Job description

We currently have an exciting opportunity for a Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Manager to join our London office on a permanent basis.  

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) is a strategic priority for Allen & Overy and the DE&I Team sit at the heart of the firm’s work in this area.  Our work covers culture change programmes, diverse talent development, advising affinity networks, collaborating with clients, internal and external communications and much more. We can’t do all of this by ourselves and we pride ourselves on being able to consult with, influence, educate and enable a wide range of stakeholders at all levels to ensure the widest possible reach for our work and the greatest potential for it to create change.

We have made significant and award winning progress in this field however we don’t claim to have all the answers. This is an exciting role for someone who has a passion and sound knowledge of DE&I and is willing to contribute their own thinking and ideas to continually grow and refine our work.  You must have ‘can do’ attitude and be able to work with autonomy or as part of a team as needed.  Good organisation, stakeholder management and interpersonal skills are essential.

Role and responsibilities

• Working with the Head of DE&I and other key stakeholders the DE&I Manager will:
• Design and deliver culture change programmes
• Manage rolling internal and external communications plans that support strategy
• Work with HR teams to ensure that employee lifecycle processes and development programmes support DE&I goals around recruitment and retention
• Support BD colleagues with client collaboration around DE&I
• Advise affinity networks and act as a liaison between them
• Develop and manage relationships with external stakeholders
• Manage external benchmarking processes

In the short to medium term it is anticipated that a significant part of the DE&I team’s work will focus on project and integration work related to the merger of Allen & Overy with Shearman & Sterling

Key requirements

• A passion for and good knowledge of DE&I
• Confidence in working with data
• Excellent attention to detail, prioritisation and organisational skills
• Excellent communication (verbal and written) and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence at all levels
• Excellent project management skills
• Ability to exercise judgement when working under pressure
• Ability to be flexible and work across a wide range of client groups
• Collaborative team player
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills, especially PowerPoint and Excel

Should you require additional support at any stage of the recruitment process due to a disability or a health condition, please do not hesitate to contact a member of Allen & Overy’s recruitment team who will work with you to provide any reasonable adjustments as required.

We are an equal opportunities recruiter and do not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or any other protected characteristic.

At Allen & Overy, we recognise that our people are our most valuable asset, which is reflected in the wide range of benefits that are available to our employees. Some of these benefits include: our occupational pension scheme, group income protection cover, private medical insurance, mental health resources and free apps, health and wellbeing services encompassing an onsite gym, wellbeing centre and GP service, emergency back-up care support, parental and special leave, holiday entitlement increasing with length of service, holiday trading, season ticket loans and online discounts and lifestyle management services.

Allen & Overy recognises the value of flexible working and embraces hybrid working, allowing our people to work from home up to 40% of their working time. We do however remain committed to working together in person for the remaining 60% of time so that we can learn, grow and succeed together. If you would like additional flexibility we will of course consider this in line with business needs.

Allen & Overy is a leading global law firm operating in over thirty countries. We work on some of the most challenging and important deals and have built a reputation for delivering exceptional legal solutions that help our clients grow, innovate and thrive. The legal industry is changing, and we're committed to leading that change, putting our people first, embracing new ways of thinking and integrating technology into our everyday work. Our business teams work hand-in-hand with our lawyers, Consultants and other specialist teams, and are ambitious, driven and leaders in their field.

With us, you will constantly be learning and growing. We invest in you by offering exceptional professional and personal development – providing training, mentoring and practical support. We offer rewarding careers that are built around your strengths and designed to ensure you can achieve your personal and professional goals, recognising that those may look different for everyone.

We have a powerful commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We’re determined to play our part in advancing a workplace where progress is made by harnessing our differences – whatever defines you, we ask you to bring your whole self to work.

What truly defines a career at Allen & Overy? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. We provide challenge, support and a place for you to belong. And together we excel, working on meaningful projects of global significance.