What does a director of communications and marketing do?

A director of communications and marketing spearheads a company's marketing and communication projects in adherence with the company's vision and mission. Being the director, they have the authority to make decisions, delegate responsibilities among managers and teams, and direct the project and program cycle from planning to execution, solving issues and concerns if any would arise. They also set goals and budgets, establish timelines and requirements, and conduct regular assessments. Additionally, as a director, they must lead and empower employees in a joint effort to reach goals and industry standards.
Director of communications and marketing responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real director of communications and marketing resumes:
- Manage all internal company-wide communications, including company intranet, quarterly all- company meetings broadcast to all locations and executive communications.
- Direct SEM and SEO strategies for trial consumer online site in reus device sales.
- Develop social media strategy via Facebook that is now a key marketing component to current and prospective families.
- Implement company s first Facebook advertisement.
- Implement ROI methodology measures of effectiveness enabling quantifiable measures of ROI and efficiency gains.
- Develop marketing strategy for university s online degree programs and implement SEO and web usability efforts.
- Deliver a consistently positive ROI using extensive data mining and customer analysis information to determine product timing and placement.
- Start Instagram account for the organization.
- Lead LMR review process to ensure materials meet current FDA standards and compliance guidelines.
- Produce and host daily live programs, news reports and on-location productions for leading ABC affiliate in Youngstown, Ohio.
- Launch college Instagram account and collaborate on multivariate website personalization efforts.
- Direct creative agency efforts, including message and collateral development, copywriting and web strategy.
- Direct company communications and publications including brand messaging and design, copywriting, media relations, and website content.
- Restructure board, securing organizational stability and sustainability through organizational restructuring and oversight of these efforts.
Director of communications and marketing skills and personality traits
We calculated that 10% of Directors Of Communications And Marketing are proficient in Web Content, Strategic Communications, and Marketing Campaigns. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Creativity, and Interpersonal skills.
We break down the percentage of Directors Of Communications And Marketing that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Web Content, 10%
Developed/curated web content for initial build of an award-winning e-commerce site.
- Strategic Communications, 6%
Developed a comprehensive strategic communications and marketing plan designed to increase awareness of the school as an academically focused boarding school.
- Marketing Campaigns, 6%
Developed innovative direct marketing campaigns utilizing Variable Data Printing (VDP) technology to produce personalized mail with higher response rates.
- Press Releases, 6%
Created and implemented all marketing and advertising promotions, marketing strategies, marketing communications, press releases and public relations activities.
- Digital Marketing, 5%
Launched contemporary, professional, on-trend branding for traditional print and digital marketing collateral.
- External Communications, 4%
Directed marketing, public relations and internal and external communications projects including medical staff and employee newsletters and nursing recruitment campaigns.
"web content," "strategic communications," and "marketing campaigns" are among the most common skills that directors of communications and marketing use at work. You can find even more director of communications and marketing responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a director of communications and marketing to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to analyze industry trends to determine the most promising strategies for their organization." Directors of communications and marketing often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "measured and analyzed integrated marketing and communications program. "
Creativity. Many director of communications and marketing duties rely on creativity. "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must be able to generate new and imaginative ideas.," so a director of communications and marketing will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways director of communications and marketing responsibilities rely on creativity: "surpassed talent acquisition hiring goals by 34% through implementing community connection tactics and composing creative press releases. "
Interpersonal skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of directors of communications and marketing is interpersonal skills. This skill is critical to many everyday director of communications and marketing duties, as "managers must deal with a range of people in different roles, both inside and outside the organization." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "mastered project management, team building, negotiating, needs analysis and interpersonal communication skills. "
Communication skills. A big part of what directors of communications and marketing do relies on "communication skills." You can see how essential it is to director of communications and marketing responsibilities because "managers must be able to communicate effectively with a broad-based team made up of other managers or staff members during the advertising, promotions, and marketing process." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical director of communications and marketing tasks: "generate story line opportunities, content development, and execute external communication efforts with media and advertisers, including community outreach. "
