Manager, Awards & Recognition

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 or Los Angeles, the Manager, Awards & Recognition will help lead the development and execution of relevant regional and/or practice-specific award submissions for its global legal awards and recognition program.

Reporting to the Awards & Recognition Lead and working closely with the business development and communications teams across the firm, this role manages a portfolio of award submissions across publications such as The American Lawyer, Law360, Financial Times, and numerous regional and industry award programs.

The ideal candidate has exceptional judgment and the ability to synthesize complex legal work into compelling, strategically positioned award submissions. They combine strong writing and editorial skills with disciplined project management, partnering with lawyers and business professionals across the firm to develop persuasive submissions while leveraging technology to enhance efficiency and quality at scale.

This role reports to the Associate Director, Awards & Recognitions.

Responsibilities include:

• Manage relevant award programs end-to-end. Manage the calendar, intake, and workflow for a portfolio of programs, including regional awards and a practice focus such as litigation or corporate, driving each submission from identification through approval and final filing.
• Partner across the firm to source nominees and materials. Work with business development and communications teams across practice areas and regional offices to identify nominees and gather the narratives, proof points, and supporting materials needed for each submission.
• Manage the firm's relevant award submissions. Draft and edit relevant submissions across global legal and business publications, shaping strategic narratives and applying strong editorial judgment to sharpen positioning, strengthen storytelling, and maintain a consistent, high-quality voice.
• Maintain rigorous trackers. Keep precise, up-to-date records of relevant active submissions, deadlines, status, and a running log of wins, announced deals, and notable matters.
• Maintain a content library. Contribute to repository of award language, lawyer narratives, and proof points to drive speed, consistency, and quality across submissions.
• Support leadership reporting. Contribute to weekly award-program updates for firm leadership, including the CEO and COO.
• Collaborate with the team awards specialist. Share workload, cross-check data, and maintain consistency across programs.
• Improve the program. Identify opportunities to sharpen templates, trackers, folder structures, and workflows to make the program faster, more organized, and more scalable over time.

Qualifications:

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to distill complex information into clear, compelling narratives.
• Resourcefulness and sound judgment, with the ability to connect the dots, identify the right sources, and gather the information needed to move projects forward.
• Strong editorial judgment and sound decision-making on positioning, candidate selection, and storytelling, with the confidence to push for higher standards.
• Excellent stakeholder management skills, with the presence to influence partners, practice group leaders, and business development teams.
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to prioritize competing deadlines and drive multiple workstreams from start to finish.
• Strategic, execution-oriented mindset, with the ability to operate with speed, precision, and sound judgment in a fast-paced environment.
• Highly organized, detail-oriented, and resilient, with a commitment to accuracy and quality.
• Technologically fluent, with experience leveraging AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot) and other productivity technologies to improve efficiency and content quality.

Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree required; journalism, communications, or related field strongly preferred.
• 7+ years of experience in writing, editing, communications, PR, or content-driven marketing and business development; law firm, professional services, or other complex, regulated environments strongly preferred.
• Proven track record producing persuasive, outcome-driven content for sophisticated audiences.
• Demonstrated experience coordinating multiple stakeholders and workstreams in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
• Demonstrated experience working directly with senior leaders and subject-matter experts.
• Experience gathering, organizing, and working with data in support of content or reporting.
• Familiarity with litigation and corporate practice areas is a plus.

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 $145,000 - $165,000. 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.