Principal, Talent Strategy

Job Summary

Job Description

At K&L Gates, we are looking for smart, imaginative and hard-working people with diverse backgrounds, experiences and ideas to join us. Perhaps our search for talented visionaries and your search for important and impactful work lead to the same place.

Principal, Talent Strategy

Role Overview

This role is a senior individual contributor and strategy leader within the Talent Strategy vertical, serving as a core thought partner to the Director of Talent Strategy and broader HR leadership team.

The position owns the development of enterprise talent frameworks, workforce architecture, and program design across five interconnected pillars: talent strategy, performance and development, talent acquisition, HR operations, and operating model integration.

Unlike a traditional program or project role, this position is accountable for defining “what good looks like”—translating firm strategy into scalable models, frameworks, and tools that shape how talent is hired, developed, evaluated, and deployed globally.

This role operates with a high degree of autonomy and influence, partnering closely with HRLT, HRBPs, and functional leaders to ensure talent strategy is analytically grounded, market-informed, and operationally viable.

• Architect talent strategy frameworks aligned to firm priorities and economic model
• Translate strategy into actionable systems (models, playbooks, decision tools)
• Embed analytics and external benchmarking into all talent decisions
• Drive integration across talent strategy, acquisition, and HR operations
• Talent Strategy & Workforce Architecture (Primary Focus)
  
  

Owns Design And Evolution Of:

• Firmwide workforce architecture and talent segmentation models
• Associate-to-partner career journey framework, including progression milestones and alternative pathways
• Competency models and leadership behavior frameworks aligned to firm strategy
• Employer value proposition (EVP) and talent positioning strategy
  
  

Key Contributions:

• Develop forward-looking talent and leverage models tied to profitability and growth
• Lead external benchmarking across Am Law and professional services firms
• Translate CPO/HRLT priorities into quantitative and conceptual frameworks
• Performance Management & Talent Development
  
  

Leads Design Of:

• End-to-end performance management architecture (PDG frameworks, tools, and supporting materials)
• Promotion and advancement frameworks ensuring clarity, rigor, and consistency
• HiPo identification and succession planning models
  
  

Owns:

• Development of all core program collateral (guides, toolkits, training content, communications)
• Design of feedback, calibration, and development planning frameworks
• Talent Acquisition & Candidate Strategy
  
  

Shapes:

• Differentiated candidate experience strategy for allied professionals
• Employer branding and talent value proposition activation in recruiting
  
  

Leads:

• Market intelligence and sourcing strategy insights
• Analytical support for ATS selection and hiring strategy decisions
• HR Operations & Service Delivery
  
  

Partners To Design:

• Service delivery model and governance frameworks
• Core operational metrics and performance dashboards
  
  

Contributes To:

• HR operations playbook, including process standards and documentation frameworks
• Data-driven insights on service efficiency and effectiveness
• Operating Model Integration & Transformation
  
  

Plays a Central Role In:

• Integrating talent strategy, recruiting, and HR operations into a unified model
• Building data infrastructure and analytics frameworks to inform workforce decisions
  
  

Owns:

• Development of recurring HRLT insights and reporting dashboards
• Analytical backbone connecting hiring, performance, and workforce planning
  
  

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Director and HRLT on talent-related priorities
• Lead the design and synthesis of complex talent frameworks across multiple domains
• Build executive-ready materials to support decision-making (models, presentations, white papers)
• Establish data-driven approaches to workforce planning, performance, and hiring
• Drive consistency and scalability across all talent programs globally
• Influence stakeholders across HR, Legal Recruiting, PD, HR Ops, and practice leadership
• Ensure all frameworks are practical, implementable, and aligned to firm economics
  
  

CROSS-FUNCTIONAL POSITIONING

• Acts as a central integrator across Talent Strategy, Talent Programs, HR Ops, and TA
• Partners with:
• Director, Talent Program Management to ensure strategy ? execution alignment
• HRBPs to ensure frameworks are adaptable and deployable
• HRIS to align design with system capabilities
• Professional Development to align content and training strategy
  

Required

QUALIFICATIONS

• 8+ years of experience in HR strategy, talent management, or management consulting
• Demonstrated experience designing enterprise-level frameworks or operating models
• Exceptional ability to synthesize complex inputs into clear, structured outputs
• Advanced analytical capability (Excel/modeling; ability to translate data into insight)
• Strong executive communication skills (written and verbal)
  
  

Preferred

• Experience in professional services (Am Law / consulting / accounting)
• Familiarity with performance management systems and workforce planning models
• Background in organizational design, L&D, or behavioral frameworks
  
  

Compensation Salary $128,000 - $257,000 / year

The compensation salary for this position will be determined during the interview process and will vary based on multiple factors, including but not limited to prior experience, relevant expertise, current business needs, and market factors.

