Communications Coordinator (Awards & Directories)

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP•Houston, TX

22h•$75,000 - $100,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Communications Coordinator (Awards & Directories) in our Marketing department, reporting directly to Senior Communications Analyst. The role can reside in the Dallas, Houston, New York or Washington, DC office with hybrid work capabilities. The Communications Coordinator will play a central role in executing the firm’s rankings, awards and directories strategy. This role is highly project-management driven, requiring rigorous organization, deadline management and coordination across multiple stakeholders. Working closely with marketing and business development colleagues, firm leadership, lawyers, and business services teams, the coordinator helps elevate the global visibility of Akin and its attorneys and practices. The role requires strong operational discipline, attention to detail, and the ability to use AI-enabled tools to streamline workflows, enhance submissions and improve tracking and reporting. The Coordinator is expected to deliver high-quality work with a service-oriented mindset and contribute to a collaborative and continuously improving team environment.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required.
Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience.
Experience in project management, operations, or workflow coordination strongly preferred.
Legal industry experience preferred.
Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines and workflows with precision.
Strong writing and editing skills, with the ability to distill complex inputs into clear, compelling content.
Demonstrated ability to use AI and technology tools to enhance productivity, content development and process management.
High attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
Ability to collaborate effectively across teams and build strong working relationships in a fast-paced, global environment.
Familiarity with legal industry directories and awards processes preferred.
Strong judgment in prioritization and process execution.
Commitment to confidentiality and adherence to firm values.
Commitment to continuous improvement and professional development.

Responsibilities

Serve as a core project manager for the firm’s awards, rankings, and directories program, ensuring timelines, deliverables and stakeholders are effectively coordinated and met.
Maintain and continuously optimize a centralized awards and directory calendar, tracking deadlines, submissions and outcomes with precision.
Act as a primary point of contact for key legal directories, rankings organizations and awards bodies.
Monitor and evaluate awards and rankings opportunities, aligning recommendations with firm strategy and priorities.
Partner with communications, marketing, and lawyers to develop and produce high-quality submissions, including drafting, editing and synthesizing complex information into compelling narratives.
Leverage AI tools to improve efficiency in drafting, editing, research, tracking and reporting across submissions and processes.
Liaise with editors and researchers to understand methodologies, refine messaging and optimize submissions.
Track results and manage internal and external communications of recognitions, including website, intranet and social content.
Maintain organized records of submissions, content, and results to support reporting, benchmarking and continuous improvement.
Provide administrative support as needed, including invoice processing and event coordination.