Career guide
Communications Manager: Job Description, Skills and Career Path
A communications manager plans and writes what a company says to the people who matter to it, which can include the media, employees, customers and the public. A marketing communications (marcom) manager focuses on the customer side, keeping messages consistent across campaigns, content, sales materials and launches.
Key takeaways
- A communications manager plans and writes a company's messages for audiences such as the media, employees, customers and the public.
- A marcom manager is a communications manager focused on marketing, keeping product and brand messages consistent across every channel customers see.
- Communications manager roles vary widely, so the posting's mix of PR, internal communications, executive messaging and content is the best guide to what the job really is.
- Most communications managers come from PR, journalism, content or marketing roles where they wrote for several audiences.
- BLS has no separate pay figure for communications managers; public relations managers is the nearest group.
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“Communications manager” covers a wide range of jobs. In one company it’s mostly press; in another it’s the CEO’s emails to staff; in a third it’s every brochure and product page. Read the posting closely before you decide how to pitch yourself.
What does a communications manager do?
A communications manager makes sure a company says the right things, clearly and consistently, to each audience it cares about. The audiences and channels depend on the role.
| Type of role | Main audiences | Typical work |
|---|---|---|
| Corporate communications | Media, public, investors, community | Press releases, statements, executive messaging, reputation |
| Internal communications | Employees | Leadership updates, intranet, all-hands, change announcements |
| Marketing communications (marcom) | Customers and prospects | Messaging, campaigns, launches, sales materials, content |
| Nonprofit, public sector, education | Donors, members, students, residents | Newsletters, website, press, events, reports |
A typical week, in a mixed role:
- Writing and editing: announcements, newsletters, web copy, speeches, talking points.
- Planning: the communications calendar across launches, events and company news.
- Executive support: drafting messages, posts and remarks for leaders.
- Press: working with reporters directly or through a PR manager or agency.
- Consistency: keeping messaging and tone aligned across teams and channels.
- Measurement: open and read rates, coverage, engagement and feedback.
What a marcom manager does
A marcom manager is the communications manager inside a marketing team. They own the messaging framework, write or brief launch copy, produce sales and customer materials, and check that ads, emails, social and the website all say the same thing. In B2B companies the role often sits close to product marketing.
Marcom managers spend a lot of time making sure other people’s work says the same thing. A product team writes a feature page, sales builds a deck, an agency writes the ads, and the marcom manager checks each one against the agreed messaging before it goes out. Good ones keep a short, current messaging document that everyone actually uses, rather than a long one nobody opens.
Communications manager job description
Copy this and replace the [brackets]. Name the audiences the person will write for.
Job title: Communications Manager [or Marketing Communications Manager] About [Organization] [Two sentences: what you do and who you need to reach.] About the role We're hiring a Communications Manager to plan and write how [Organization] talks to [audiences: media, employees, customers, members]. You'll own our communications calendar, write and edit across [channels], and advise leaders on messaging. You'll report to [title]. What you'll do - Plan and run communications for [launches, company news, events, change programs]. - Write and edit [press releases, newsletters, web copy, executive messages, sales materials]. - Keep messaging consistent across [teams and channels]. - Work with [PR agency / reporters / internal teams] on announcements. - Support leaders with talking points, posts and remarks. - Measure what's working and improve it. What you'll bring - [X]+ years in communications, PR, journalism or marketing. - Excellent writing and editing for different audiences. - Experience planning communications for [launches / change / events]. - Good judgment on sensitive topics. - [Tools: e.g. email platforms, CMS, media databases, intranet.] How we'll measure success - [Metric 1: e.g. read rate on employee updates] - [Metric 2: e.g. coverage or engagement for launches] - [Metric 3: e.g. consistent messaging across channels] Pay and benefits [Salary range], [benefits], [location / hybrid / remote].
