How to hire a communications department head

How to hire a communications department head, step by step

Here's a step-by-step communications department head hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a communications department head job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new communications department head
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a communications department head do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a communications department head, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   Hiring the perfect communications department head also involves considering the ideal background you'd like them to have. Depending on what industry or field they have experience in, they'll bring different skills to the job. It's also important to consider what levels of seniority and education the job requires and what kind of salary such a candidate would likely demand.

   The following list breaks down different types of communications department heads and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Communications Department Head	Description	Hourly rate
   Communications Department Head	Public relations specialists create and maintain a favorable public image for the organization they represent. They design media releases to shape public perception of their organization and to increase awareness of its work and goals.	$25-80
   Digital Media Internship	In a digital media internship, an intern participates in various creative projects while under the supervision and guidance of a supervising manager or staff. They usually perform support tasks to gather industry insights and experience, which typically includes creating digital content according to project guidelines and themes, conducting research and analyses, utilizing client feedback, and handling digital platforms, such as websites and social media pages... Show more	$11-19
   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... Show more	$11-18

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Communications Strategy
   • External Communications
   • External Stakeholders
   • Direct Reports
   • Corporate Communications
   • Facebook
   • Press Releases
   • Global Communications
   • Blog Posts
   • Crisis Communications
   • External Audiences
   • Brand Awareness
   • Twitter
   • Business Objectives

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage and develop marketing, communication, and implementation process improvements for training curricula and the department's intranet website.
   • See it on YouTube . )
   • Compose themed bi-weekly bulletins on Facebook to publicize performances.
   • Develop digital and social media strategy and launch internal and external websites and Facebook page.
   • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
   • Serve as Intranet editor, using SharePoint.

   More communications department head duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your communications department head job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A communications department head salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a communications department head in South Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level communications department head usually earns less than a senior-level communications department head. Additionally, a communications department head with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average communications department head salary

   $95,503yearly

   $45.91 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level communications department head salary

   $54,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 23, 2026

   Average communications department head salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$149,027	$72
   2	New York	$130,342	$63
   3	Washington	$129,645	$62
   4	District of Columbia	$127,497	$61
   5	Connecticut	$126,193	$61
   6	Massachusetts	$123,259	$59
   7	New Jersey	$120,727	$58
   8	Rhode Island	$113,173	$54
   9	Virginia	$109,407	$53
   10	Ohio	$106,037	$51
   11	Illinois	$105,125	$51
   12	New Hampshire	$102,636	$49
   13	Pennsylvania	$99,469	$48
   14	Michigan	$93,447	$45
   15	Idaho	$87,889	$42
   16	Arkansas	$87,820	$42
   17	North Carolina	$84,069	$40
   18	Louisiana	$78,310	$38
   19	Georgia	$76,838	$37
   20	Texas	$75,673	$36

   Average communications department head salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Credit Agricole CIB	$174,818	$84.05	3
   2	Meta	$171,505	$82.45	18
   3	Angelo Gordon	$162,112	$77.94
   4	Bulltick	$161,198	$77.50
   5	Hoffmann-LA Roche Inc	$154,483	$74.27	1
   6	Commonwealth Fusion Systems	$149,411	$71.83
   7	Regeneron	$138,160	$66.42
   8	Atlassian	$132,495	$63.70	9
   9	Wikimedia Foundation	$126,894	$61.01
   10	Audible	$126,201	$60.67	2
   11	Johnson & Johnson	$125,388	$60.28	11
   12	NI	$124,592	$59.90
   13	Stripe	$112,995	$54.32	7
   14	PowerToFly	$112,804	$54.23
   15	Tyson Foods	$104,664	$50.32
   16	Global Indemnity Group	$104,094	$50.05
   17	Harvard University	$103,741	$49.88
   18	Siemens	$99,514	$47.84	5
   19	StoneX Group	$98,948	$47.57
   20	Peek	$92,952	$44.69

4. Writing a communications department head job description

   A job description for a communications department head role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a communications department head job description:

   Communications department head job description example

   12-month tenured position

   Reporting to the Dean of Library, the Library Systems Department Head is responsible for providing high-quality, robust management of library systems (applications and hardware) that facilitate search, discovery, and delivery of library services and resources. The Library Systems Department Head works collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders, to support the discoverability of library resources in both the physical and digital realms. This position plays a key role in NMSU Librarys integrated information technology-library ecosystem. This Library Systems Department Head is tasked with managing current systems and works on projects to deliver new services of high-quality to support an intensive research and multi-disciplined environment. As a member of the library faculty, pursues an active and ongoing program of professional development appropriate for rank at the university. Ensures compliance with relevant library and university policies and procedures, including department head roles and responsibilities as specified in New Mexico State University Administrative Rules and Procedures (ARP). 6.72-Department Heads Responsibilities.
   As a member of the library faculty, is responsible for achieving in the following areas:

   • Librarianship
   • Scholarship and Creative Activity
   • Outreach and Extension (when appropriate)
   • Service

   Specific duties of the incumbent include the following:

   • Oversees internal systems administration for NMSU Library and IT-related workflows and infrastructure
   • Monitors the trends in the field and implements new and emerging library data management applications and knowledge systems, such as next generation library catalogs, aggregated discovery tools, research and collaboration systems, instructional technology, digital archives, and simulation and presentation tools.
   • Works closely with library staff, the systems unit, and other organizational entities within NMSU and NMSU Library to ensure systems are optimized for all library operations.
   • Maintains up to date documentation regarding systems, policies, procedures and practices.
   • Promotes a diverse environment.

   Moving allowance included.

   New Mexico State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer; Minorities, Females, Veterans, and those with a Disability are encouraged to apply.
   

   PandoLogic. Keywords: Department Chair, Location: Washington, DC - 20037

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right communications department head for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your communications department head job on Zippia to find and recruit communications department head candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with communications department head candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new communications department head

   Once you have selected a candidate for the communications department head position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   You should also follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that you've filled the position.

   To prepare for the new communications department head first day, you should share an onboarding schedule with them that covers their first period on the job. You should also quickly complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Finally, Human Resources must ensure a new employee file is created for internal record keeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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How much does it cost to hire a communications department head?