WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR DO?

Published: August 14, 2024 - The Communications Director devises long-term strategies to enhance the organization's mission, integrating public engagement and educational initiatives. This role coordinates events, manages digital content across platforms, and ensures consistent corporate communication. Additionally, the Director collaborates across functions to innovate processes and stay updated on digital media trends.

A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Communications Director

1. Communications Director Duties

  • Marketing Strategy: Develop, implement, and evaluate annual marketing and communications plans to reach target audiences and stakeholders of the business unit.  
  • Team Management: Manage workflow and career development of business unit proposal development resources.  
  • Win Strategy Counseling: Provide win strategy counseling to pursuit teams and ensure messaging translates throughout deliverables.  
  • Message Development: Develop key messages for internal and external stakeholders that effectively differentiate business units in its industry, clearly communicate its key selling propositions.  
  • Visibility Maximization: Maximize the visibility of the business unit while showcasing the thought leadership of the business unit leader and its clients alike.  
  • Internal Communications: Work closely with the business unit leader to execute a robust internal communications plan.  
  • Media Relations: Manage all media, blogger, and influencer communications which include media events, groundbreakings, project milestones, trade shows, etc.  
  • Digital Marketing: Work with the enterprise Social Media Manager and Owned Media Manager to manage business unit website(s), digital marketing programs, social media accounts, and email marketing to exceed industry benchmarks.  
  • Web Development: Coordinate web development efforts and maintenance to ensure new and consistent information is posted regularly and consistently.  
  • Business Promotion: Coordinate with the business development team on ways to promote developments and business units in targeted markets.  
  • Agency Management: Manage internal and external agencies while providing management with monthly reports demonstrating achievements vs. goals.  
  • Website Transition: Oversee the transition of the website to a new, updated platform.  
  • Membership Database Maintenance: Assist with the maintenance of the membership database.  
  • Content Management: Assist staff in creating, finding, and posting content on various platforms.  
  • Social Media Management: Manage social media presence in line with established brand guidelines.

2. Director of Communications Details

  • Business Strategy Expertise: Become an expert in business, strategy, and the market for services  
  • Team Leadership: Lead and develop a team of talented internal and external communications professionals  
  • Public Relations Management: Manage and leverage external public relations partners  
  • Communications Strategy: Develop and manage impactful communications strategies with an emphasis on brand awareness, value demonstration, employee engagement, and motivation  
  • Content Delivery: Design and deliver the right content to the right audience at the right time, every time  
  • Channel Optimization: Optimize the use of digital and in-person communication channels, social media, and data analytics  
  • Executive Communication: Craft executive communications in partnership with and on behalf of diverse global leaders  
  • Collaboration: Collaborate effectively with colleagues and stakeholders across the organization to achieve mutual goals  
  • Change Management: Leverage communications to bring about positive organizational changes  
  • Continuous Improvement: Pursue best practices, embrace experimentation, and strive for continuous improvement  
  • Networking: Build a network with external peers, both within and external to detail-oriented services/consulting  
  • Analyst Relations: Partner effectively and manage analyst relationships to further Protiviti’s strategy  
  • Partnership Collaboration: Partner closely with the communications team of the partner company to develop mutually beneficial efforts  
  • Crisis Communication: Be a steady hand in times of crisis, crafting communications internally and externally in alignment with the value of integrity

3. Communications Director Responsibilities

  • External Communications Strategy: Refine and lead the execution of external communications strategy for prospects, customers, retail partners, influencers, prospective investors, and the media  
  • Comms Alignment: Push to constantly stretch and align comms strategy with mission, vision, and values  
  • PR Management: Manage PR agency to secure press placements that drive awareness, affinity, purchase, and loyalty among target audiences  
  • Impact Metrics: Develop metrics, tracking, and recurring reporting to demonstrate impact and increasing footprint in the period health category  
  • Awards and Recognition: Pitch company and CEO for external awards and recognition  
  • Media Pitching: Pitch the CEO for media interviews, conferences, podcasts, and event appearances  
  • Ghostwriting: Ghost-write and secure bylines in tier 1 press for a leadership team  
  • Leadership Coaching: Coach Leadership Team on speaking and presenting -- live, on video, and via audio  
  • Partnership Support: Aid the partnerships team with securing intros to brand ambassadors and influencers  
  • Industry Insights: Own the development of periodic industry insights/research series and a promotional plan to build anticipation and buzz around it  
  • Impact Report: Develop an annual impact/sustainability report  
  • Internal Communication: Develop a process for escalating and sharing internal guidance and announcements with the team  
  • Crisis Communication: Own crisis communications and coach the CX team to deal with any sticky situations that arise  
  • E-news Publication: Oversee the publication of the E-news, in collaboration with staff (6 times/year)  
  • Print Publications: Provide guidance and input to program-related print publications  
  • Campaign Support: Support promotional and fundraising campaigns through the development of materials (writing, layout)

