The Communications Specialist supports the development and execution of internal and external communications strategies for our practice groups and firm activities in the Americas. The Specialist also contributes to the delivery of international campaigns and the firm's corporate communications.
Shearman & Sterling's strategic communications function focuses on protecting and building the firm's reputation as a global elite law firm and employer of choice, supporting the firm's business objectives and influencing perceptions of the firm among key stakeholders.
The Communications Specialist will work under the guidance of the Communications Manager (Americas) to help drive forward the team's internal and external communications efforts in the Americas. For this proactive role, the Specialist should have proven experience providing internal and external communications support within an organization as well as with building relationships with key internal stakeholders and media. This role offers a balance of ownership and autonomy on certain projects with the opportunity to be involved in broader initiatives and campaigns. Day to day activities include supporting the development of communications planning, executing strategy and proactively positioning key partners at Shearman & Sterling as thought leaders.
Key Responsibilities
Support the Communications Manager (Americas) and work closely with communications, marketing and business development colleagues and partners in the US to devise and implement PR strategies for practice groups and key focus areas.
Execute thought leadership campaigns in the Americas
Highlight deal work in the Americas and make the most of standout announcements across internal (i.e. intranet, firmwide newsletter, internal memos) and external channels (i.e. media, website, social)
Work with Communications Manager (Americas) to become an established, trusted advisor to partners and senior stakeholders.
Build relationships with marketing and business development colleagues, partners and other fee earners
Develop, build and maintain strong relationships for proactive and reactive media relations
Work with the Communications manager to apply creative thinking to the identification of new opportunities, industry trends and the drafting of newsworthy stories
Support and assist with the creation of written and digital content for external audiences including press releases, by-lined articles, social media posts, videos and podcasts
Draft internal communications materials including firmwide newsletters and posts for the intranet
Support the communications team in effectively managing issues, developing media materials, monitoring for coverage, etc.
Support broader communications activities including awards submissions and internal communications
Track communications activities; Be diligent about reporting earned coverage and analytics from communications campaigns back to internal stakeholders
The role holder will undertake additional duties from time to time
Education and Experience
Bachelor's degree or equivalent required
Between 3 to 5 years of relevant communications experience in an agency or in-house environment; professional services background is a plus
Knowledge, Skills & Attributes
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong knowledge of MS Office, social media channels, PR and digital tools
Positive, proactive attitude and commercial outlook
Strong attention to detail and excellent organizational skills
Great networking and advocacy skills, able to build relationships with stakeholders both internally and externally
Comfortable juggling competing priorities and working on multiple conflicting deadlines, in a fast-paced environment
A passion for reputation management and integrated communications
Ability to understand complex business topics and distil it into compelling narratives for the media
Ability to deal with sensitive and confidential information
Ability to manage various personalities and stakeholder expectations
A willingness to learn and develop
Collegial; team player
Physical Activity/Other Miscellaneous
Flexibility to work outside regular business hours