Organizational skills. Another crucial skill for a director of communications and marketing to carry out their responsibilities is "organizational skills." A big part of what directors of communications and marketing relies on this skill, since "advertising, promotions, and marketing managers must manage their time and budget efficiently while directing and motivating staff members." How this skill relates to director of communications and marketing duties can be seen in an example from a director of communications and marketing resume snippet: "managed message and content for all organizational communications including website copy, press releases, and email communications. "
See the full list of director of communications and marketing skills
The three companies that hire the most director of communications and marketings are:
- Nike6 directors of communications and marketing jobs
- American Heart Association5 directors of communications and marketing jobs
- Centene4 directors of communications and marketing jobs
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Director of communications and marketing vs. Marketing strategist
The marketing strategist is an executive who works with the members of the marketing team to ensure the implementation of high-quality marketing strategies within a given time frame. Marketing strategists examine data to find out the best way to administer resources to increase revenue and profits. Their responsibilities include performing in-depth research to determine new market prospects and customers' preferences as well as forecasting market trends. Also, they set certain marketing goals that reflect the overall business goal together with developing and managing digital campaigns.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a director of communications and marketing are more likely to require skills like "strategic communications," "external communications," "communications plan," and "communications efforts." On the other hand, a job as a marketing strategist requires skills like "email marketing," "content strategy," "crm," and "healthcare." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Marketing strategists earn the highest salaries when working in the technology industry, with an average yearly salary of $100,214. On the other hand, directors of communications and marketing are paid more in the professional industry with an average salary of $78,844.marketing strategists tend to reach similar levels of education than directors of communications and marketing. In fact, marketing strategists are 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Director of communications and marketing vs. Manager/marketing director
Marketing directors are responsible for the overall branding and marketing direction of the company. They are in charge of identifying goals and strategies related to marketing. They create strategies that cater to the target market of the organization's products and services to help with sales. They lead the company's marketing department and create the company's brand promise. They ensure that all marketing collateral is in line with the rest of the marketing campaigns of the organization. They should be updated on all the current trends in the marketing world.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that director of communications and marketing responsibilities requires skills like "web content," "strategic communications," "marketing campaigns," and "digital marketing." But a manager/marketing director might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "customer service," "payroll," "r," and "seo."
Managers/marketing director may earn a lower salary than directors of communications and marketing, but managers/marketing director earn the most pay in the manufacturing industry with an average salary of $77,050. On the other hand, directors of communications and marketing receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $78,844.In general, managers/marketing director achieve lower levels of education than directors of communications and marketing. They're 5.6% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of communications and marketing vs. Marketing director
Marketing managers are experienced employees who oversee the marketing department of the organization. They manage activities such as marketing campaigns, social media postings, company branding, and other strategic marketing activities. They provide strategic direction and come up with departmental goals. They also provide proper training for employees in the department to ensure that they have a deep understanding of its marketing tools. Marketing managers should be creative, should have good interpersonal skills, and should be flexible.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from director of communications and marketing resumes include skills like "strategic communications," "external communications," "social media marketing," and "marketing collateral," whereas a marketing director is more likely to list skills in "sales strategies," "crm," "email marketing," and "sales growth. "
Marketing directors earn the best pay in the manufacturing industry, where they command an average salary of $131,349. Directors of communications and marketing earn the highest pay from the professional industry, with an average salary of $78,844.marketing directors typically earn similar educational levels compared to directors of communications and marketing. Specifically, they're 1.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Director of communications and marketing vs. Marketing manager
Even though a few skill sets overlap between directors of communications and marketing and marketing managers, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a director of communications and marketing might have more use for skills like "strategic communications," "external communications," "social media marketing," and "communications plan." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of marketing managers require skills like "email marketing," "crm," "customer service," and "strong project management. "
The technology industry tends to pay the highest salaries for marketing managers, with average annual pay of $115,553. Comparatively, the highest director of communications and marketing annual salary comes from the professional industry.The average resume of marketing managers showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to directors of communications and marketing. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 1.3% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 0.1%.Types of director of communications and marketing
Updated January 8, 2025