ABOUT THE FIRM

K&L Gates is a fully integrated global law firm with lawyers located in more than 40 offices. We have experienced dramatic growth in the past decade and now rank among the largest U.S. based law firms in the world. We take pride in constantly striving for innovation, imagination and an entrepreneurial spirit. We come up with big ideas and then roll up our sleeves to get the job done, guiding our clients through their most complex issues in a variety of industry sectors and across multiple regions of the world.

The industry recognition the firm has garnered emanates from the foundation of a global community aligned on behalf of our clients. The people at K&L Gates are committed to working together to create a legacy for each other, the firm, our clients, and the communities in which we serve. We thrive in an inclusive and socially conscious environment that embraces diversity and takes a holistic approach to the career evolution of all our professionals.

For more information or to view other job opportunities, please click here to go back to our careers page.

Notice: We participate in E-Verify in certain Firm locations for purposes of verifying employment eligibility.

Please be advised that this position requires successful completion of a background check. In accordance with the Washington State Fair Chance Act, Los Angeles Fair Chance Ordinance, San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, the California Fair Chance Act, and applicable law qualified California and Washington State applicants with criminal history records will be considered. A criminal history will not categorically exclude a candidate from employment, and the Firm will consider relevant factors before making employment decisions based on criminal history information.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

BENEFITS

K&L Gates offers our personnel a comprehensive suite of benefits to help meet your needs now and in the future. Depending on your eligibility, options for full-time personnel include:

• Medical/Prescription Drug Coverage (including a Health Savings Account feature)
• Back-up Child/Elder Care and access to a caregiving concierge
• Dental Insurance
• Wellness Program
• Vision Insurance
• Pre-tax Commuting Benefits
• 401(k) Retirement Plan and Profit Sharing
• Business Travel Accident Insurance
• Short- and Long-term Disability Protection
• Pet Insurance
• Life Insurance (including Basic, Supplemental, Spouse, Child, and Accidental Death and Dismemberment)
• Health Advocacy Services
• Paid Time Off (25-30 days per year)
• Identity Protection/Restoration and Fraud Insurance
• Parental Leave (18 weeks of which 6 are paid; short-term disability may provide additional paid time off)
• Student loan refinancing options and access to a student loan concierge service
• Paid Holidays (12)
• Addiction Resources
• Family Building Benefits
• Breast Milk Delivery and Lactation Support Services
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Employees also may be eligible to receive bonuses and certain expense reimbursements
• Employee Assistance Program
• Professional Development and CLE Credit Opportunities
• 529 Deductions
• Relocation
• Accident Insurance
• Employee Referral Program
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Hybrid/Remote Work Opportunities
• Hospital Indemnity Insurance
• Perks including: Technology, Entertainment, and Travel Discount Programs
• Bereavement Leave
• All other benefits (such as leaves of absence) required by law
  
  

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

The Firm is an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Firm that employment decisions shall be based on merit, qualifications and competence. Employment practices will not be influenced or affected by virtue of a person’s race (including traits associated with race, including hair texture and protective hairstyles such as afros, braids, locks, and twists), religion, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, gender, parental status, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, familial status, domestic violence victim status, military and veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. This policy governs all aspects of employment including, without limitation, recruiting, hiring, compensation, benefits, promotion, assignment, and dismissal. In addition, it is the Firm’s policy to provide an environment that is free of prohibited harassment of any kind including, without limitation, that which is based on sex, race, age, disability, ethnic background, or any other category protected by law (including the categories listed above). The Firm complies with federal and state disability laws and makes reasonable accommodations for applicants and employees with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation in completing this application, interviewing, or otherwise participating in the employee selection process, please contact askHR@klgates.com .