4. Director Cvommunications, Corporates Segment Accountabilities

  • Product Marketing: Helping promote and market Corporates Segment products and thought leadership, in partnership with colleagues in other functions  
  • Employee Engagement: Engaging employees based on an established internal plan and strategic priorities  
  • Commercial Projects Support: Support a diverse set of commercial projects including business narrative development, product PR, sponsorships, and events, segment campaigns  
  • Client Communication Best Practices: Helps advise the business on best practices for client communications, including sales messaging, customer correspondence, and issues  
  • CSR and Impact Activation: Support CSR and Impact activation, public affairs, and community activities  
  • Reputation Management: Assisting with the formation and delivery of key messages around planned and unplanned issues impacting the reputation of the business and senior management  
  • Financial Communications: Provides support to the company's quarterly financial communications program  
  • Industry Awareness: Act as a resource, source of knowledge, and support to help raise awareness of corporates, legal and tax businesses, and Thomson Reuters more broadly  
  • Global Communication Alignment: Coordination and alignment with other business units and social impact teams to ensure clear communications across the globe  
  • Annual Communication Plan: Develop and implement the annual communication plan in conjunction with board members and other staff  
  • Endowment Fund Promotion: Providing communications support to all NA programs including promotion of the endowment fund  
  • Brand Alignment: Ensure all communications align with the established Nature Alberta brand  
  • Managing Editor: Serve as the managing editor of the quarterly Nature Alberta Magazine, supported by the editorial team and staff  
  • Website Management: Maintain and update the website and online store

5. Director of Communications Functions

  • Communications Plan Development: Develop and implement an annual communications plan for the Company Cancer Center, based on priorities and mandates outlined in the institutional strategic plan  
  • Timeline Management: Develop and maintain cancer-related communication program timelines including tracking deadlines for program deliverables  
  • Coordination: Coordinate all timelines with the Company Office of Communications and Brand Strategy and the Company Network marketing department  
  • Budget Management: Develop and manage program budget for cancer center marketing, communication, and events  
  • Team Supervision: Responsible for supervision of program staff including recruitment, hiring, orientation, training and development, and performance evaluation  
  • Material Development: Coordinate the development of program materials including Website(s) content, newsletters, press releases, marketing materials, annual reports, calendars, forms, reports, and other materials  
  • Media Relations: Foster relationships with area media  
  • Data Management: Oversee the collection, analysis, and dissemination of program data  
  • Stakeholder Communication: Work with Company cancer center Director to develop, implement, and maintain communication links with the cancer center membership, and cancer center staff at both Company and other regional and national partnering institutions  
  • Dashboard Reporting: Report communications data and progress through a dashboard to Cancer Center stakeholders, including the Cancer Center Director, Associate Director of Administration, and other Senior Leaders  
  • Database Management: Develop, implement, and maintain comprehensive databases and files related to the program  
  • Timeline Tracking: Maintain communication plan timeline including tracking deadlines for plan components  
  • Event Organization: Oversee the organization of internal and external meetings, site visits, and special events  
  • Compliance: Ensure compliance with regulatory and institutional policies

