Head of Public Relations and Communications

Head of Public Relations and Communications

New York, NY

Summary

The Head of Public Relations and Communications will be responsible for designing and implementing the firm’s external and internal communications strategy. They will be responsible for leading the communications and public relations team, driving high impact PR & communications initiatives and managing the relationship between the external PR agency and partners. The Public Relations and Communications Lead will report to the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer and manage a team of approximately four individuals.

They will also work in collaboration with the firm’s Marketing & Business Development team, firm leadership and lawyers to reinforce the firm’s vision and deliver a superior client experience.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer, partners, and other key stakeholders in developing bespoke public relations and branding programs for a variety of individual, practice, industry, geographic, and other audiences; monitor efficacy and provide senior counsel in the interpretation and implementation of strategies.
• Work with practice and industry groups to expand the firm’s market prominence and standing in industries and practice areas where it has (or aspires to have) a market leadership position; execute thought leadership programs to ensure increasing market prominence in specific areas of strategic focus, including for specific partners; and develop annual practice and industry group budgets.
• Partner with and write for senior Firm leadership on all areas of executive communications, including strategic and critical external communications, speeches, internal engagement events, and other efforts; coach and work one-on-one with senior executive leadership in this regard.
• Develop and implement strategic marketing and communications approaches, aligning various content across external channels including emails, website, digital, social media, media relations, and strategic events.
• Manage and provide guidance, in conjunction with outside advisors, on all crisis communication messaging, ensuring protection and reinforcement of the Firm’s brand.
• Manage benchmarking, monitoring, and measurement of achievement against strategic objectives and business plans; streamline systems and processes to measure the effective delivery of marketing and communications programs and campaigns.
• Take the lead in building a culture within the communications group that is team oriented, committed to professional excellence, and ensures the highest level of client service; manage, mentor, and develop staff and ensure that all functional resources are in alignment.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, journalism, communications or related field.
• A minimum of 15 years of broad-based, strategic marketing and communications leadership experience with dynamic and highly sophisticated, professional services firms, preferably with an emphasis on the business market for legal services;
• Expert understanding of strategic, multichannel communications and branding best practices, standards, and their implementation in a fast-paced, highly sophisticated organization;
• Strong existing reporter relationships, preferably in widely read business, legal, and news outlets;
• A creative view of how the Firm needs to position itself in the marketplace, a proactive approach to providing solutions, and a demonstrated history of taking initiative in a professional services environment;
• A great writer with highly effective and versatile oral and written communication talents with exceptional editing, proofreading, grammar and research skills
• Outstanding communication, interpersonal, relationship-building, public speaking, management and mentoring skills;
• Demonstrated success working as part of a senior executive team, with the ability both to work with and to influence senior leaders across a complex organization;
• Executive presence and gravitas to gain the respect and trust of the other members of Firm leadership as a true strategic business partner;
• A naturally collaborative approach, a culturally astute mindset and perspective, and sound judgment, particularly as it relates to driving positive transformation and change in different organizational or national cultures;
• Proven success in recruiting, mentoring, managing and developing a high-performing staff;
• Advanced knowledge of social media technologies including Twitter and LinkedIn.
• Proficient knowledge of Microsoft office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Internet-based public relations tools.