How to hire a publication director

How to hire a publication director, step by step

Here's a step-by-step publication director hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a publication director job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new publication director
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does a publication director do?

Post a publication director job for free, promote it for a fee

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you post your publication director job, you should take the time to determine what type of worker your business needs. While certain jobs definitely require a full-time employee, it's sometimes better to find a publication director for hire on a part-time basis or as a contractor.

   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 publication director 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 publication director that fits the bill.

   This list presents publication director salaries for various positions.

   Type of Publication Director	Description	Hourly rate
   Publication Director	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.	$23-74
   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
   Director Of Marketing And Public Relations	A director of marketing and public relations leads and oversees the development and implementation of marketing projects to gain public interest and raise brand awareness. They take the lead in developing marketing and public relations plans, managing publicists and marketing teams, researching opportunities, and conducting regular reviews and assessments to ensure the quality and consistency of materials... Show more	$27-62

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Website Content
   • Press Releases
   • Government Agencies
   • Public Policy Issues
   • Government Relations
   • Pr Campaigns
   • State Agencies
   • Publicity Campaigns
   • Community Outreach
   • Community Relations
   • Graphic Design
   • Facebook
   • External Audiences
   • Fact Sheets

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Manage media relations, announcements, editorial placement, and speaking opportunities the organizations.
   • Promote expansion of Medicaid coverage at the federal and state level.
   • Create & maintain SEAPOWER Facebook page, where all online articles are place, driving page views back to the website.
   • Serve as representative to senior management team during community events and company spokesperson for division, including to nonprofit sector clients.
   • Draft pleadings and serve subpoenas.
   • Complete all investigative reports including incident reports, subpoenas, arrest warrants, and witness statements.

   More publication director duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your publication director job description helps attract top candidates to the position. A publication director salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for a publication director in Alabama may be lower than in Delaware, and an entry-level publication director usually earns less than a senior-level publication director. Additionally, a publication director with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average publication director salary

   $87,824yearly

   $42.22 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level publication director salary

   $49,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 15, 2025

   Average publication director salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Nevada	$118,675	$57
   2	Delaware	$117,652	$57
   3	New Jersey	$116,448	$56
   4	California	$115,175	$55
   5	New Mexico	$110,227	$53
   6	New Hampshire	$109,765	$53
   7	Maryland	$107,269	$52
   8	Oregon	$104,454	$50
   9	District of Columbia	$102,983	$50
   10	Iowa	$101,308	$49
   11	North Dakota	$100,652	$48
   12	Ohio	$100,110	$48
   13	Louisiana	$99,885	$48
   14	New York	$99,043	$48
   15	Virginia	$93,409	$45
   16	Wisconsin	$93,020	$45
   17	Massachusetts	$86,736	$42
   18	Washington	$85,458	$41
   19	Colorado	$84,978	$41
   20	Texas	$84,607	$41

   Average publication director salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Biogen	$169,845	$81.66
   2	Meta	$166,012	$79.81	8
   3	Accenture	$141,066	$67.82	68
   4	Amicus Therapeutics	$135,158	$64.98
   5	Bravo Group	$133,774	$64.31
   6	Starz	$131,134	$63.05
   7	Bayer	$127,150	$61.13
   8	Gartner	$121,251	$58.29	2
   9	HarperCollins	$119,220	$57.32	1
   10	IBM	$117,403	$56.44
   11	The Walt Disney Company	$115,993	$55.77	3
   12	Blackstone Group	$112,238	$53.96
   13	Mars	$105,719	$50.83	1
   14	Icma-rc	$104,525	$50.25	1
   15	ChargePoint	$101,802	$48.94
   16	C3 AI	$92,500	$44.47
   17	Legendary Entertainment	$92,376	$44.41
   18	WarnerMedia	$91,870	$44.17
   19	ACLU of Illinois	$89,364	$42.96	3
   20	Vantage Data Centers	$89,038	$42.81

4. Writing a publication director job description

   A publication director job description should include a summary of the role, required skills, and a list of responsibilities. It's also good to include a salary range and the first name of the hiring manager. Below, you can find an example of a publication director job description:

   Publication director job description example

   StreetLight pioneered the use of Big Data analytics to shed light on how people, goods, and services move, empowering smarter, data-driven transportation decisions. The company applies proprietary machine-learning algorithms and data processing resources to measure travel patterns of vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians that enable complex transportation problem solving using analytics available on SaaS platform, StreetLight InSight . Acquired by Jacobs as a subsidiary in February 2022, StreetLight continues to provide innovative digital solutions to help communities reduce congestion, improve safe and equitable transportation, and maximize the positive impact of infrastructure investment.
   