6. Communications Director Overview

  • Congressional Outreach: Expand outreach to Congressional Offices, The Department of Treasury, and the IRS to increase understanding of the role in promoting, protecting, and serving the tax and accounting practitioner community  
  • Liaison Role: Serve as liaison with NSA’s CEO and Executive Committee for congressional meetings and events  
  • Legislation Monitoring: Monitor federal and state legislation, congressional hearings, and markup on taxation policy issues that would affect NSA’s members  
  • Information Sharing: Gather relevant information to share with congressional and IRS audiences that promotes outcomes in support of the tax and accounting practitioner community  
  • Testimony Drafting: Assist in drafting congressional testimony and actively support the Company brand strategy, guidelines, and policies  
  • Network Expansion: Deepen and expand existing networks and coalitions that work together to support the tax and accounting practitioner community  
  • Contact Management: Manage contact databases to ensure regular and complete outreach to external audiences  
  • Content Creation: Create and edit content for NSA’s educational offerings, website, blog, and social media accounts  
  • External Communications: Contribute to the writing and design of e-newsletters, social media outreach, and other external communications strategies to substantially increase followers and NSA membership  
  • Testimony Writing: Write congressional and IRS testimony and comments to demonstrate the impact  
  • Media Development: Assist in the development of videos and podcasts to highlight the work on Capitol Hill, in State Houses, and with the IRS  
  • Information Monitoring: Monitor information sources, including but not limited to LexisNexis, Bloomberg BNA, Wolters Kluwer CCH, various think tanks, traditional media, blogs, and social media networks, for information relevant to NSA’s membership  
  • Special Projects Management: Oversee special projects as given by the CEO  
  • Policy Education: Assist the organization in maintaining persistent and persuasive written and verbal communication to educate on legislative and regulatory policies that affect tax and accounting practitioners  
  • Committee Participation: Participate in appropriate committees relevant to the advancement of the cancer center and the institution

7. Communications Director Tasks

  • Communications Strategy: Develop and maintain a creative and forward-thinking overall communications strategy to engage NEIWPCC’s many and diverse stakeholder groups  
  • Content Creation: Provide original writing as part of the development of marketing strategies for new and existing NEIWPCC products  
  • Team Oversight: Provide oversight of the communications division and staff  
  • Quality Control: Ensure consistent quality control in terms of accuracy, presentation, design, and grammar  
  • Departmental Guidance: Provide departmental staff with guidance and clear departmental deadlines for work products and deliverables  
  • Rebranding Leadership: Lead NEIWPCC’s rebranding efforts, ensuring an increase in strategic communications to targeted audiences to meet established brand and marketing goals  
  • Content-First Approach: Promote a “content-first” approach, always asking who needs the content and what the best way is to share it  
  • Data-Driven Optimization: Guide the team to optimize its publications, PR, event, and social media strategy with a data-driven attitude  
  • Brand Education: Continue launch efforts of the updated brand to educate and engage internal and external stakeholders as ambassadors  
  • Milestone Planning: Work to meet existing calendar objectives and propose future milestones and targeted deadlines  
  • Brand Reinforcement: Champion efforts to reinforce the brand through print media, social media, event-focused communications, and public/government relations  
  • Publication Management: Oversee, write, and produce NEIWPCC’s newsletter, bulletins, reports, publications, and specialty products such as the Annual Report and State Summary Sheets  
  • Vendor Management: Selection and management of vendors for graphic design, printing, and other needs  
  • Special Projects: With support from the EPA’s Office of Underground Storage Tanks, develop L.U.S.T.Line issues twice per year  
  • Material Development: Develop and distribute information materials and documents such as booths, press releases, marketing tools, fliers, fact sheets, lists of materials available, questionnaires, exhibits, videos, and presentations

