Head of External Communications (Americas)

tml Partners; New York (NY); On-site; USD 140,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

tml Partners in the United States seeks an External Communications Lead to shape and execute external comms strategy across the US and Latin America. Senior role within the regional Brand, Communications & Public Affairs team, focusing on high-impact programs to elevate reputation and growth.

Based in New York or Washington, DC, you will translate complex legal and regulatory developments into clear narratives for influential media audiences, collaborating with global teams and external agencies.

Qualifications

• Deep experience developing external communications and PR strategies in the legal or professional services sector.
• Strong knowledge of the US legal media landscape with established relationships.
• Excellent media relations judgment and opportunity shaping for commercial priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute proactive PR strategies to elevate leadership profiles and regional growth.
• Drive earned media around practice successes, appointments, milestones, and thought leadership.
• Translate complex legal and regulatory topics into clear narratives for national media.
• Build relationships with national, legal, and trade journalists and international contacts.
• Prepare leaders for media engagement with messaging and media training.
• Identify media trends and white-space opportunities to strengthen market position.
• Collaborate with social, digital, and content teams to amplify earned media across channels.
• Ensure messaging consistency with business development and marketing colleagues.
• Identify reputational risks and provide crisis communications support when needed.
• Oversee media monitoring, reporting, and agency management to measure performance.

Skills

B2B communications

Legal sector experience

Media relations

Strategic planning

Executive communications

Stakeholder management

Writing and editing

Job description

A leading global professional services organization is seeking an accomplished External Communications Lead to help shape and execute its external communications strategy across the US and Latin America.

This is a senior role within the regional Brand, Communications & Public Affairs team, with responsibility for developing proactive, high-impact communications programs that strengthen brand reputation, elevate market visibility, and support strategic growth priorities.

Working closely with senior leaders and subject matter experts across the Americas, as well as global communications colleagues and external agency partners, you will turn complex business, legal, and regulatory developments into clear and compelling narratives for influential media audiences.

The position can be based in New York or Washington, DC.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and execute proactive public relations strategies that elevate leadership profiles, subject matter expertise, and regional growth priorities.
• Drive earned media opportunities around practice and sector successes, senior appointments, business milestones, and thought leadership.
• Translate complex legal, regulatory, and business topics into clear, compelling narratives for national, legal, and industry media.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with leading national, legal, and vertical trade journalists, alongside relevant international media contacts.
• Prepare senior leaders and subject matter experts for media engagement through messaging, briefing materials, interview preparation, and media training.
• Identify emerging media trends and white-space opportunities that can strengthen the organization's market position and reputation.
• Collaborate with social, digital, and content teams to amplify earned media across owned, social, and paid channels.
• Partner with business development and marketing colleagues to ensure consistency of messaging, timing, and positioning.
• Proactively identify and communicate potential reputational risks and provide issues and crisis communications support when required.
• Oversee media monitoring, reporting, and database management, ensuring communications performance is measured effectively and used to inform strategy.
• Manage external agencies and communications partners, maintaining high standards of execution, quality, and accountability.

About You

You are an experienced B2B communications professional with a strong background in the legal sector, ideally gained within or advising leading US law firms. You combine strategic thinking with hands-on execution and are equally comfortable advising senior stakeholders and delivering high-quality communication materials yourself.

You will bring:

• Deep experience developing and executing external communications and public relations strategies within the legal or professional services sector.
• Strong knowledge of the US legal media landscape, with established relationships across relevant national, legal, and specialist trade media.
• Excellent media relations judgment and the ability to identify and shape opportunities that support commercial priorities and strengthen market visibility.
• Experience supporting communications around senior appointments, practice and sector positioning, transactions or matters, thought leadership, and issues management.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills across press releases, media pitches, statements, talking points, Q&A, briefing documents, and executive messaging.
• Strong news judgment and an ability to determine which stories are best suited to earned media versus alternative communications channels.
• Confidence advising senior stakeholders on media opportunities, reputational considerations, messaging, and realistic outcomes.
• Commercial awareness and a strong interest in current affairs, business developments, and emerging industry trends.
• Excellent collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across regional and global teams while also operating independently.
• Strong attention to detail and a commitment to accuracy, consistency, and quality.
• The ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines while remaining calm and effective in urgent or rapidly changing situations.
• A proactive, approachable, and responsive working style, with the ability to build credibility at all levels of an organization.