Senior Manager of Public Relations

About Ropes & Gray

Ropes & Gray is a preeminent global law firm. The firm has been ranked in the top three on The American Lawyer's prestigious A-List for eight consecutive years and #1 on Law.com's UK A-List twice in the past three years - rankings that honor the "best of the best" law firms. The firm has approximately 2,500 lawyers and professionals serving clients in major centers of business, finance, technology, and government in Boston, Chicago, Dublin, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, New York, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.The firm has consistently been recognized for its leading practices in many areas, including asset management, private equity, M&A, finance, real estate, tax, antitrust, life sciences, health care, intellectual property, litigation & enforcement, privacy & cybersecurity, and business restructuring. Ropes & Gray is an equal opportunity employer.

Overview

The Senior Manager of Public Relations is responsible for developing and executing integrated external communications plans that promote the firm’s attorneys, practices, pro bono activities, and special initiatives. This role oversees daily PR operations, manages proactive and reactive public relations efforts, and leads a team that includes a PR Manager and PR Specialist to ensure high performance and achievement of strategic objectives in a collaborative, results-driven environment. Acting as a strategic communications advisor to firm leadership, practice chairs, and partners, the Senior Manager provides counsel on executive visibility, media positioning, and thought leadership strategy. The position utilizes AI-enabled media monitoring, media databases, and predictive analytics tools to generate insights and drive measurable impact across communications initiatives, drawing on extensive experience in an Am Law firm or specialized professional services environment to translate complex legal achievements and high-stakes matters into clear, sophisticated, and newsworthy content for business, legal, and trade media.

Responsibilities

• Act as a strategic, trusted communications advisor to firm leadership, practice group leaders, and partners, providing ongoing counsel on executive visibility, media positioning, and thought leadership strategy
• Develop and implement comprehensive, high-impact public relations campaigns to build the firm's profile in key growth practices including Private Equity, M&A, Asset Management, Life Sciences, and Health Care
• Write and edit press releases, briefing sheets, holding statements, and media pitches
• Serve as a key point of contact for inbound media inquiries
• Partner closely with the Director of Communications and Public Relations to manage complex, sensitive issues and provide rapid, clear-headed crisis communications guidance
• Translate complex legal achievements, corporate transactional matters, and high-stakes litigation victories into clear, sophisticated, and newsworthy content for business, legal, and trade media
• Cultivate and expand deep, long-standing relationships with key national, international, business, and legal trade journalists, influencers, and media outlets across print, broadcast, and digital platforms
• Position firm attorneys as go-to authoritative sources and stay current on trending topics across multiple practice areas to identify timely opportunities for media engagement
• Prepare, brief, and coach partners and senior leadership ahead of media interviews; provide proactive counsel on communications efforts and effective media strategies
• Develop and deliver comprehensive media training workshops and messaging frameworks
• Secure speaking engagements and other thought leadership opportunities for firm attorneys
• Source and place partner-authored bylined articles and legal alerts
• Lead, mentor, and develop communications colleagues, including direct management of the PR Manager and PR Specialist. Provide ongoing guidance, performance feedback, and professional development opportunities to ensure team members are engaged, productive, and aligned with department goals. Foster a collaborative team culture and actively support the growth and success of direct reports.
• Collaborate with external PR agencies and consultants, oversee budgets and contracts, identify new technology and software, set clear KPIs to evaluate performance and maximize ROI
• Collaborate across Marketing & Business Development department to create integrated communications strategies that leverage PR and digital platforms
• Ensure consistency of brand voice, messaging, and tone across all PR efforts in alignment with the firm's brand guidelines and objectives
• Establish performance reporting frameworks utilizi