Associate Director, Accolades and Rankings

Associate Director, Accolades and Rankings
Cooley is seeking an Associate Director, Accolades & Ranking to join the Communications team.
About Cooley: Cooley is a global law firm with an expansive practice and more than 3,000 employees and partners worldwide. We value and celebrate diverse perspectives and strive to create a workplace where every individual can thrive. At the core of Cooley’s success is the exceptional talent and unwavering spirit of our people. We embrace individuality while fostering a ‘one-firm’ culture where collaboration and creativity thrive. Our people are the foundation of our success and the driving force behind everything we do.
Hybrid Schedule Philosophy: As part of the Cooley culture, we recognize and appreciate the value of being together, in person, to build comradery with others in the office and to be a contributing member of the Cooley office. However, we also appreciate the benefits and flexibility that come from remote working. As such, the default assumption for employees and partners is a hybrid schedule: some in-office presence and some work from home days absent certain essential in-office roles that require five (5) days/week in-office.
Position summary:
Working closely with the Director of Communications, firm leadership and colleagues across the Communications department and the Marketing and Client Development department, the Associate Director of Accolades & Rankings will lead the strategy and evolution of Cooley’s global accolades, rankings and legal directories program.
This is a senior, firmwide role responsible for building and leading a best-in-class function that supports Cooley’s strategic and growth ambitions. The Associate Director will establish the firm’s overall approach to awards and rankings, advise senior leaders and partners on priorities and opportunities, and ensure Cooley focuses its resources on the recognition programs that have the greatest potential to strengthen the firm’s reputation, support business priorities and differentiate its practices and lawyers.
The role requires a strategic leader with deep knowledge of the legal rankings landscape, strong judgment and executive presence, and the ability to build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders while leading the day-to-day function and continuously improving how the program operates. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:
Position responsibilities:
Set and lead Cooley’s firmwide accolades and rankings strategy, establishing clear priorities and ensuring the program supports the firm’s broader business, reputation and growth objectives.
Lead the continued development and evolution of the function, strengthening the processes, infrastructure, governance and operating model needed to deliver a sophisticated, efficient and highly strategic global program.
Serve as a senior adviser to firm, department and practice leadership, providing informed counsel on the awards and rankings landscape, where Cooley should invest its resources and how recognition opportunities can advance strategic priorities.
Build strong relationships with department chairs, practice group leaders and other senior partners to understand their businesses, priorities and competitive positioning and translate those insights into targeted recognition strategies.
Establish a disciplined approach to evaluating and prioritizing opportunities, focusing the firm’s efforts on rankings and accolades that carry meaningful reputational or business value.
Work closely with both Communications and Marketing and Client Development department leadership to ensure the program is integrated with broader firm, department and practice strategies.
Oversee Cooley’s strategy for major legal directories and marquee awards, providing senior-level direction on positioning, messaging, evidence and overall submission approach.
Lead or provide strategic oversight for the firm’s highest-profile and most complex submissions and nominations, serving as a senior writer and editor where appropriate.
Develop insights, reporting and analysis that help firm leadership understand performance, competitive positioning, trends and opportunities across the rankings landscape.
Build and maintain strong relationships with relevant ranking organizations, researchers and industry bodies and maintain a sophisticated understanding of developments across the market.
Manage and assess external vendors and consultants supporting the function, including evaluating performance, determining where outside support adds value and identifying new providers or capabilities as appropriate.
Identify, implement and optimize technology and tools (working with IT as applicable) that can streamline submissions, improve workflow and knowledge management, reduce administrative burden and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the function.
Develop guidance, training and resources for partners, non-partner attorneys, paralegals and business professionals to strengthen the quality and effectiveness of submissions and deepen understanding of how rankings and recognition programs operate.
Team leadership and management:
Lead and develop the Accolades & Rankings team, setting priorities and ensuring resources are deployed against the opportunities with the greatest strategic value.
Provide clear direction, coaching and professional development while fostering strong ownership and accountability within the function.
Assess resourcing needs over time and make recommendations regarding internal and external support as the program and firm priorities evolve.
Oversee workflow and execution across a demanding global calendar while maintaining high standards for quality, judgment and timeliness.
In collaboration with the Director of Communications and HR, participate in hiring, performance management and other employee lifecycle matters as appropriate.
Perform other duties as assigned or required.
Skills and experience:
Required
Minimum 8 years of directly relevant experience in accolades and rankings, communications, marketing or business development, with significant experience in a law firm or professional services environment.
Minimum 4 years’ management experience, preferably with some at the senior manager level.
Deep knowledge of the legal awards, rankings and directories landscape and demonstrated experience developing and leading sophisticated recognition programs.
Demonstrated experience operating at a senior strategic level, including advising senior leaders, influencing decisions and translating business priorities into effective strategies and programs.
Experience designing, building or significantly evolving programs, processes and operating models.
Experience leading and developing others and managing complex, high-volume programs.
Experience managing external vendors or consultants and evaluating the effectiveness of outside support.
Strong interest in and understanding of how technology can improve workflows, knowledge management and operational efficiency.
Ability to travel and work extended and/or weekend hours as required.
Bachelor’s degree required, preferably in English, Journalism, Communications, Marketing, Business or other related field.
After orientation at Cooley LLP, proficiency in Microsoft Office, iManage and other relevant firm applications.
Preferred
Significant direct experience leading an awards and rankings function within a major law firm.
Competencies:
Exceptional judgment and ability to determine where resources should – and should not – be invested.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills and ability to distill complex information into compelling submissions, recommendations and strategic advice.
Strong analytical and project leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Strong executive presence and the ability to build credibility and trusted relationships with senior partners and firm leadership.
Strategic mindset, with the ability to connect awards and rankings activity to broader business, brand and growth objectives.
Strong leadership skills and ability to set direction, influence stakeholders and drive change across a complex organization.
Excellent judgment and confidence making recommendations about priorities, resource allocation and opportunities.
Ability to navigate competing stakeholder interests while maintaining a clear firmwide perspective.
Exceptional editing skills.
Strong analytical skills and ability to use data and market intelligence to inform strategy and decision-making.
Ability to lead multiple complex initiatives with a high degree of autonomy.
Collaborative, pragmatic and comfortable working across functions, practices, offices and geographies.
Highly organized, responsive and able to perform effectively in a fast-moving environment with changing priorities.
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 $185,000-$225,000. 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 ele

Skills
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