Director, Strategic Communications

About the role

Kilpatrick, an AmLaw 100, international law firm, is seeking a Director of Strategic Communications in our Atlanta office.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a communications strategy, plan, and budget aligned with Firm objectives and market priorities.
• Lead the Communications team, including campaign management, public relations, editorial, recognition, social media, internal communications, digital media, and website content.
• Collaborate closely with Firm leadership, practice leaders, department chiefs, and colleagues across the Marketing team, including business development, events, and related functions.
• Manage the Communications team, external public relations agencies, and drive strategy, timelines, and accountability.
• Ensure consistent messaging, and visual identity.
• Oversee integrated, multi-channel campaigns from strategy through execution, ensuring strong planning, effective collaboration, efficient processes, and measurable results.
• Oversee any public relations firms, writers, digital partners, and other communications resources, including development of RFPs and procurement steps.
• Drive data-informed decision-making by using analytics, audience insights, and performance metrics to improve engagement, strengthen content effectiveness, and enhance operational performance.
• Establish KPIs measuring business impact, including share of voice, executive visibility, media sentiment, audience engagement, campaign performance, and competitive benchmarking.
• Cultivate relationships with target publications, secure placements in top-tier business, legal, and trade outlets, and manage internal resources and any external public relations agencies.
• Manage crisis and issues communications, including the preparation of statements, Q&As, briefing materials, stakeholder messaging, and rapid response protocols.
• Create content across channels, including thought leadership articles, newsletters, social media campaigns, video, podcasts, web content, internal communications, and executive messaging.
• Oversight of the Firm’s social media strategy across relevant platforms, ensuring that social channels support brand visibility, thought leadership, recruiting, client engagement, and Firm culture.
• Help oversee the Firm’s website as a core brand and business development platform, ensuring that it effectively showcases the Firm’s people, practices, experience, insights, and culture.
• Partner with Marketing, technology, and external vendors to improve user experience, content quality, search optimization, accessibility, analytics, and ongoing site performance.
• Manage recognition efforts by partnering with practice and industry leaders to showcase the Firm’s experience and drive award submissions, survey responses, and work closely with Marketing on coordinating directory rankings.
• Direct internal communications, including firmwide announcements, leader and talent communications, intranet content, and all-hands presentations to enhance employee engagement and alignment.
• Manage the Firm's annual AmLaw survey and interview process, overseeing internal submission preparation and executive interview readiness while serving as the primary external liaison to AmLaw.
• Manage media relations protocols, including communications guidelines and attribution parameters (on the record, background, off the record) when engaging with reporters, and proactively shape story framing and headline positioning to advance the firm's narrative in resulting coverage.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, marketing, business, or a related field.
• Minimum of 15 years of experience in marketing communications in a law firm, consulting firm, or other professional services environment.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience managing a marketing communications team.
• Demonstrated experience developing and executing social media strategies for a sophisticated professional services brand, including content planning, channel governance, executive visibility, performance reporting, and audience engagement.
• Demonstrated experience managing website strategy, content governance, search optimization, analytics, and user experience in partnership with internal stakeholders and external vendors.
• Excellent communicator with the ability to influence, build trust, and persuade across all levels of the organization.
• Deep and accessible network with media and PR outlets and agencies.
• Strong media relations, relationship management, brand, editorial, and digital communications judgment.
• Strong skills in strategy development, CRM-driven communications, audience segmentation, digital analytics, AI-enabled communications technologies, and modern media platforms, project management, problem solving, and change management.
• Experience successfully building, coaching, and motivating a high-performing team.
• Professional and positive approach, with a self-motivated and collaborative working style.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly and succinctly present recommendations related to complex issues; Strong writing skills personal but also from a brand perspective.
• Experience with business-related programs and platforms, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, project management software, website content management systems, social media management tools, analytics platforms, and AI-enabled tools.

Qualifications

• Law firm experience is required.
• Strong skills in strategy development, CRM-driven communications, audience segmentation, digital analytics, AI-enabled communications technologies, and modern media platforms, project management, problem solving, and change management.
• Experience successfully building, coaching, and motivating a high-performing team.
• Professional and positive approach, with a self-motivated and collaborative working style.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly and succinctly present recommendations related to complex issues; Strong writing skills personal but also from a brand perspective.
• Experience with business-related programs and platforms, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, project management software, website content management systems, social media management tools, analytics platforms, and AI-enabled tools.

Skills

• Excellent communicator with the ability to influence, build trust, and persuade across all levels of the organization.
• Strong media relations, relationship management, brand, editorial, and digital communications judgment.
• Strong skills in strategy development, CRM-driven communications, audience segmentation, digital analytics, AI-enabled communications technologies, and modern media platforms, project management, problem solving, and change management.
• Experience successfully building, coaching, and motivating a high-performing team.
• Professional and positive approach, with a self-motivated and collaborative working style.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to clearly and succinctly present recommendations related to complex issues; Strong writing skills personal but also from a brand perspective.
• Experience with business-related programs and platforms, including PowerPoint, Excel, Word, project management software, website content management systems, social media management tools, analytics platforms, and AI-enabled tools.

Benefits

This is a full-time, regular position with a multi-faceted health benefit package including medical, dental, and vision. The firm also offers life insurance, short term disability plans and retirement plans in addition to holidays and paid time off.

Pay

The firm offers a pay range for this position in Atlanta only of $250,000 to $275,000 per year.

Schedule

The firm offers hybrid work schedules combining in office work days as well as remote work days.