Global External Communications Lead

McDermott Will & Schulte; New York (NY); On-site; USD 138,000 - 194,000; Full time

Job summary

McDermott Will & Schulte is seeking an External Communications Manager to lead proactive and reactive public relations strategies, identifying and placing opportunities that align with firm priorities. The role sits within an integrated marketing, communications and business development team and partners with firm stakeholders to implement strategic programs.

You’ll establish media relationships, pitch coverage, draft press releases and deal announcements, and coordinate interview prep.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree required.
• At least five (5) years of related work experience.
• Ability to build strong media relationships within key sectors.
• Knowledge of news distribution, media monitoring and tracking software.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and prioritize responsibilities.
• Ability to handle and maintain confidential information.
• Ability to travel as needed.

Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with priority media outlets and key industry influencers.
• Develop strong relationships with firm stakeholders, including leadership, lawyers and lateral hires; collaborate with the wider brand and communications teams to implement strategic programs.
• Monitor industry trends, editorial calendars and competitor activity; provide trend analysis.
• Identify media opportunities; lead topic generation and collaborate across practices and markets.
• Pitch and place profile-raising coverage.
• Craft media messages, including press releases and deal announcements; copy for the firm website.
• Coordinate information and interview preparation for media requests.
• Collaborate with external agencies as directed by communications leaders.
• Proficiency of Salesforce to track PR activity and report results.
• Leverage firm news distribution and media monitoring tools.
• Track KPIs and media metrics; maintain knowledge of firm technologies.
• Align and implement firmwide media relations processes.
• Provide back-up support to the global communications team.

Skills

Media relations

Stakeholder management

Writing & editing

Story pitching

Analytical reporting

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Tools

Salesforce

News distribution tools

Media monitoring software

Job description

McDermott Will & Schulte is seeking an External Communications Manager to lead proactive and reactive public relations strategies, identifying and placing opportunities that align with firm priorities. The role sits within an integrated marketing, communications and business development team and partners with firm stakeholders to implement strategic programs.

You’ll establish media relationships, pitch coverage, draft press releases and deal announcements, and coordinate interview prep.