What does a public affairs manager do?
Psychology associates are entry-level professionals who assist psychologists with assessing, diagnosing, and treating individuals with mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. These associates are required to provide psychological services for children and adults who are under the supervision of a licensed psychologist. They must conduct assessments on individuals to identify psychological, emotional, and behavioral issues after they are discharged from hospitals. Psychology associates must also design and facilitate individual and group therapy programs specifically for adolescents who are involved in substance abuse.
Public affairs manager responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real public affairs manager resumes:
- Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
- Respond to media queries, write news releases and manage media engagements while acting as spokesperson for several multifacete organizations.
- Establish air show hashtags to auto-populate the wing s Facebook page with images taken by viewers in the crowd.
- Track and optimize SEM and SEO for international online marketing campaigns.
- Support SEO strategy to drive traffic to website, e-store and B2B sites.
- Coordinate with USDA scientists to ensure accurate information before publishing.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to integrate CSR strategy, infrastructure and initiatives.
Public affairs manager skills and personality traits
We calculated that 14% of Public Affairs Managers are proficient in External Stakeholders, Press Releases, and Government Relations. They’re also known for soft skills such as Communication skills, Leadership skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Public Affairs Managers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- External Stakeholders, 14%
Recruited and trained internal staff and external stakeholders for deployment of similar models in expanded territory.
- Press Releases, 6%
Developed all press releases, position papers, marketing materials and strategy.-Monitored and analyzed all legislative telecommunications proposals.
- Government Relations, 6%
Develop, implement and direct internal and external communications, media relations and government relations for largest water provider in Idaho.
- Strategic Communications, 5%
Developed and implemented successful strategic communications programs and Public Affairs counsel for Dow Louisiana Leadership.
- Community Relations, 5%
Directed public involvement, community relations, publications, special events, media relations, and other internal and external communications.
- Community Outreach, 5%
Managed bilingual community outreach projects and created and updated project specific stakeholder mailing lists from existing sources and research data.
Most public affairs managers use their skills in "external stakeholders," "press releases," and "government relations" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential public affairs manager responsibilities here:
Communication skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a public affairs manager to have is communication skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "managers deal with the public regularly; therefore, they must be friendly enough to build a rapport with, and receive cooperation from, their media contacts and donors." Public affairs managers often use communication skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "drafted internal communications periodically; articles posted on intranet; often collaborated with employee communications and investor relations teams. "
Leadership skills. Many public affairs manager duties rely on leadership skills. "public relations and fundraising managers often lead large teams of specialists or fundraisers and must be able to guide their activities.," so a public affairs manager will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways public affairs manager responsibilities rely on leadership skills: "collaborated with senior agency and marketing leadership to develop and test strategic communications planning tools and brand evaluation techniques. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of public affairs managers is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday public affairs manager duties, as "public relations and fundraising managers are often in charge of running several events at the same time, requiring superior organizational skills." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "orchestrated public affairs and staffing logistics to achieve organizational goals during operation atlantic resolve. "
Problem-solving skills. A big part of what public affairs managers do relies on "problem-solving skills." You can see how essential it is to public affairs manager responsibilities because "managers sometimes must explain how the company or client is handling sensitive issues." Here's an example of how this skill is used from a resume that represents typical public affairs manager tasks: "directed cable franchising, resolution of compliance issues, legal issues and collaborative government relations with 37 local jurisdictions in arizona. "
Speaking skills. Another common skill required for public affairs manager responsibilities is "speaking skills." This skill comes up in the duties of public affairs managers all the time, as "public relations and fundraising managers regularly speak on behalf of their organization." An excerpt from a real public affairs manager resume shows how this skill is central to what a public affairs manager does: "represented the company in all activities associated with charitable giving and community relations efforts. "
Writing skills. Another skill commonly found on public affairs manager job descriptions is "writing skills." It can come up quite often in public affairs manager duties, since "managers must be able to write well-organized and clear press releases and speeches." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day public affairs manager responsibilities: "specialized in deadline writing, including speeches and press releases. "
The three companies that hire the most public affairs managers are:
- Meta54 public affairs managers jobs
- Google20 public affairs managers jobs
- Wolters Kluwer14 public affairs managers jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable public affairs manager resume templates
Build a professional public affairs manager resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your public affairs manager resume.
