Manager, brand & communications operations

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has approximately 2,000 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Boston, Brussels, Chicago, Dallas, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, Palo Alto, San Francisco, São Paulo, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

The Client Development & Engagement (CDE) function sits at the heart of the Firm’s growth strategy, bringing together business development, marketing, events and communications. Working closely with Partners, practice leaders, and cross functional teams, CDE supports high impact initiatives such as pitches and RFPs, strategic marketing and communications, and practice level business initiatives. The team leverages data, insights, and creative problem solving to help Partners drive sustained growth through repeatable excellence and differentiated client experience.

The Manager, Brand & Communications Operations will play a central role in helping the Brand and Communications function deliver priority initiatives with clarity, consistency, and impact. Reporting to the Head of Global Communications & Brand and partnering with CDE functional leaders, the Manager will translate priorities into actionable plans, lead assigned workstreams, and connect teams across brand, graphics and creative services, content, marketing technology, and internal and external communications. The role will strengthen execution while respecting functional leaders’ responsibilities and decision-making authority, escalating significant decisions, resource trade-offs, and risks as appropriate. This is an opportunity to work across a broad portfolio of high-profile initiatives, collaborate with colleagues throughout a global Firm, and strengthen how an evolving Brand and Communications function operates.

The ideal candidate is a proactive, detail-oriented professional who enjoys bringing structure to complex work, connecting people and priorities, and moving initiatives forward. The candidate will combine sound judgment and strong follow-through with the ability to work independently and collaboratively in a matrixed setting.

Responsibilities

Initiatives, Planning, and Coordination

• Manage assigned cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, translating agreed priorities into clear workstreams, milestones, responsibilities, deliverables, and measures of success.
• Maintain integrated plans and status reporting that provide visibility into timelines, dependencies, risks, resource needs, and capacity constraints.
• Coordinate teams, stakeholders, and external partners; clarify roles and handoffs, facilitate working-level decisions, and escalate significant challenges.
• Recommend priorities and sequencing based on business impact, urgency, readiness, and available resources, and support portfolio reviews led by functional leadership.
• Prepare concise leadership updates and briefing materials that clarify progress, risks, required decisions, and next steps.
• Help drive priority initiatives through launch, adoption, and continuous improvement.

Brand and Content Initiatives

• Support selected brand and content initiatives by connecting colleagues across brand, graphics and creative services, content, marketing technology, and communications.
• Help implement approved brand positioning, messaging, visual identity, and brand experiences across channels and audiences.
• Support content planning and execution, including audience priorities, editorial themes, channels, governance, and performance measurement and tracking.
• Coordinate approved Firmwide campaigns, programs, platforms, templates, and tools, and administer governance processes that strengthen brand consistency.
• Research industry news, competitor communications and brands, audience-specific channels, and emerging communications practices.
• Track and assess brand system adoption, including quality of execution, adherence to system and standards, and opportunities for process improvements.

Processes, Tools, and Organizational Effectiveness

• Develop and maintain practical tools, playbooks, templates, documentation, and operating practices that support consistent execution and visibility.
• Identify workflow gaps and recommend improvements that increase clarity, efficiency, accountability, and service quality.
• Support change management plans and maintain organized project documentation and effective working practices across internal teams and external partners.
• Share knowledge, provide guidance to junior colleagues, and contribute to a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, brand management, or a related field.

Skills & Experience

• 8+ years of relevant experience in marketing, brand, communications, project or program management, operations, or a related field.
• Experience managing cross-functional marketing or communications initiatives from planning through implementation.
• Proven ability to navigate a complex, matrixed global organization and coordinate across departments, geographies, and levels of the organization.
• Experience improving processes, tools, governance resources, or operating practices across teams.
• Working knowledge of brand, content, creative services, digital platforms, marketing technology, internal and external communications, and media relations.
• Experience contributing to enterprise brand, content, website, visual identity, marketing technology, or other large-scale change initiatives is preferred; law firm or professional services experience is also preferred.
• Strong project and program management capability, with keen attention to detail, excellent organizational skills, and consistent follow-through.
• Ability to work independently with limited direction and collaborate effectively across teams, functions, and geographies.
• Sound judgment and the ability to navigate complexity and ambiguity at both the department and Firm levels, including knowing when to escalate issues.
• Strong written, verbal, and visual communication skills, including advanced skills in PowerPoint and presentation development.
• Ability to influence and build alignment without direct authority, including with senior leaders and high-visibility stakeholders.
• Collaborative, diplomatic, accountable, and adaptable, with intellectual curiosity and an interest in learning across brand, content, communications, technology, and Firm operations.

Salary Information

NY Only: The estimated base salary range for this position is $180,000 to $220,000 at the time of posting.

The actual salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job. This role is exempt meaning it is not overtime pay eligible.

Simpson Thacher will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.

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