Public Relations Manager (Awards & Recognition)

About Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis LLP is a preeminent, full-service law firm with offices around the world and a staff as diverse as the practice areas we support. Our clients range from Fortune 100 companies to medium and small corporations, financial institutions, and private equity firms.  Known for our commitment to excellence, Kirkland strives to provide superior service to our clients as well as our fellow employees. From Information Technology to Human Resources, Paralegal Services to Business Development, Kirkland offers non-attorney professionals challenging careers in a variety of functional areas. Whether starting or growing your career, Kirkland can offer a performance-driven culture filled with bright and innovative teams of co-workers.

Essential Job Functions

We are looking for a seasoned professional to join our growing Communications/PR team within Kirkland’s Business Development/Marketing Department. The Public Relations Manager (Awards & Recognition) will lead the Firm’s global initiatives in connection with legal directories, awards, nominations, surveys and lists published by national, local and trade media organizations such as Chambers & Partners, Law360, The American Lawyer and the Financial Times, and many others.

The PR Manager (Awards & Recognition) will be a key member of the Communications/PR team, as well as a leader and peer in the greater Business Development/Marketing Department. S/he will closely communicate and collaborate daily with nearly 100 diverse problem-solvers and advisers dedicated to the Firm’s broader marketing efforts. Our international business development team provides seamless service to our attorneys with a focus on quality, innovation and responsiveness.

The manager will report to the Firmwide Director of Communications/PR and will be responsible for strategizing, planning, executing and monitoring all awards and recognition opportunities to promote the Firm's practice areas and attorneys in a way that aligns with Kirkland's core messaging and values. The ideal candidate should have outstanding leadership, judgement, project management, problem solving, writing, editing and grammar skills, as well as intellectual curiosity and the ability to distill complex topics into concise, easy-to-read language.

This Firmwide position engages with all of Kirkland’s practice areas — including its highly regarded corporate, intellectual property, litigation and restructuring groups — and acts as a strategic advisor to all partners. S/he should understand how awards and recognition play into the broader PR and marketing ecosystem and will collaborate closely both with attorneys and business development teams and other internal departments to meet requirements and deadlines for projects spanning all offices. S/he will also be responsible for sharing results internally and externally.

The manager will be a hands on leader; someone who can lead a team but also dive in to get the work done. They must execute projects from concept to completion with little supervision and enforce systems, policies, procedures and standards for quality. S/he will actively contribute ideas, and execute and expand upon existing organizational tools, processes, policies and procedures, all while providing superior service to attorneys, producing quality work product, and maintaining an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement.

• Manage a dedicated team of two direct reports and supervise other contributors to submissions.
• Collaborate with Firm leadership to develop and execute compelling submissions and nominations that communicate the Firm's capabilities and initiatives with the objective of improving rankings and increasing visibility for Kirkland and its lawyers.
• Lead and improve the quality and standardization of submissions. Develop and communicate best practices.
• Manage all editorial calendars and proactively anticipate upcoming opportunities. Track and prioritize the Firm’s level of participation across opportunities. Evaluate new opportunities to make recommendations as to the Firm’s appropriate level of participation.
• Analyze results, historical performance and year-on-year trends. Produce regular reports highlighting recent work and achievements.
• Create internal and external communications announcing major recognitions for the Firm and its attorneys.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with editorial, research, business development staff and reporters at legal directories and media organizations.
• Serve as the point person for all recognition-related questions from attorneys and staff.
• Oversee all accolade posts on Kirkland’s external website.
• Ensure a consistent identity for the Firm’s responses to legal directories, awards programs and surveys with house style and voice.
• Oversee global responses to media surveys requesting lawyer headcount and and other data.
• Manage all administrative tasks related to awards and recognitions, including budget, policies, procedures, templates and style guides.
• Assist with various other marketing communications initiatives as assigned.

Qualifications & Requirements

Education, Work Experience, Skills

• A minimum of seven years’ experience within professional services with proven business development or marketing experience is required. At least two years of supervisory experience where you have developed and led communications efforts and initiatives for a firm is preferred.
• A bachelor’s degree in journalism, English, communications or public relations is preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of research and editorial processes for legal directories and media organizations, as well as experience developing and producing persuasive submissions.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and experience managing global teams to include coaching, mentoring, counseling and developing individuals to their maximum performance; and fostering a spirit of teamwork, unity and cohesiveness.
• Experience supervising work and leading large-scale projects desired.
• Knowledge of practice areas common in a global law firm is preferred.
• Must be an exceptional writer, with outstanding editing and proofing skills, as well as an excellent verbal communicator and critical thinker. Must possess an impeccable attention to detail.
• Must possess excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and multitask in a fast-paced environment, both independently and collaboratively, to meet competing deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills necessary to develop and maintain positive working relationships with Firm leaders, lawyers, staff, as well as external contacts.
• Exceptional communication skills, including the ability to communicate to Firm leadership on overall efforts, progress and results.
• Excellent judgment and discretion in handling confidential or sensitive information is required.
• Must be flexible and able to tolerate ambiguity in order to respond quickly and positively to shifting demands and opportunities.
• A solid command of the Associated Press style guide, grammar and journalistic writing principles, as well as an understanding of persuasive writing for marketing communications, is important.
• Must present a professional demeanor and polished image.
• A client service mindset and a sense of urgency in answering requests from attorneys, staff and external contacts.

Technologies/Software

• The candidate must have a solid command of a number of different technology applications to produce a high-end and professional work product, including a solid command of the Microsoft Office Suite.

How to Apply

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

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 employee’s 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.

Closing Statement

The www.kirkland.com job postings and recruiting mailbox are for candidates only. If you are a recruiter, search firm or employment agency, and do not have a signed contract with Kirkland & Ellis LLP ("K&E") and have not been asked specifically to submit candidates, you will not be compensated in any way for your referral of a candidate even if K&E hires the candidate. Direct contact with K&E employees in an attempt to present candidates is inappropriate and will be a factor in determining any future professional relationship with the Firm.