Senior Manager of Career Counseling (Chicago)

Senior Manager of Career CounselingCooley is seeking a Senior Manager of Career Counseling to join the Professional Development team.Hybrid Schedule: As part of the Cooley culture, we recognize and appreciate the value of being together, in person, to build comradery with others in the office and to be a contributing member of the Cooley office. However, we also appreciate the benefits and flexibility that come from remote working. As such, the default assumption for employees and partners is a hybrid schedule: some in-office presence and some work from home days absent certain essential in-office roles that require five (5) days/week in-office.Position summary: The Senior Manager of Career Counseling will build and lead the Cooley Career Counseling Office, a resource hub that will be designed to support attorneys who are exploring or preparing for career paths beyond Cooley. This role will serve as a trusted resource for career navigation, providing personalized job search support and tools, connection to external opportunities, and curated programming to help attorneys identify and pursue fulfilling next steps. The ideal candidate is a thoughtful advisor with deep knowledge of legal and adjacent career paths, legal recruiting, strong communication skills, and a passion for supporting lawyers through meaningful professional transitions. This role offers the opportunity to shape and lead a new high-impact resource within the firm and work with attorneys at pivotal moments in their careers. Specific duties include, but are not limited to, the following:Position responsibilities: One‑on‑One Career Counseling:Provide confidential advising to attorneys exploring roles outside of the firm, including in‑house, public sector, nonprofit, and alternative legal or business pathsGuide attorneys through career exploration, decision‑making, and transition planningOffer tailored feedback on resumes, LinkedIn profiles, personal narratives, and job‑search strategyProvide mock interview practice, preparing attorneys for each stage of the hiring process, from screening interviews to senior‑level negotiationsJob Board Management:Manage and expand a curated job board featuring in‑house roles, government positions, secondments, and alumni‑submitted opportunities.Develop relationships with legal recruiters, in‑house counsel, and alumni to source new postings.Facilitate introductions and connections when appropriate.Panels, Programs & Workshops:Create career‑focused programs such as:Panels featuring alumni and clients in various industriesWebinars on transition strategy (e.g., in‑house expectations, business acumen)Secondment Program Support:Maintain a secondment interest listWork with the Associate Director of Legal Talent who manages the secondment program to facilitate the identification, deployment, and reintegration of secondeesAlumni & Client Relationship Integration:Partner with the Marketing team to connect departing attorneys to the firm’s alumni support team.Collaborate with the Business Development team to identify opportunities where the Career Counseling Office can enhance client engagement, for instance, by helping clients source talent from among attorneys already known to be exploring external opportunitiesMake career support services available to Cooley alumniMarket Intelligence & Reporting:Track evolving hiring trends in in‑house departments and legal marketsShare insights with Legal Talent and firm leadership to shape strategic planningMaintain metrics on counseling volume, outcomes, and placementsOther:Serve as supervisor and mentor to direct reportsProvide day-to-day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with assigned work hours and monitor for compliance with all firm and department policies. Manage staffing coverage, review and process time logs/time off requestsSupport business professional development and continued educational opportunitiesIn collaboration with Director of Associate Development and HR, participate in hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination and other employee lifecycle events for those reporting to this role.All other duties as assigned or requiredSkills and experience:Required:After orientation at Cooley LLP, exhibit proficiency in the Microsoft Office suite, iManage and other firm applicationsAbility to work extended and/or weekend hours, as requiredAbility to travel, as required7+ years of experience in one or more of the following with 2+ years exempt/management experience in applicable field:Attorney professional developmentCareer counseling/coachingAttorney recruitingIn-house or law firm practiceAlumni relations or legal career servicesDemonstrated experience advising lawyers on career transitions, ideally including in-house movesFamiliarity with legal markets, legal operations, and corporate hiring needsPreferred:Bachelor’s and/or JD DegreeSupervisory experienceCompetencies:Professional demeanor and the ability to use initiative, diplomacy and tactAbility to make independent judgments/decisions based upon a set of principles rather than rulesAbility to act as a trusted, neutral advisor, earning confidence from lawyers and leadershipHigh emotional intelligence and strong discernment around sensitive career conversationsStrategic thinking around attorney development, transitions, and long-term talent strategyDeep knowledge of legal career paths—both within and outside of law firmsExperience coaching or advising lawyers, ideally including those transitioning to in-house rolesExcellent written and verbal communication; ability to provide direct yet supportive feedbackSkilled in resume editing, interview coaching, and narrative developmentAbility to establish relationships across practice groups, seniority levels, and officesComfort interacting with alumni, clients, and external partnersStrong aptitude for developing educational programs, workshops, and resourcesOrganizational skills to manage multiple counseling relationships and track dataDemonstrated ability to handle highly sensitive information discreetlyCooley offers a competitive compensation and excellent benefits package and is committed to fair and equitable employment practices.EOE.The expected annual pay range for this position with a full-time schedule is $155,000 - $225,000. Please note that final offer amount will be dependent on geographic location, applicable experience and skillset of the candidate.We offer a full range of elective benefits including medical, health savings account (with applicable medical plan), dental, vision, health and/or dependent care flexible spending accounts, pre-tax commuter benefits, life insurance, AD&D, long-term care coverage, backup care for children and/or adults and other parental support benefits. In addition to elective benefit options, benefited employees receive firm-paid life insurance, AD&D, LTD, short term medical benefits as well as 21 days of Paid Time Off (“PTO”) and 10 paid holidays each year. We provide generous parental leave and fertility benefits. New employees will attend a detailed benefit orientation to learn more about our many benefits and resources.SummaryLocation: New York; Santa Monica; Los Angeles; Palo Alto; Chicago; Washington DC; Boston; Colorado; Seattle; San Francisco; San Diego; RestonType: Full time