Compare different public affairs managers
Public affairs manager vs. Manager of corporate communications
A manager of corporate communications is primarily responsible for overseeing the external and internal communications in a company, ensuring everything is running smoothly. They are also responsible for managing marketing communications and public relations, and even developing various marketing content. There are also instances where they must handle a company's social media platforms, review communication materials, and provide progress reports of different projects and programs. Furthermore, as a manager, it is essential to lead and encourage team members, all while implementing the company's policies and regulations.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between public affairs managers and manager of corporate communications. For instance, public affairs manager responsibilities require skills such as "external stakeholders," "government relations," "spokesperson," and "public policy issues." Whereas a manager of corporate communications is skilled in "project management," "employee engagement," "powerpoint," and "communications programs." This is part of what separates the two careers.
Managers of corporate communications earn the highest salaries when working in the manufacturing industry, with an average yearly salary of $104,720. On the other hand, public affairs managers are paid more in the pharmaceutical industry with an average salary of $117,164.The education levels that managers of corporate communications earn slightly differ from public affairs managers. In particular, managers of corporate communications are 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a public affairs manager. Additionally, they're 0.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public affairs manager vs. Vice president of communication
A vice president of communication is in charge of overseeing and implementing internal and external communication programs. Their responsibilities revolve around setting goals and objectives, allocating budgets, delegating tasks, liaising with key clients, and managing the workforce to ensure an efficient workflow. They may also produce progress reports for the president and other executives, prepare presentations, develop business plans, and devise strategies to optimize services and operations. Furthermore, as vice president, it is essential to implement the company's policies and regulations, creating new ones as needed.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real public affairs manager resumes. While public affairs manager responsibilities can utilize skills like "external stakeholders," "spokesperson," "public policy issues," and "business objectives," vice president of communications use skills like "oversight," "project management," "powerpoint," and "business development."
Vice president of communications earn a higher average salary than public affairs managers. But vice president of communications earn the highest pay in the media industry, with an average salary of $152,749. Additionally, public affairs managers earn the highest salaries in the pharmaceutical with average pay of $117,164 annually.In general, vice president of communications achieve similar levels of education than public affairs managers. They're 2.4% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for public affairs managers in the next 3-5 years?
Clarke Caywood
Professor (founder group of IMC and PR in Medill) Joint Doctorate in Business and Journalism - Univ. Wis. Madison, Northwestern University
Public affairs manager vs. Development director
A development director is an individual who is responsible for securing funds and sponsors for non-profit organizations. Development directors must actively seek new business partners and develop relationships with volunteers and donors. They meet with members of the development team to help advertise and promote brand awareness and funding. Development directors must possess skills and experience in managing human resources, marketing, and budgeting functions. They must also obtain a bachelor's degree in business management, public relations, or related field.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from public affairs manager resumes include skills like "external stakeholders," "government relations," "strategic communications," and "spokesperson," whereas a development director is more likely to list skills in "digital marketing," "oversight," "patients," and "lead generation. "
Development directors typically earn similar educational levels compared to public affairs managers. Specifically, they're 3.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Public affairs manager vs. Manager of special events
A manager of special events is responsible for organizing events and programs for a company and various organizations. Managers of special events monitor the event procedures from conceptualization to the actual execution. They analyze the event purpose, manage participants' list, coordinate with suppliers for resources, allocate budget accurately, and ensure that the program outlines and agendas are polished on time. A manager of special events must have excellent communication and organizational skills to deliver a successful event and resolve complications as they arise.
Types of public affairs manager
Updated January 8, 2025