8. Director Communication Roles

  • Communication Strategy: Envision and enroll the organization in key communication initiatives and execute the plans  
  • Strategic Planning: Develop and refresh a strategic communication plan that supports short- and long-term business growth strategy  
  • Content Development: Advance strategic program messaging and content in multiple channels (planning, writing, graphics, video)  
  • Message Translation: Translate leadership vision into easy messages and narratives, tailored for different audiences and strategic goals  
  • Best Practices: Develop best practices for a gold-standard communications framework and messaging to discover and strengthen purpose, mission, and values  
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Facilitate and be a valued resource for leadership and key stakeholders in communicating changes and initiatives within organization  
  • Written Content Consultation: Serve as a written content consultant to coach, elevate, and deliver effective communications across the organization  
  • Crisis Communication: Provide support, advice, and content for sensitive and crisis communication in partnership with other key stakeholders  
  • Internal Consistency: Strive for consistency in approach and messaging for internal communications  
  • Communications Schedule: Create and manage a master communications schedule and calendar in partnership with functions  
  • Metrics and Feedback: Establish metrics and gain feedback to measure effectiveness and progress against objectives to ensure continued program optimization  
  • Purpose-Driven Messaging: Develop a gold-standard communications framework and messaging to communicate purpose, mission, and values  
  • Storytelling: Discover opportunities to showcase stories, successes, symbols, and branding elements to support overall engagement and culture  
  • Engagement Planning: Develop and execute engagement action planning in partnership with leaders and functions  
  • Program Enhancement: Assess the relevance of People Services initiatives and programs and enhance 

9. Communications Director Details and Accountabilities

  • Communications Strategy: Develop long-term education and communications strategies to support, protect, and advance the mission of the organization.  
  • Strategic Planning: Work with the NSA Board to develop and implement strategic plans on external outreach and communications both in Washington and across the country.  
  • Communications Strategy: Develop long-term education and communications strategies to support, protect, and advance the mission of the organization.  
  • Strategic Planning: Work with the NSA Board to develop and implement strategic plans on external outreach and communications both in Washington and across the country.  
  • Program Support: Assist Program Managers with public participation, information, education, and consistency-building programs to support activities.  
  • Outreach Materials Development: Develop public participation and outreach materials, including display materials.  
  • Progress Reporting: Assist the Business Operations Manager and Executive Director in the preparation of quarterly progress reports.  
  • Event Coordination: Organize short courses, seminars, and technical forums including hotel arrangements, agenda development, speaker invitations, registration forms, mailings to attendees, and registration.  
  • Budget Coordination: Coordinate with Program Managers on budgets, bids, and contracts/POs.  
  • Systems Management: Coordinate the updating and maintenance of the website and social media platforms.  
  • Webpage Maintenance: Maintain appropriate web pages to ensure they are up-to-date and accurate.  
  • Digital Publishing: Create and publish documents in electronic format for distribution.  
  • Cross-functional Collaboration: Work with cross-functional teams and leaders to aid in Town Hall, social media, marlin, and future digital elements to ensure cultural messaging and energy in communications.  
  • Collaboration: Demonstrate exceptional collaboration across corporate social responsibility, investor relations, public relations, and philanthropy functions to ensure we build and grow new processes together.  
  • Digital Optimization: Ensure optimized use of existing corporate digital and stay abreast of emerging trends in social media and digital.  
  • Social Media Strategy: Support social media and digital strategy for media channels.

10. Director of Communications Additional Details

  • Communications Strategy: Set strategy and develop Grabango's annual communications plan and PR calendar.  
  • Performance Management: Monitor and manage performance against plan.  
  • Media Relations: Cultivate new and maintain existing high-value relationships with the media and influential retail, fintech, and other technology industry professionals.  
  • Communications Coordination: Orchestrate and coordinate all external and internal communications for Grabango.  
  • Executive Coaching: Coach senior management for communications events.  
  • PR Management: Arrange interviews and press releases to promote Grabango's products and services.  
  • Brand Consistency: Ensure brand consistency across all internal and external media channels.  
  • Impact Measurement: Influence media and consumers (social media), measure impact, and produce easy-to-read reporting.  
  • Reputation Management: Advice on potential reputational implications stemming from operational changes.  
  • Media Spokesperson: Serve as a media spokesperson for inquiries related to Shipt operations and technology.  
  • Social Media Strategy: Lead social media strategy, define the editorial direction with the help of the Brand image team, and monitor the evolution of social media platforms.  
  • E-commerce Support: Ensure that communication strategy and activities, particularly on social media, support the expansion of e-commerce business.  
  • Media Investment: Partner with the Marketing Director in defining the media investment in Western Regions.  
  • Storytelling Alignment: Work closely with the Senior Brand team to align on storytelling and launch plans at the conception stage.
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