Associate Director of Integrated Content Marketing

Cooley is seeking an Associate Director of Integrated Content Marketing to join the Marketing and Business Development team.

Position summary: As a member of the Marketing and Business Development Department, and under the direction of the Director, Integrated Content Marketing, the Associate Director of Integrated Content Marketing leads firm-wide, audience-driven global content strategy and editorial direction to elevate the firm’s reputation through distinctive content. The Associate Director translates business goals and audience needs into relevant, effective content strategies that advance firm and practice priorities. In partnership with the Director, Integrated Content Marketing, this role helps evolve the content function into a journalistic entity that provides business and legal leaders with the legal insights they need to navigate a rapidly changing business, technology and regulatory landscape. The Associate Director also leads a team that strategizes, plans and creates timely, high-quality content in formats that meet audiences where they are. The role helps refine and scale a modern, efficient content operating model, including the responsible use of AI-enabled workflows and tools, and collaborates across the Marketing and Business Development Department to support firm and practice priorities. Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Position responsibilities:

• Oversee the formation and implementation of a firm-wide global content strategy aligned to business priorities and audience needs

• Translate business goals and audience needs into actionable content plans, including defining themes, story arcs, audiences, formats, channels and success metrics

• Lead content strategies that elevate the firm’s reputation and increase visibility for priority partners, practice areas and locations

• Establish and scale a system for story mining across the firm’s ecosystem to identify, prioritize and develop the most compelling narratives for key audiences

• Establish and enforce editorial standards, content best practices, style and tone of voice

• Develop content plans and maintain editorial calendars in partnership with content and marketing colleagues, ensuring timely delivery, quality and alignment with firm priorities

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to develop and refine content personas that inform content strategy and ensure relevance for key audiences

• Oversee the development and refinement of initiative messaging, web copy and attorney-authored content, including blogs, client alerts and related communications, while helping refine and scale the systems and workflows that support this work

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to develop multimedia storytelling, including photography, video, audio and other digital formats, in support of firm and practice priorities

• Oversee a “create once, use many” approach, including modular content development, versioning and governance to enable efficient reuse, adaptation and updates across channels, formats and audiences

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to refine, scale and drive adoption of a content operating system and related governance, workflows and systems that increase quality, consistency and efficiency across planning, production, review, publishing and promotion

• Hone and operationalize firm and client parameters, legal considerations and conflict checks within the content operating system (including governance and review workflows), and partner with relevant stakeholders to ensure appropriate review and risk mitigation

• Partner with Innovation colleagues to create and execute an AI roadmap, including identifying and deploying specific agents that drive operational efficiency across the content life cycle

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to design and evolve the content collaboration model (roles, handoffs and decisioning) across marketing colleagues and with key stakeholder attorneys and other business professional colleagues, as needed

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to oversee external execution and distribution partners across media, production and editorial

• Collaborate across the Marketing and Business Development Department to optimize and evolve content amplification, reach and engagement – efficiently and effectively – through owned, social and media channels and across formats (article, video, audio/podcast, interactive, etc.)

• Stay abreast of and champion emerging channels and develop content partnerships to help the firm’s content reach priority audiences in an evolving content consumption landscape

• Collaborate across Marketing and Business Development Department to review performance metrics and champion optimization of our content strategy, including identifying opportunities to update and repurpose well-performing content

• Manage and develop a team of content strategists, managers and specialists, providing coaching, prioritization and feedback to support high performance and growth

• Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports

• Work with the CMBDO and Integrated Content Director to actively capture and incorporate feedback from partners

• Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies. Manage staffing coverage, review and process time logs/time off requests

• Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities

• In collaboration with immediate supervisor and CN 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+ years of relevant content marketing experience, including 4+ years in management roles (preferably with some senior management experience)

• Bachelor’s Degree preferably with a major in journalism and/or English

• Experience strategizing, developing and producing content programs

• Ability to craft and deliver presentations for a range of stakeholders, including senior leaders

Preferred:

• Prior experience in business-to-business content especially for law firms or other professional services companies

• Prior experience in media, publisher or other journalistic settings

• Experience crafting a content strategy across multiple brands, business lines, practice areas or geographic regions

• Supervisory management experience

Competencies:

• Proactive, have high energy, and be creative, quick thinking, and comfortable with risk

• Entrepreneurial by nature

• Proven leadership capabilities, including decisiveness, effective prioritization skills and a results-driven orientation with appropriate sensitivity and concern for people

• Excellent strategic and analytical skills

• Multimedia, multichannel content strategy and storytelling skills

• Ability to learn the legal industry and apply content strategy, production and distribution in a law firm environment

• Ability to drive projects to completion, and carry and achieve marketing goals

• Strong interpersonal skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems

• Strong communication, both verbal and written, and presentation skills

• Effective teamwork and collaboration skills across teams and departments

• Detail-oriented with advanced organization skills

• Proven ability to manage, coach and motivate

• Excellent attention to detail

• Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines

• Strong judgment

• Unwavering ability to handle and maintain confidentiality regarding firm information, projects, client data

• High level of professionalism at all times

• Demonstrated ability to lead through influence and develop talent

• Effective presentation skills

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 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.