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Director strategic communications vs communications lead

The differences between directors strategic communications and communications leads can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a director strategic communications, becoming a communications lead takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a director strategic communications has an average salary of $105,320, which is higher than the $96,988 average annual salary of a communications lead.

The top three skills for a director strategic communications include project management, business development and professional development. The most important skills for a communications lead are project management, strategic communications, and HR.

Director strategic communications vs communications lead overview

Director Strategic CommunicationsCommunications Lead
Yearly salary$105,320$96,988
Hourly rate$50.63$46.63
Growth rate8%12%
Number of jobs30,74620,413
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Average age4245
Years of experience46

What does a director strategic communications do?

A director of strategic communications is responsible for monitoring the strategic communications of an organization, relating to the media relations and dissemination of information across the company and public platforms to promote brand image and close deals with business partners. Directors of strategic communications identify efficient marketing techniques and opportunities to gain more resources for revenue by analyzing the current trends to develop new services and improve existing ones. A director of strategic communications must be highly communicative and organizational, especially on coordinating with project teams to support business functions.

What does a communications lead do?

The global senior program manager acts as a coordinator for the organization's projects and performs various tasks including supervision, account management, daily staff assignments, budget planning, cost control, and tracking program expenses by collaborating with various global departments to enhance all global programs. He/she should have excellent analytical, decision-making, leadership, and organization skills and knowledge about project management to be able to oversee and organize activities to ensure its compliance with the organization's goals.

Director strategic communications vs communications lead salary

Directors strategic communications and communications leads have different pay scales, as shown below.

Director Strategic CommunicationsCommunications Lead
Average salary$105,320$96,988
Salary rangeBetween $66,000 And $167,000Between $67,000 And $139,000
Highest paying CityCarson City, NVSan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateNevadaCalifornia
Best paying companyThe Hatcher GroupMeta
Best paying industryProfessionalInternet

Differences between director strategic communications and communications lead education

There are a few differences between a director strategic communications and a communications lead in terms of educational background:

Director Strategic CommunicationsCommunications Lead
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 72%
Most common majorBusinessBusiness
Most common collegeStanford UniversityUniversity of Pennsylvania

Director strategic communications vs communications lead demographics

Here are the differences between directors strategic communications' and communications leads' demographics:

Director Strategic CommunicationsCommunications Lead
Average age4245
Gender ratioMale, 61.7% Female, 38.3%Male, 41.4% Female, 58.6%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 6.0% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 9.2% Asian, 5.1% White, 74.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 11.8% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 14.0% Asian, 5.1% White, 62.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.9%
LGBT Percentage16%14%

Differences between director strategic communications and communications lead duties and responsibilities

Director strategic communications example 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
  • Direct company communications and publications including brand messaging and design, copywriting, media relations, and website content.

Communications lead example 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.
  • Show more

Director strategic communications vs communications lead skills

Common director strategic communications skills
  • Project Management, 11%
  • Business Development, 8%
  • Professional Development, 8%
  • C-Suite, 7%
  • Executive Leadership, 7%
  • Leveraged, 7%
Common communications lead skills
  • Project Management, 9%
  • Strategic Communications, 6%
  • HR, 5%
  • Customer Service, 5%
  • Community Outreach, 4%
  • Digital Marketing, 4%

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