How to hire a communications/senior communications manager

How to hire a communications/senior communications manager, step by step

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

What does a communications/senior communications manager do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   First, determine the employments status of the communications/senior communications manager you need to hire. Certain communications/senior communications manager roles might require a full-time employee, whereas others can be done by part-time workers or contractors.

   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/senior communications manager 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/senior communications manager that fits the bill.

   This list shows salaries for various types of communications/senior communications managers.

   Type of Communications/Senior Communications Manager	Description	Hourly rate
   Communications/Senior Communications Manager	Public relations managers plan and direct the creation of material that will maintain or enhance the public image of their employer or client. Fundraising managers coordinate campaigns that bring in donations for their organization.	$35-75
   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
   Campaign Manager	Campaign managers are responsible for developing, executing, and managing marketing campaigns for events, products, and services targeting consumers or organizations. These professionals typically collaborate with external agencies in the preparation and execution of campaigns... Show more	$26-52

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Strategic Communications
   • PowerPoint
   • Project Management
   • Corporate Communications
   • External Communications
   • Patients
   • Customer Service
   • Executive Leadership
   • SR
   • Employee Engagement
   • Press Releases
   • HR
   • Executive Communications
   • External Audiences

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage communications for the DoD's premier manufacturer of ammunition.
   • Manage and overseen housing operations, administration of HUD programs, supervise maintenance and/or improvements of residential properties.
   • Manage and develop marketing, communication, and implementation process improvements for training curricula and the department's intranet website.
   • Lead execution of a brand-focuse sweepstakes that include management of a Facebook application, social advertising/boosting and management of UGC.
   • Post on-the-spot communications during events - including live blogging and Facebook.
   • Help create/prepare (including research for and editing of) documents, reports, PowerPoint presentations, and organization charts.

   More communications/senior communications manager duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in the communications/senior communications manager job description is a good way to get more applicants. A communications/senior communications manager 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/senior communications manager in South Carolina may be lower than in California, and an entry-level engineer typically earns less than a senior-level communications/senior communications manager. Additionally, a communications/senior communications manager with lots of experience in the field may command a higher salary as a result.

   Average communications/senior communications manager salary

   $107,315yearly

   $51.59 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level communications/senior communications manager salary

   $73,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 14, 2026

   Average communications/senior communications manager salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	California	$152,928	$74
   2	Washington	$125,533	$60
   3	New Jersey	$122,225	$59
   4	Arizona	$120,602	$58
   5	Pennsylvania	$120,562	$58
   6	Texas	$113,709	$55
   7	Iowa	$109,546	$53
   8	Arkansas	$107,950	$52
   9	Ohio	$107,706	$52
   10	New York	$107,584	$52
   11	North Carolina	$103,331	$50
   12	Oregon	$101,744	$49
   13	Connecticut	$99,466	$48
   14	Illinois	$99,249	$48
   15	Wisconsin	$98,165	$47
   16	Georgia	$97,599	$47
   17	Minnesota	$93,447	$45
   18	District of Columbia	$91,316	$44
   19	Massachusetts	$89,030	$43
   20	Michigan	$87,612	$42

   Average communications/senior communications manager salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	eBay	$165,273	$79.46	1
   2	Apple	$159,984	$76.92	13
   3	Sarepta Therapeutics	$158,656	$76.28	1
   4	Genentech	$155,787	$74.90
   5	First Republic Bank	$154,611	$74.33
   6	Biogen	$152,694	$73.41	2
   7	Bloomberg	$151,161	$72.67	10
   8	Penske Media	$150,331	$72.27
   9	Okta	$146,874	$70.61
   10	Varian Medical Systems	$144,432	$69.44
   11	HERE Holding Corporation	$143,906	$69.19
   12	Intuit	$140,649	$67.62	8
   13	Microsoft	$140,109	$67.36	15
   14	Amgen	$138,608	$66.64	1
   15	Amazon	$138,000	$66.35	65
   16	Parexel International	$137,736	$66.22
   17	Edwards Lifesciences	$137,572	$66.14	2
   18	ICF	$136,139	$65.45
   19	Vertex Pharmaceuticals	$136,027	$65.40
   20	Joby Aviation	$135,943	$65.36	1

4. Writing a communications/senior communications manager job description

   A good communications/senior communications manager job description should include a few things:

   • Summary of the role
   • List of responsibilities
   • Required skills and experience

   Including a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager is also appreciated by candidates. Here's an example of a communications/senior communications manager job description:

   Communications/senior communications manager job description example

   Working at Atlassian
   
   Atlassian can hire people in any country where we have a legal entity. Assuming you have eligible working rights and a sufficient time zone overlap with your team, you can choose to work remotely or return to an office as they reopen (unless it's necessary for your role to be performed in the office). Interviews and onboarding are conducted virtually, a part of being a distributed-first company.
   
