Human Resources Manager

Job ID: 8735 Updated: Mar 25, 2026 Location: New York, NY, United States Category: Talent

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About Kirkland & Ellis At Kirkland & Ellis, we dont just meet the standard for legal excellence - we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 23 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward.

What Youll Do Are you a strategic HR leader who thrives on balancing big-picture thinking with hands-on execution in a fast-paced professional services environment? As a Human Resources Manager, you will deliver both strategic leadership and day-to-day HR support aligned with the Firms business objectives across the New York and Boston offices. Serving as a trusted advisor to office leadership, youll partner closely with firmwide Talent leaders and Centers of Excellence to drive impactful people strategies.

This role spans the full employee lifecycle, with a strong emphasis on employee relations, talent development, and organizational effectiveness. Youll play a critical role in attracting, developing and retaining top talent while continuously improving how HR work is delivered through innovation, automation, and process optimization.

What Youll Do

• Employee Relations & Performance Support: Serve as the primary HR contact for attorneys and staff, addressing employee relations matters, including investigations, and guiding performance management processes.
• Employee Lifecycle Management: Oversee onboarding, orientation, offboarding, and employee transitions, including coordination of leaves of absence and other milestones.
• Business Partnership & Advisory: Act as a trusted advisor to office leadership and senior Talent stakeholders, supporting organizational design, change management, and workforce planning, partnering with Talent Acquisition to support evolving workforce needs.
• Process Improvement & Innovation: Identify opportunities to streamline workflows, leverage automation and AI tools, and enhance HR service delivery to focus on higher-value strategic work.
• Internship Program Oversight: Manage the local execution of undergraduate and high school internship programs, ensuring meaningful and engaging learning experiences.
• Engagement & Wellness Initiatives: Drive employee engagement and wellness programs that foster a positive and productive workplace culture.

What Youll Bring

• Bachelors degree required; Professional in Human Resources (PHR) or Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) certification preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive human resources experience, including significant employee relations expertise, ideally within a professional services environment.
• Demonstrated success managing all stages of the employee lifecycle, with strengths in employee relations, talent management, and change management.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities with strong attention to detail, organization, and follow-through.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a proven ability to build trust and collaborate across all levels.
• Professionalism and sound judgment in handling sensitive, complex, or urgent situations in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, solutions-oriented approach with strong critical thinking capabilities.
• Experience with Microsoft Office Suite and familiarity with legal or professional services technologies.
• Willingness to work outside standard business hours as needed.

If youre ready to shape talent strategy, drive meaningful employee experiences, and elevate HR impact through innovation and partnership, wed love to hear from you.

Compensation The base salary range below represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position in New York. This range may differ based on your geographic location and cost of living considerations. At Kirkland & Ellis, we consider compensation more than just a base salary. We offer an exceptional range of flexible benefits including comprehensive healthcare, paid time off, and retirement. We also offer personal support and tailored learning and development opportunities all designed to help you realize your full potential both in life and at work.

Compensation Range: New York: $140,000 - $175,000

How to Apply Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now."

Dont meet every job requirement? Thats okay! If youre excited about this role but your experience doesnt perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland.

Equal Employment Opportunity All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employees race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

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