A public relations manager plays a critical role in telling your organization’s story.

In addition to helping your director of public relations craft the overall PR strategy, the PR manager will often be the main point of contact for a long list of media professionals. They’ll work closely with these reporters to deliver your organization’s key messages to the general public – an essential task that can’t be taken lightly.

In addition to building and maintaining these relationships, your PR manager holds the integral responsibility of crafting your organization’s stories. To do this, they’ll have to be deeply familiar in your company’s most compelling people, create PR campaigns, initiatives, and attributes, and use their natural storytelling ability to build a surrounding narrative that appeals to the public. They’ll then have to condense that story into one of the many types of press releases, send it out, and cross their fingers.

Depending on company structure, this employee may manage a small subset of the overall public relations team, manage processes and projects, or a combination of the two. Either way, he or she will likely wear quite a few different hats and interact with a variety of stakeholders.

Of course, a PR manager can’t do everything (although we tend to think they can). Keep in mind that they may need the support of a PR director, a PR specialist, or both! For those job descriptions (and more), check out our full list of public relations job descriptions.

That said, the following job description can be a helpful starting point when it comes time to seek out this essential new employee. In fact, we invite you to use the template and adapt it to your organization’s needs and requirements.

Not looking to grow you PR department just yet? We’ve still got you covered! For all of your hiring needs, be sure to check out our comprehensive guide to job descriptions.

Public Relations Manager Job Description

Title: Public Relations Manager

Location: Chicago

With more than 400 percent growth since 2015, ACME Corporations is North America’s leading energy provider, with the single largest retail customer base nationwide. Since its founding in 2007, ACME Corporations has strived to meet the highest standards of energy delivery, customer service, and cost efficiency. Our mission is to be the top-tier energy provider while fostering a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive workplace.

ACME Corporation is looking to hire a Public Relations Manager to oversee a PR specialist and drive top-tier media-focused campaigns. This individual should have a proven track record of securing high-quality media placements and working with stakeholders to craft compelling narratives around company initiatives. The ideal candidate is a natural storyteller with the ability to execute scalable communications strategies that drive impactful results.

Responsibilities:

• Work closely with the Director of Public Relations, our executive team, and internal stakeholders to craft the ACME brand story and messaging strategy in a way that resonates with our team and our market.
• Build, further develop, and leverage relationships with industry media to evangelize the ACME brand, mission, and movement in the market.
• Work with internal stakeholders to plan, create, and launch creative campaigns and compelling stories around ACME announcements and initiatives that resonate with audiences, editors, and journalists at different media publications and align with market trends and company narratives.
• Collaborate with our agency and content team to develop our thought leadership strategy, creating a media training program to prepare our spokespeople as well as by-lines, presentations, and talking points that represent their voice, incorporate ACME messages, and resonate with their audience.
• Monitor campaign progress and metrics and make recommendations on areas of optimization

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or related discipline
• 3+ years of public relations experience
• Exceptional writing, editing, storytelling, speaking, and collaboration skills
• Experience in creating, editing, and promoting written and visual content
• Deep experience building and maintaining high-value relationships with media
• Strong leadership and communication skills
• Ability to showcase numerous successes from previous top-tier media outreach campaigns and news announcements

For even more help in writing your own public relations manager job description, we’ve sourced the following examples from three companies looking to hire.

The following examples show organizations that have followed a typical job description structure, but customized it based on their unique needs and expectations.

Public Relations Manager Job Description Examples

To see how real employers are writing their public relations manager job description, check out the examples below!

Walgreens

Manager, Public and Media Relations

Deerfield, Illinois

Job Summary

Manages both proactive and reactive media relations in support of Walgreens corporate business and initiatives, as well as field and store operations and issues. Helps to ensure positive media coverage for the brand through strategic PR planning and tactics, and supports corporate programs aimed at enhancing the company’s reputation through earned media coverage. Also develops and executes multi-channel (print, broadcast, digital, social, etc.) media strategies that advance the company’s business and image externally. Supports key corporate announcements including mergers and acquisitions, strategic partnerships and other company news.

Assists in handling issues management and crisis communications, investigates and researches information needed to respond to media inquiries, develop holding statements and other materials. Researches interview topics, develop press releases, messaging documents and acts as a company spokesperson. Manages certain day-to-day media relations responsibilities that may include media monitoring and other internal PR vehicles.