   Do you want to be part of an incredible growth company - to be a leader but also do hands-on work that makes an impact? Atlassian is looking for a Senior Crisis Communications Manager to assist with the creation and execution of a multi-channel external and internal crisis communications programs.
   
   In this role, you'll help build the future of Atlassian's reputation and act as a strategic communications partner to our founders and executives across the company. You'll plan and articulate our voice on existing thought leadership topics, as well as anticipating and planning for emerging themes that advance the company's corporate position globally. Collaborating closely with stakeholders across Communications, Legal, Policy, Risk & Compliance as well as business teams, you'll help assist in planning for and managing Atlassian's crisis response strategy and execution.
   
   You'll be part of the global communications team, reporting to the Head of Global Corporate Communications.
   In this role, you'll get to:Lead the global crisis communications planning, strategy and execution with the goal to enhance and protect Atlassian's corporate reputation and awareness both internally and externally.Help coordinate and lead integrated, multi-channel crisis communications programs for global impact.Help with the operationalization of Atlassian's central crisis and reputation communications function.Partner closely with the internal comms team, regional comms leads, and business teams in the management of crisis communications globally, building upon existing, as well as developing new thought leadership narratives.Provide strategic communications counsel and support to founders and executives, as well as other senior leaders, on emerging and current areas of thought leadership. Write messaging including blog posts, FAQ, talking points, op-eds, press releases, social media copy and development of other content for external and internal audiences.Take the lead on the global media strategy and play a key role on all local execution. Develop and oversee social media monitoring reporting as well as identifying social media trends by leveraging measurement platforms.Assist the communications team on bringing our go-to-market to bring stories and announcements around our customers, products and solutions to life.
   On the first day, we'll expect you to have:8-10 years of combined relevant communications experience as a leading crisis communications, public affairs strategist or head of corporate communications with a major corporation, agency or trade association. Tech/security industry experience is a bonus.Ability to build and run a multi-channel crisis communications program.Proven track record of working collaboratively with teams and partnering across a highly distributed organization.Deep understanding of societal issues and how they affect businesses.Top-notch decision-making skills and the ability to clearly articulate the rationale behind decisions.Impeccable writing skills, with a love for penning messaging platforms, blogs, statements and executive speaking points.A healthy sense of humor, and a how-can-I-help, get-it-done demeanor.
   More about our Team:
   Everything we do on the communications team is driven by business impact. We have a distributed team united by our shared goals. We determine success metrics up front and restlessly drive toward them. We strive for transparency and awareness in everything we do, but we are comfortable not knowing the details of everything. We embrace our “open company, no ***” value and have the grit to tell it like it is. We're good listeners. We move really fast. We take risks and fail (which is OK!). We take away vital lessons to ensure we don't repeat the same mistakes again. We play as a team.
   
   Our perks & benefits
   
   To support you at work and play, our perks and benefits include ample time off, an annual education budget, paid volunteer days, and so much more.
   
   About Atlassian
   
   The world's best teams work better together with Atlassian. From medicine and space travel, to disaster response and pizza deliveries, Atlassian software products help teams all over the planet. At Atlassian, we're motivated by a common goal: to unleash the potential of every team.
   
   We believe that the unique contributions of all Atlassians create our success. To ensure that our products and culture continue to incorporate everyone's perspectives and experience, we never discriminate based on race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, or marital, veteran, or disability status. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.
   
   Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
   
   To learn more about our culture and hiring process, explore our Candidate Resource Hub.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right communications/senior communications manager 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/senior communications manager job on Zippia to find and recruit communications/senior communications manager candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting communications/senior communications managers requires you to bring your A-game to the interview process. The first interview should introduce the company and the role to the candidate as much as they present their background experience and reasons for applying for the job. During later interviews, you can go into more detail about the technical details of the job and ask behavioral questions to gauge how they'd fit into your current company culture.

   Remember to include a few questions that allow candidates to expand on their strengths in their own words. Asking about their unique skills might reveal things you'd miss otherwise. At this point, good candidates 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/senior communications manager

   Once you've found the communications/senior communications manager candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   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.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new communications/senior communications manager. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are 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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