Associate Director of Communications

Associate Director of Communications

Cooley is seeking an Associate Directorto join the Communications team.

Position summary : Working closely with the Director of Communications, communications team, other functional and administrative leads and firm leadership, the Associate Director of Communications will help to promote, enhance and safeguard the firm's reputation and positioning through the design and implementation of strategic, integrated external and internal communications programs. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following :

Position responsibilities :

External Communications

Manage a firmwide team of in-house and outside PR professionals responsible for cultivating, building, and maintaining Cooley's relationships with key media contacts

Work closely with firm and practice group leadership to devise and implement strategies for raising brand visibility in key markets and promoting the differentiating strengths of the firm and its practice groups, offices, and individual attorneys, aligned with business goals

Firm spokesperson and point of contact for press inquiries

Provide crisis counseling, media training, and guidance to firm representatives

Work with the PR team to develop key messages and anticipated Q&As from the media

Write or edit press materials (talking points, pitches, press releases, etc.), as well as certain other firm communications

Lead implementation of proactive external communications strategies and campaigns positioning Cooley's attorneys as thought leaders, and utilizing a comprehensive range of tactics, including traditional earned media, social media, and content promotion

Oversee the firm's awards and recognitions programs, including advising on strategy, process and the development of priority firm submissions

Help to develop and maintain team reporting, policies, protocols and materials

Internal Communications

Support the internal communications team and firm leaders in developing impactful written, in-person and multimedia communications aimed at increasing engagement and connection among Cooley's attorneys and business professionals globally

Other Responsibilities

Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports

Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies

Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities

In collaboration with immediate supervisor and HR, participate in hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events

All other duties as assigned or required

Skills and experience :

Required :

After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applications

Ability to work extended and / or weekend hours, as required

Ability to travel, as required

8+ direct years of experience (e.g., communications, public relations experience with B2B clients with 4+ years at a management level)

Bachelor's degree in English, Journalism, Communications, Marketing, Business or related field

Track record of performing elevated responsibilities within the current role providing intrinsic leadership & strategic direction to team

Seasoned experience in managing teams, hiring, training, assigning work, managing performance, and providing performance counseling and coaching

Ability to translate complex legal and business concepts into plain English

Strong working knowledge of and contacts within National print, broadcast and online media. Strong handle on financial markets and business concepts and related subject matter

Experience with crisis and issues management communications

Understanding of digital marketing, social media strategies, and content creation best practices

Preferred :

Experience working in a law firm, professional services, PR agency environment, and / or in government service / political realms

Supervisory experience

Competencies :

Strong executive presence and ability to build credibility and trust with partners on strategy and execution of communications objectives

Excellent communication skills both written and verbal

Exceptional writing skills and strong attention to detail

Ability to lead others in developing and executing on initiatives and large-scale projects. Ability to motivate others and build effective and cooperative work teams.

Strong interpersonal skills with ability to negotiate challenging situations and grasp internal politics

Judicious, fast-thinking and able to excel under pressure

Ability to consistently meet deadlines, including self-set and multi-tasked

Ability to develop professional relationships both internally (with department members, lawyers and firm business professionals) and externally (with industry / regional associations, etc.)

Cooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices.

EOE.

The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $195,000 - $245,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.

We offer a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and / or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, long-term care coverage, backup care for children and / or adults and other parental support benefits. In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive firm-paid life insurance, AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as 25 days of Paid Time Off ("PTO") and 10 paid holidays each year. We provide generous parental leave and fertility benefits. New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources.