Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing

Cooley LLP; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 145,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Cooley LLP is seeking a Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing to lead omnichannel search, media strategy, and the firm’s digital footprint. This role sits within the Strategy, Transformation & Growth Team and drives data-backed strategies across paid and organic channels.

The position requires 5+ years in marketing strategy with budget stewardship, strong analytical storytelling, and experience leading teams. A bachelor’s degree is preferred, and travel may be required.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in marketing or business development with strategy/ growth focus.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and iManage.
• Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Advanced data storytelling and digital acumen across analytics and project management tools.
• Supervisory experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead omnichannel search & media strategy including SEM, social, SEO and AEO/GEO.
• Own the search and media tech stack and monitoring tools.
• Manage onshore strategists and offshore partners to optimize campaigns.
• Ensure high-fidelity metadata, structured data and ROAS.
• Support top-of-funnel client journey visibility.
• Lead paid and organic channel attribution reporting.
• Collaborate with Practice Group Marketing and Brand leads on campaigns.
• Partner with Tech and Data teams on AI-driven search roadmap.
• Oversee spend governance and regulatory compliance.
• Provide day-to-day supervision of direct reports and HR processes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Strategic planning

Budget stewardship

Data storytelling

Digital marketing

Campaign optimization

People leadership

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

iManage

Tagging & tracking tools

Job description

Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing Cooley is seeking a Senior Manager of Digital Experience – Performance Marketing to join the Marketing & Client Development team.

Position summary: This role is part of the Strategy, Transformation & Growth Team, which acts as the firm’s "central nervous system," building the scalable infrastructure and data-backed frameworks that allow Marketing & Client Development to move from reactive execution to proactive, high-impact strategy. It ensures that strategic choices and unique brand differentiating experiences (spanning high-end events to targeted digital channels) are translated into repeatable, optimized market performance that makes the firm stand out in market.

Specific duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, the following:

Position responsibilities

• Omnichannel Search & Media Strategy: Lead the strategy for the firm’s "discoverability," encompassing Paid Media (SEM/Social/Advertising), traditional SEO, and the evolution into Answer/Generative Engine Optimization (AEO/GEO).
• Ad-Tech & Search Ownership: Serve as the primary business owner for the search and media tech stack, including SEO monitoring tools, ad-management platforms, and search-intent intelligence software.
• Resource Management: Manage onshore media strategists and offshore agencies/execution partners to optimize campaign spend, keyword research, and technical SEO audits.
• Channel Health & Efficiency: Responsible for the quality and "cleanliness" of the firm’s search footprint, ensuring high-fidelity metadata, structured data, and optimal return on ad spend (ROAS).
• Journey Discovery Support: Support the "top-of-funnel" client journey by ensuring the firm’s expertise is highly visible and accessible at the exact moment of client inquiry or market need.
• Performance & Attribution Data: Lead the reporting strategy for paid and organic channels, focusing on attribution modeling and the impact of search visibility on pipeline development.
• MCD Execution: Collaborate with Practice Group Marketing and Brand leads to amplify key campaigns, announcements, and thought leadership through targeted paid and organic distribution.
• Future-State Roadmap: Partner with the Tech and Data teams beyond MCD to navigate the shift toward AI-driven search (GEO), ensuring the firm’s content architecture is optimized for generative AI platforms.
• Spend & Compliance Governance: Oversee the paid media budget and ensure all advertising and search tactics comply with jurisdictional legal marketing regulations and brand safety standards.
• People Leader: Serve as direct supervisor and mentor to direct reports
• 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 central 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
• Required: Ability to work extended and/or weekend hours, as required
• Required: Ability to travel, as required
• Required: 5+ years applicable experience in the field (e.g., marketing or business development, preferably with an emphasis working in a strategy, transformation, or growth function)
• Required: Demonstrated strategic planning and budget stewardship of paid media budget to effectively support business and campaign goals (e.g. paid search, display, social advertising)
• Required: Hands-on experience executing and optimizing campaigns across ad networks (including tagging, tracking, and testing paid creative/copy for conversion)
• Required: Advanced data storytelling and digital acumen across Web/analytics/project management technologies
• Preferred: Bachelor’s degree
• Preferred: Supervisory experience
• Preferred: Prior legal industry or professional services experience

Competencies

• Entrepreneurial by nature
• Excellent attention to detail
• Approaches tasks through a lens of quality and consistency
• Approaches tasks through a digital first lens
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with ability to facilitate and solve problems
• Ability to organize, prioritize and coordinate multiple activities often under tight timelines
• Takes a consultative approach to set goals, drive projects, and achieve outcomes
• Strong judgment
• Team-player with collaborative spirit
• 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
• Proactive, analytical mindset
• 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 $145,000 - $210,000. 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 21 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.