Skills and tools
A communications manager needs to write well for many audiences and keep many stakeholders aligned.
| Skill or tool | What it’s for | How to show it on a resume |
|---|---|---|
| Writing and editing | Everything the role produces | Pieces you wrote and what they did |
| Messaging frameworks | Keeping teams consistent | A framework you built and who uses it |
| Executive communications | Writing in a leader’s voice | Speeches, posts or memos you drafted |
| Media relations | Announcements and press | Coverage you secured or supported |
| Email and intranet tools | Internal and customer newsletters | Read or open rate improvement |
| Content management systems | Web and blog updates | Pages or sections you own |
| Project planning | The communications calendar | Launches delivered on time across teams |
A resume line for a mixed role:
Planned and wrote communications for [launch / change] across [audiences], including [press release, employee update, customer email]; [result: coverage, read rate, adoption].
How to become a communications manager
Most communications managers move up from a specialist or coordinator role in PR, communications, content or marketing. The steps:
- Build a writing portfolio across audiences: a press release, an internal update, a customer email, a short speech.
- Learn media basics. Our guide on how to become a PR specialist covers pitching and releases.
- Own a calendar. Coordinate communications for one launch or event across several teams.
- Write for a leader. Offer to draft a manager’s update or a post; executive writing is a big part of many roles.
- Apply for specialist roles first if you’re new: communications coordinator, communications specialist, marcom specialist.
How to get experience without the title
You likely already do some of this work under another title. Content marketers can take on the company newsletter or launch messaging. Journalists already write fast for an audience; add stakeholder management. Marketing coordinators can volunteer to own the internal update on marketing’s work. The content marketing manager guide covers a nearby path.
Career path
| Before | The role | After |
|---|---|---|
| Communications coordinator or specialist, PR specialist, journalist, content writer, marketing coordinator | Communications manager, marcom manager, internal communications manager | Senior communications manager, director of communications, head of internal communications, VP of communications, chief communications officer |
How much does a communications manager make?
BLS has no separate figure for communications managers. The nearest US government group is public relations managers, on our PR manager salary page by percentile and state. Marcom managers inside a marketing team may sit closer to the marketing manager salary figures.
Interview questions to expect
Communications manager interviews test writing, judgment and how you work across teams. Expect:
- "Tell me about a communication you planned from start to finish." Tests planning and results.
- "How would you announce [difficult change] to employees?" Tests empathy, sequencing and clarity.
- "How do you write in an executive’s voice?" Tests listening and editing.
- "Two teams want different messages for the same launch. What do you do?" Tests alignment skills.
- "How do you measure communications?" Tests whether you track more than output.
- "Edit this paragraph for our customers." A common writing exercise.
A communications interview is itself a writing sample said out loud. Prepare your stories, then tell them the way you’d tell a colleague, in your own words: they want to hear your voice, because your voice is the job.
Tailor your resume to the posting
A corporate comms role, an internal comms role and a marcom role want different proof. Lead with the audiences and channels this posting names. Recon reads the posting and your resume and suggests rewrites that use only what’s already true on your resume.
FAQ
What’s the difference between a communications manager and a PR manager?
A PR manager focuses on the media and external reputation. A communications manager often covers more audiences, including employees and customers, and more channels. The titles overlap, so read the posting.
What does marcom stand for?
Marcom is short for marketing communications: the messages a company sends to customers and prospects through campaigns, content, sales materials and other channels.
What does an internal communications manager do?
An internal communications manager keeps employees informed and on board. They write leadership updates, run the intranet and all-hands content, and plan how big changes such as reorganizations or new policies are announced, in what order and by whom.
Do you need a communications degree?
Many postings ask for a degree in communications, journalism, English or marketing. A strong writing portfolio and experience across audiences often matter more.
What does a corporate communications manager do?
A corporate communications manager looks after the company’s reputation as a whole: media relations, executive messaging, announcements, crisis plans and often internal communications. It sits closer to the CEO’s office than marketing communications, which supports product and brand campaigns.
Can a communications manager work remotely?
Often, yes, especially in internal communications and content-heavy roles. Media relations and executive communications roles are more often hybrid, because they involve events, interviews and time with leaders. Our remote marketing jobs guide covers where to look.