How to hire a communications lead

How to hire a communications lead, step by step

Here's a step-by-step communications lead 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 lead job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new communications lead
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a communications lead do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a communications lead, 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

   You should also consider the ideal background you'd like them a communications lead to have before you start to hire. For example, what industry or field would you like them to have experience in, what level of seniority or education does the job require, and how much it'll cost to hire a communications lead that fits the bill.

   This list presents communications lead salaries for various positions.

   Type of Communications Lead	Description	Hourly rate
   Communications Lead	Social and community service managers coordinate and supervise social service programs and community organizations. They manage staff who provide social services to the public.	$32-66
   Media Director	A media director spearheads and oversees a company's entire media-related activities, including marketing and advertising campaigns. They are in charge of setting goals and guidelines, liaising and building positive relationships with external parties, conceptualizing plans for projects and campaigns, and developing strategies to optimize operations... Show more	$35-82
   Director Of Public Affairs	Directors of Public Affairs are executives who manage the public relations and communications initiatives of the company. They oversee all external communications that are intended for broadcast... Show more	$33-89

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Project Management
   • Strategic Communications
   • HR
   • Customer Service
   • Community Outreach
   • Digital Marketing
   • External Communications
   • Patients
   • Marketing Campaigns
   • Employee Engagement
   • Corporate Communications
   • Community Engagement
   • Instagram
   • External Stakeholders

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Lead content migration of old intranet to new SharePoint platform.
   • Manage editorial calendar and writing content for digital assets including intranet and external web.
   • Lead copywriting for newly launch Chinese language website LeEco.com/Chinese to attract Chinese American customers.
   • Manage intranet content, with responsibility for project news, executive visibility, community activities, educational outreach.
   • Manage and overseen housing operations, administration of HUD programs, supervise maintenance and/or improvements of residential properties.
   • Serve as SharePoint site administrator, creating intranet, surveys and resource repository.

   More communications lead duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the communications lead job description is a good way to get more applicants. A communications lead salary can be affected by several factors, such as the location of the job, the level of experience, education, certifications, and the employer's prestige.

   For example, the average salary for a communications lead in Mississippi may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level communications lead. Additionally, a communications lead with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average communications lead salary

   $96,988yearly

   $46.63 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level communications lead salary

   $67,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 20, 2026

   Average communications lead salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$133,744	$64
   2	Pennsylvania	$110,187	$53
   3	Arizona	$109,024	$52
   4	New Jersey	$105,308	$51
   5	New York	$99,453	$48
   6	Oregon	$98,925	$48
   7	Connecticut	$97,909	$47
   8	Texas	$96,398	$46
   9	Virginia	$93,392	$45
   10	Washington	$92,384	$44
   11	Indiana	$92,263	$44
   12	Maryland	$91,309	$44
   13	District of Columbia	$90,914	$44
   14	Minnesota	$89,754	$43
   15	Illinois	$87,563	$42
   16	North Carolina	$86,552	$42
   17	Georgia	$84,151	$40
   18	Delaware	$82,736	$40
   19	Utah	$81,008	$39
   20	Ohio	$78,983	$38

   Average communications lead salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Meta	$167,376	$80.47	30
   2	Boston Consulting Group	$159,841	$76.85	2
   3	Arc Aspicio	$152,454	$73.30
   4	Lyft	$152,390	$73.26	1
   5	Apple	$146,540	$70.45	15
   6	Latham & Watkins	$145,137	$69.78	1
   7	Citi	$141,625	$68.09	6
   8	Koch Industries	$137,078	$65.90
   9	Microsoft	$135,411	$65.10	5
   10	Barclays	$135,111	$64.96
   11	AstraZeneca	$133,261	$64.07	2
   12	BNY Mellon	$132,059	$63.49	2
   13	Abt Associates	$130,434	$62.71	1
   14	Amazon	$128,278	$61.67	62
   15	J.P. Morgan	$127,604	$61.35
   16	Accenture	$127,529	$61.31	87
   17	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$127,091	$61.10	3
   18	Stryker	$124,117	$59.67	12
   19	Capco	$123,612	$59.43
   20	Micron Technology	$123,139	$59.20

4. Writing a communications lead job description

   A communications lead job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. To help get you started, here's an example of a communications lead job description:

   Communications lead job description example

   The Council works to expand business opportunities for minority-owned companies in an effort to build a stronger, more equitable society by supporting and promoting minority business development. The Council has over 58 corporate members and approximately 300 certified minority businesses. The Council organizes networking events, educational sessions, and unique opportunities that serve as venues for Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs) and corporate members to come together and identify mutually beneficial opportunities to work with one another.

   The Council is a private, non-profit organization categorized by the IRS as 501(c)(3). The Council is headquartered in Indianapolis and relies on local advisory committee volunteers to assist with programs in each region. This approach helps develop closer relationships with members, and better define programs and services. The Council is one of 23 affiliates of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).

   Major Responsibilities

   The Director of Marketing Communications reports to the President/CEO and is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive internal and external marketing and communications plan that will increase revenues, profits, and visibility. This position is expected to uphold the mission and values established by the organization.

   Essential Job Functions

   · Assists with the development of a strategic marketing plan as well as implements the recommendations of the plan.

   · Furnishes marketing advice, counsel, and general staff support to all departments within the organization.

   · Develops marketing campaigns for Council programs and events. This includes formulating a specific budget and expenditure plan for each.

   · Develops messaging for brochures or other print or electronic ads to market programs and services.

   · Assists in developing an evaluation process to gain feedback from constituents.

   · Prepare communications materials for corporate members giving snapshots of certified MBE capabilities as well as industry composition.

   · Prepare communications materials to be used to solicit potential corporate members and MBEs.

   · Completes projects as assigned by the President/CEO.

   · Develops and manages organic and paid social media and search campaigns, assessing analytics, advising cross-functional teams to maximize ROI, and drive traffic and conversions. Develops branding templates to ensure consistency in look, feel, and messaging.

   · Lead integrated end-to-end digital marketing campaigns through the targeting, creation, implementation, tracking, and analysis of initiatives.

   · Serves as owner and oversight of website redesign and content refresh while evaluating performance by analyzing metrics, producing reports, and recommending enhancements.

   · Develops and maintains a consistent brand voice and message across all digital platforms.

   Skills & Abilities

   · Demonstrates excellent communication and interpersonal skills.

   · Exceptional people management skills.

   · Excellent writing skills.

   · Expert prioritization and organization skills, especially the ability to multi-task. Ability to communicate with corporate members and certified MBEs effectively.

   · Ability to set, manage and deliver on mutually agreed-upon goals.

   · Strong organization and planning skills.

   · Demonstrates resourcefulness and ability to adapt to a variety of situations.

   · Team player.

   Qualifications

   · Availability to travel overnight throughout the Council’s coverage area as required.

   · Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, communications, or equivalent experience.

   · Minimum 5 years of experience in marketing, communications, or public relations.

   · Highly creative.

   · Proven track record of success and strong organizational skills.

   · Experience with various Microsoft programs, including but not limited to Word, Excel, and Outlook.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find communications leads for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any communications leads they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level communications leads with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

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

6. Interview candidates

   During your first interview to recruit communications leads, engage with candidates to learn about their interest in the role and experience in the field. During the following interview, you'll be able to go into more detail about the company, the position, and the responsibilities.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   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 lead

   Once you've selected the best communications lead candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing 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 employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is created.

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 lead?