What does an associate director of communications do?
Associate Directors of Communications are professionals in an executive role in the company. They are responsible for creating information campaigns and information dissemination tools for both internal employees and external parties. They create communication plans which include content and media type. They are expected to have a good command of the company's preferred language. They should be familiar with the target audience so they can adjust their communication plans based on context. Associate directors of communications should sign off on all communications-related concerns to ensure that the messaging, tone, and content are cohesive.
Associate director of communications responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real associate director of communications resumes:
- Manage supervisory staff in their oversight of the day-to-day activities of marketing representatives.
- Lead copywriting for newly launch Chinese language website LeEco.com/Chinese to attract Chinese American customers.
- Assist with development, oversight and implementation functional pieces of vision.
- Expand prospective donor audience through email acquisition campaigns, primarily on Facebook.
- Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
- Advise on communications design; oversee all proofreading activities.
- Manage creative agency relationships and lead execution of commercial excellence awards program, Americas mid-year growth summit and kick-off meetings.
Associate director of communications skills and personality traits
We calculated that 9% of Associate Directors Of Communications are proficient in Oversight, PowerPoint, and Strategic Communications. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Speaking skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Associate Directors Of Communications that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Oversight, 9%
Provided staff oversight to the public policy committee and to the Board of Directors' engagement plan.
- PowerPoint, 7%
Implemented faculty and residency recruitment drives using video, still photography, PowerPoint, print, and Web tools.
- Strategic Communications, 6%
Develop strategic communications work plans and manage complex projects from conception to design to distribution of multi-channel, high-quality deliverables.
- External Communications, 6%
Managed all media relations and internal/external communications for prestigious, nationally ranked UCSD Jacobs School of Engineering.
- Employee Engagement, 5%
Collaborated with Mercer and ADP on high-profile project to introduce annual Total Compensation Statements to promote employee engagement and retention.
- Press Releases, 5%
Created press releases and advertisements for distribution in national publications.
Most associate directors of communications use their skills in "oversight," "powerpoint," and "strategic communications" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential associate director of communications responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for an associate director of communications to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "public relations specialists deal with the public and the media regularly." Additionally, an associate director of communications resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "develop sales and marketing strategy manage social media manage and develop marketing collateral relationship building strong interpersonal skills branding networking"
Speaking skills. Many associate director of communications duties rely on speaking skills. "public relations specialists regularly speak on behalf of clients or their organization," so an associate director of communications will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways associate director of communications responsibilities rely on speaking skills: "presented recommendations to senior administration for implementation of arts-specific crm solutions to centralize data and streamline communications. "
Writing skills. associate directors of communications are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to associate director of communications responsibilities, because "public relations specialists must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases, speeches, and social media posts." An associate director of communications resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "coordinated pre-production, writing, editing and distribution of annual report, directory, e-newsletters and collateral materials. "
Organizational skills. A big part of what associate directors of communications do relies on "organizational skills." You can see how essential it is to associate director of communications responsibilities because "public relations specialists are often in charge of managing several events or communications at the same time, which requires excellent skills in coordinating arrangements." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical associate director of communications tasks: "develop strategic communications plans for organizational initiatives. "
Problem-solving skills. Another crucial skill for an associate director of communications to carry out their responsibilities is "problem-solving skills." A big part of what associate directors of communications relies on this skill, since "public relations specialists sometimes must explain how a company or client is handling sensitive issues." How this skill relates to associate director of communications duties can be seen in an example from an associate director of communications resume snippet: "engaged with marketing & regulatory affairs to ensure solution in line with proposed fda guidance on medical applications. "
The three companies that hire the most associate director of communicationss are:
- Ernst & Young17 associate directors of communications jobs
- Bristol-Myers Squibb16 associate directors of communications jobs
- Sanofi US11 associate directors of communications jobs
Compare different associate directors of communications
Associate director of communications vs. Chief of staff
A chief of staff primarily supports an executive through performing various administrative tasks. Most of their responsibilities revolve around collaborating with other executive support personnel to devise strategies that will help the company, responding to inquiries and correspondence, approving communications letters, managing schedules, setting appointments, and serving as an advisor to the executive. Furthermore, when it comes to issues and disputes, the chief of staff must be quick to conduct research and perform damage control to help the executive and the company rise from the occasion.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, associate director of communications responsibilities require skills like "strategic communications," "employee engagement," "alumni," and "community engagement." Meanwhile a typical chief of staff has skills in areas such as "pet," "team support," "good judgment," and "project management." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
On average, chiefs of staff reach similar levels of education than associate directors of communications. Chiefs of staff are 1.3% more likely to earn a Master's Degree and 3.6% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Associate director of communications vs. Public relations internship
A public relations intern is responsible for assisting the public relations department in creating content to engage customers and prospective clients in availing of the goods and services of the company. Public relations interns participate in meetings to suggest strategies and observe areas of improvement. They also perform administrative duties as needed, post social media updates, review press releases, and research market trends. A public relations intern must be detail-oriented and communicative to assist customers with their concerns and inquiries.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real associate director of communications resumes. While associate director of communications responsibilities can utilize skills like "oversight," "strategic communications," "external communications," and "employee engagement," public relations interns use skills like "press clippings," "instagram," "press kits," and "press materials."
Average education levels between the two professions vary. Public relations interns tend to reach lower levels of education than associate directors of communications. In fact, they're 13.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 3.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate director of communications vs. Social media internship
In a social media internship, the primary role is to take part in managing a brand's social media platforms for public relations. One of their primary duties is to craft informative and captivating content while under the supervision and guidelines of a manager or supervisor. Furthermore, there may also be instances where an intern must participate in devising strategies that would bring more public recognition to the brand, such as social media campaigns to boost sales and improve client base.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, an associate director of communications is likely to be skilled in "oversight," "strategic communications," "external communications," and "employee engagement," while a typical social media internship is skilled in "instagram," "facebook insights," "social media marketing," and "youtube."
Most social media interns achieve a lower degree level compared to associate directors of communications. For example, they're 14.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.4% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Associate director of communications vs. Director
Directors work in show business, whether in a film, a television show, or a theatre production. They are responsible for bringing the material to life. They work with the writers to get a clear vision of how the production should look. They lead the production team in planning for the production, identifying filming or rehearsing schedules, casting for roles, and other aspects that need to be decided upon. Directors provide direction to the actors to ensure that the actors understand their role and will be able to effectively convey emotions to the audience. They also manage all other crew members and communicate their expectations clearly so that everyone on the set is working towards one vision.
Types of associate director of communications
Updated January 8, 2025
