Associate Director, Awards and Recognition

Job Summary

Gibson Dunn is a leading global law firm, advising clients on significant transactions and disputes. Our exceptional teams craft and deploy creative legal strategies that are meticulously tailored to every matter, however complex or high-stakes. The firm’s work is distinguished by a unique combination of precision and vision.

Based in New York, the Associate Director, Awards and Recognition will be responsible for leading the firm’s global legal awards and recognition strategy and efforts. Focused on process and a wholistic approach, this senior position will be charged with elevating and streamlining our process, determining the global award and recognition portfolio, and how best to position the firm, practices and lawyers to raise the firm’s profile and increase our win rate.

This role reports to the Chief Marketing & Business Development Officer and works closely with the Sr. Director of Communications, the Sr. Directors of Business Development, Practice Leadership and others.

 Responsibilities include:

• Create and lead the global firmwide strategy for awards and recognitions working closely with Firm Leadership, Practice Group Leaders, Senior Communication Leadership, and relevant Business Development and Communication team members.
• Lead the strategy and execution of firmwide award series working with firm Management including FT, AmLaw, Law 360, Bloomberg and others.
• Collaborate with relevant stakeholders to create and execute a recognition program for each practice in line with strategic priorities and revisited yearly for relevant recognition programs.
• Cultivate relationships with the various outlets to understand criteria, opportunities and nuances of each series.
• Own end-to-end project management of the firm’s awards and recognition program, ensuring disciplined execution across submissions, events, and award dinners.
• Establish, maintain, and continuously improve a centralized system for organizing award materials, deadlines, submissions, confirmations, outcomes, and supporting documentation.
• Systematize and categorize awards by practice, area of law, region, for easy filtering and customized reporting.
• Develop and manage comprehensive timelines for all awards and recognition initiatives, working backward from submission deadlines and event dates to ensure on-time delivery.
• Oversee the maintenance of the historical record of awards activity, including submissions, wins, shortlists, table purchases, costs, and participation, to support institutional knowledge and year-over-year planning.
• Oversee analysis of results and ROI on efforts.
• Build and manage a team including writers, project management and technology resources.

Qualifications

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with specific strength in persuasive content creation.
• Outstanding professional interpersonal skills and the ability to interact with partners comfortably.
• Ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Strong attention to detail, the ability to work well under pressure and highly responsive.
• Comfortable in a fast-paced environment and able to effectively manage numerous competing priorities.
• Organized, diligent, strong project management and time management skills.
• Assertive, self-motivated and able to work independently.
• Familiarity with AI tools including ChatGPT, Gemini, Co-Pilot, etc.

Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree is required.
• 10+ years of experience in professional services, legal preferred.
• 3+ years of management experience.
• Experience in communications, strategic positioning, awards and directories, and team management.

 

 

Gibson Dunn will consider for employment qualified Applicants with Criminal Histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of local law.

Compensation & Benefits:

The annual compensation range for this position is $250-270k. The salary offered within this range will depend upon qualifications and other operational considerations.

Benefits offered for this position include health care; retirement benefits; paid days off, including sick time, and vacation time; parental leave; basic life insurance; Flexible Spending Accounts; as well as discretionary, performance-based bonuses.

Location:

New York

EEO Statement

Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity for all partners, employees and applicants and, in accordance with the applicable federal and state laws, does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, color, religion, matriculation or political affiliation, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, ancestry, age, marital status or partnership status, family responsibilities, disability, medical condition, personal appearance, genetic information, predisposing genetic characteristics, sexual orientation, military status, status as a victim of domestic violence, stalking and sex offenses, arrest or conviction record, or on any other basis prohibited by law.