Post job

What is a director strategic communications and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read
Quoted expert
Jody McBrien

As a director, strategic communications, you will be responsible for overseeing and developing communication strategies to increase public awareness of the company brand. You are to ensure business development, issues with media releases, and business growth are properly addressed. Also, you will be required to assist in hiring and training new staff or employees and work together with the management to ensure daily, or monthly goals are achieved. A director, strategic communications is also tasked with monitoring and keeping track of competitors' activities. Additionally, you will need to conduct interviews with key stakeholders and informants to generate new communications materials.

To fit in this role, you need to have excellent communication and interaction skills and proficiency in computer usage. You must also be well organized and have strong leadership qualities. A bachelor's degree in advertising, public relations, or a related field is needed to get this job. A director, strategic communications earn an average salary of $113,167 per year or $54.41 per hour.

What's a day at work look like for a director strategic communications?

Jody McBrienJody McBrien LinkedIn profile

Professor, University of South Florida

If we look at a Spring 2021 graduate's work life, I have to say it remains highly unclear what the daily life will entail. Just last spring, we were all hopeful that we would move out of the pandemic later in 2020. But here we are, nearly a year after the beginning of this pandemic, and we are now fearing variants of the virus when we had hoped that a vaccine might allow us to move back to a more "normal" way of life by spring 2021. So it's just hard to say. I think that graduates need to be prepared for distanced jobs and technological savvy for the near future.
ScoreDirector Strategic CommunicationsUS Average
Salary
7.7

Avg. Salary $105,320

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level
8.7

Growth rate 8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.5
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.42%

Asian 5.13%

Black or African American 6.02%

Hispanic or Latino 9.16%

Unknown 4.67%

White 74.60%

Gender

female 38.31%

male 61.69%

Age - 41
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 41
Stress level
8.7

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level
9.4

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance
3.8

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Director strategic communications career paths

Key steps to become a director strategic communications

  1. Explore director strategic communications education requirements

    Most common director strategic communications degrees

    Bachelor's

    72.4 %

    Master's

    20.9 %

    Doctorate

    3.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific director strategic communications skills

    SkillsPercentages
    Project Management10.95%
    Business Development8.21%
    Professional Development7.81%
    C-Suite7.50%
    Executive Leadership6.95%
  3. Complete relevant director strategic communications training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New directors strategic communications learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a director strategic communications based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real director strategic communications resumes.
  4. Research director strategic communications duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and develop marketing, communication, and implementation process improvements for training curricula and the department's intranet website.
    • Support principal's digital presence, including Facebook.
    • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
    • Perform all aspects of CLETS / NCIC data entry / inquiry
  5. Get director strategic communications experience

    Generally, it takes 2-4 years to become a director strategic communications. The most common roles before becoming a director strategic communications include communications director, director team lead and vice president.
  6. Prepare your director strategic communications resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your director strategic communications resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a director strategic communications resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose from 10+ customizable director strategic communications resume templates

    Build a professional director strategic communications resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your director strategic communications resume.
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
    Director Strategic Communications Resume
  7. Apply for director strategic communications jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a director strategic communications job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How did you land your first director strategic communications job

Zippi

Are you a director strategic communications?

Share your story for a free salary report.

Average director strategic communications salary

The average director strategic communications salary in the United States is $105,320 per year or $51 per hour. Director strategic communications salaries range between $66,000 and $167,000 per year.

Average director strategic communications salary
$105,320 Yearly
$50.63 hourly

What am I worth?

salary-calculator

How do directors strategic communications rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Director strategic communications reviews

profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Nov 2019
Pros

People relations Results behavioural change


profile
A zippia user wrote a review on Jun 2019
Pros

Heart leeds capital

Cons

English life to advance by clearing the wreckage of its past


Working as a director strategic communications? Share your experience anonymously.
Overall rating*
Career growth
Work/Life balance
Pay/Salary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Browse executive management jobs