   As a member of our Sales Team, you can become part of the smart energy technology solution while becoming a leader in our forward-thinking data driven organization. Our clients are on the cusp of adopting Big Data solutions at scale, and we are one of the first companies to enter this high-potential industry. That means we need savvy, sophisticated sales professionals who can close complex deals and deliver value.
   
   Streetlight Data is seeking a Public Sector Regional Sales Director to join our team, selling enterprise SaaS and related mobility data offerings. The Public Sector Regional Sales Director will develop & expand relationships with key agencies at the State and Local level.
   
   The Public Sector Account Representative has a proven track record of successfully achieving and surpassing quota goals, and has demonstrated success at identifying and closing new, high-value opportunities. Previous experience selling to engineering, construction, transportation, government agencies, and/or architecture is a plus.
   
   Key ResponsibilitiesDevelop comprehensive business plans and drive the execution of selling strategies in order to grow revenue while forming strong relationships with customers.Design and execute account plans to surpass goals and revenue targets.Drive sales to new customers and expand existing relationships through annual and multi-year contracts and value-added solutions in your assigned territory. Keep up-to-date with market trends and new developments, and utilize this information for business development and improvement.Manage revenue goals in your assigned territory and accounts. Conduct ongoing meetings and events with key customer decision-makers with the goal of uncovering and closing new opportunities.Attend relevant industry trade shows to identify new prospective customers, and promptly follow up on leads from various sources.Consistently maintain sales opportunity and customer status information in StreetLight Data's customer relationship management (CRM) system.Provide accurate and timely weekly, monthly, and quarterly sales forecasts in your specified territory.Process customer transactions such as orders, quotes, and sales contracts accurately and on a timely basis.Interface with other functional groups, project teams and internal stakeholders to effectively resolve issues and remove barriers toward the goal of achieving assigned quotas.Provide regular updates to management, operations and support staff concerning account issues and financial status.
   
   Skills & QualificationsBachelor's degree in the field of business, marketing or engineering.10 + years of experience in complex sales to customers in a recognized technology industry, transportation, urban planning, or architectural-related field. Experience selling to and working with public sector agencies is highly desirable. Proven over-achievement with responsibility for a multimillion dollar quota.Ability to work in a fast-paced, environment. Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Must be fluent in English. Comfortable presenting to senior executive management and large audiences.Strong financial skills and experience in creating new business opportunities. Critical thinking skills and the ability to influence and manage multiple priorities are essential.Team-oriented, flexible, and able to see the “big picture” - because our entire team must meet our goals for StreetLight Data to be successful. Must be willing and able to travel up to 50% or as needed to achieve objectives.
   
   Why You will Love it HereFun company and team outingsA great opportunity to grow your career as a sales professional with ample training and structure along the way Employer subsidized comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage in the USPaid company holidays plus accrued time off Employee referral bonuses to encourage the addition of great new people to the team
   Interested? StreetLight Data offers a competitive salary and benefits package.
   
   StreetLight Data is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. StreetLight provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   To find publication directors for your business, try out a few different recruiting strategies:

   • Consider internal talent. One of the most important talent pools for any company is its current employees.
   • Ask for referrals. Reach out to friends, family members, and your current work to ask if they know any publication directors they would recommend.
   • Recruit at local colleges. Attend job fairs at local colleges to recruit entry-level publication directors with the right educational background.
   • Social media platforms. LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have more than 3.5 billion users, and they're a great place for company branding and reaching potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your publication director job on Zippia to find and attract quality publication director candidates.
   • Use niche websites such as pr news job board, pr council, prsa job center, hoojobs.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Recruiting publication directors 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.

   You should also ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match the ideal candidate profile you developed earlier. Candidates good enough for the next step can complete 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 publication director

   Once you've selected the best publication director candidate for the job, it's time to write an offer letter. In addition to salary, this letter should include details about the benefits and perks you offer the candidate. Ensuring that your offer is competitive is essential, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and you should be open to discussion. After you reach an agreement, the final step is formalizing the agreement with a contract.

   It's also good etiquette to follow up with applicants who don't get the job by sending them an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   To prepare for the new employee's start date, you can create an onboarding schedule and complete any necessary paperwork, such as employee action forms and onboarding documents like I-9 forms, benefits enrollment, and federal and state tax forms. Human Resources should also ensure that a new employee file is 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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