, and the option to work remotely on Wednesdays. Salary commensurate with experience. Applicants must be able to pass a background check. AA/EOE.
Job Type: Full-time
Salary: $105,000 to $125,000 per year
Evaluation Materials:
For consideration as a candidate, please provide to William Ashby (bashby@martenlaw.com) an application packet including:
- Cover letter describing relevant experience
- Resume
- Professional writing sample
- Minimum of three professional references
- Academic transcript