Senior Manager of Career Counseling

Senior Manager of Career Counseling

United States, Washington, Seattle

Feb 23, 2026

Cooley is seeking a Senior Manager of Career Counseling to join the Professional Development team. The Senior Manager of Career Counseling will build and lead the Cooley Career Counseling Office, a resource hub that will support attorneys exploring or preparing for career paths beyond Cooley. This role will serve as a trusted resource for career navigation, providing personalized job‑search support, tools, connections 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 high‑impact resource within the firm and work with attorneys at pivotal moments in their careers.

As part of the Cooley culture, we recognize and appreciate the value of being together in person, building camaraderie in the office, and contributing as a member of the Cooley office. However, we also appreciate the benefits and flexibility of remote working. The default assumption is a hybrid schedule: some in‑office presence and some work‑from‑home days, except for essential in‑office roles that require five (5) days per week.

• One‑on‑One Career Counseling
  • Provide confidential advising to attorneys exploring roles outside the firm, incl. in‑house, public sector, nonprofit, and alternative legal or business paths.
  • Guide attorneys through career exploration, decision‑making, and transition planning.
  • Offer tailored feedback on resumes, Linked In profiles, personal narratives, and job‑search strategy.
  • Provide mock interview practice and prepare attorneys for each stage of the hiring process, from screening interviews to senior‑level negotiations.
• Job 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 industries.
    • Webinars on transition strategy (e.g., in‑house expectations, business acumen).
• Secondment Program Support
  • Maintain a secondment interest list.
  • Work with the Associate Director of Legal Talent to facilitate the identification, deployment, and reintegration of secondees.
• Alumni & 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, e.g., by helping clients source talent from attorneys exploring external opportunities.
  • Make career support services available to Cooley alumni.
• Market Intelligence & Reporting
  • Track evolving hiring trends in in‑house departments and legal markets.
  • Share insights with Legal Talent and firm leadership to shape strategic planning.
  • Maintain metrics on counseling volume, outcomes, and placements.
• Other
  • Serve as supervisor and mentor to direct reports.
  • Provide day‑to‑day supervision of direct reports, ensure compliance with work‑hour policies, manage staffing coverage, and review time logs/time‑off requests.
  • Support business professional development and continued educational opportunities.
  • Collaborate with the Director of Associate Development and HR on hiring, performance appraisals, counseling, termination, and other employee lifecycle events for staff reporting to this role.
  • All other duties as assigned or required.

Required:

• 7+ years of experience in one or more of the following with 2+ years exempt/management experience in an applicable field:
  • Attorney professional development.
  • Career counseling/coaching.
  • Attorney recruiting.
  • In‑house or law firm practice.
  • Alumni…