Job Responsibilities

• Provides strategic communications counsel to business unit leaders regarding initiatives that drive performance in the division and its critical functions.
• Supports the development and implementation of an annual communications strategy and plan for the business unit that is integrated with and supports key activities of the business unit leaders and their objectives.
• Develops and implements communications strategies on key business unit initiatives, including outlining objectives and strategies, creating appropriate messaging, managing timelines and project deadlines and managing client contributions and expectations.
• Coordinates with Corporate and Executive Communications and other key stakeholders to ensure communications planning, execution and messaging is integrated and linked with company positions and corporate goals. Work with Meetings and Media and Events to identify, design and create materials and events that will deliver corporate and business unit messages to key audiences.
• Acts as a representative for Corporate and Executive Communications to effectively communicate company positions, corporate goals and objectives to the business unit, as well as key business unit initiatives and objectives back to Corporate and Executive Communications
• Masters relevant industry and business unit information. 

Walgreens, one of the nation's largest drugstore chains, is included in the Retail Pharmacy USA Division of Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., the first global pharmacy-led, health and wellbeing enterprise. More than 10 million customers interact with Walgreens each day in communities across America, using the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services, and advice. Walgreens operates 8,175 drugstores with a presence in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Walgreens omnichannel business includes Walgreens.com. Approximately 400 Walgreens stores offer Healthcare Clinic or other provider retail clinic services.

As the neighborhood drugstore and retailer, our goal is to make health and happiness simpler, easier and within reach. And we remain a trusted wellness provider offering convenient access to important health services, such as immunizations and an array of pharmacy services that can help patients improve their health. To our team members, Walgreens represents a unique opportunity to excel in their careers in a welcoming and inclusive environment. We offer the chance to work in a truly supportive environment and be a part of a progressive organization dedicated to the well-being of our customers, team members and the communities we all call home.

External Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of experience developing, executing and integrating communications plans.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams.
• Experience providing counsel, influence and challenge to the thinking of business leaders.
• Experience writing and editing in AP style.
• Experience with project management (for example: planning, organizing, and managing resources to bring about the successful completion of specific project goals and objectives).
• Experience leading and completing multiple projects on deadline.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Journalism, Communications and/or English.
• Knowledge of change management methodologies.
• Experience in the indirect management of team members, including assisting in the development, training and assignment of work/projects to other members of a team.

Getaround

Senior Public Relations Manager

San Francisco, California

The Getaround Marketing team empowers people to carshare everywhere by inspiring action with our brand story. Join the next phase of Getaround’s marketing evolution, as we quickly grow our base of owners and renters, expand into more and more major cities, turbocharge key partnerships, and thoughtfully craft our value proposition.

Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, Getaround’s Senior Public Relations Manager will lead and execute our communications and corporate brand strategy, as well as all corporate announcements, executive thought leadership, speaking engagements, product and market launches and internal communications.

Read on and apply if you’re an exceptional storyteller and communications expert that can execute and scale best practices with the heart and hustle of an entrepreneur and thrive in a fast world of constant change, ambiguity and opportunity.

What you'll be doing

• Lead end-to-end communications initiatives for a variety of external audiences, ensuring key message delivery, engagement, positive brand affinity and leadership credibility
• Develop and execute communications and media relations strategies that generate ongoing publicity for Getaround, underscoring our position as the leader in peer-to-peer carsharing
• Develop creative story angles and pitches targeting top-tier consumer media that leverage product developments, partnerships, local events, company data and industry trends; work with content and creative teams to create supporting assets
• Pitch and place Getaround media spokespersons on national and local television news, and in top print and online outlets
• Secure speaking opportunities for Getaround spokespeople at top mobility, technology and consumer conferences; coordinate logistics and deliverables once opportunities are secured
• Form and maintain relationships with key reporters from consumer tech, transportation, business, and lifestyle outlets, including national and local television shows, news outlets, and blogs; maintain a database of appropriate local and national media contacts
• Respond to inbound media requests and help prepare leadership for media interviews
• Develop communications strategies for managing challenges and any potential crises possible for a growing business operating in the transportation space
• Conduct regular news scans on industry trends, competitors, news-jacking opportunities, and develop reactive and proactive press pitches
• Prepare PR reports for internal and external stakeholders by collecting, analyzing, and summarizing campaign results and data
• Partner with Getaround’s People team to shape our corporate brand strategy, externally and internally

What you'll need

• 7+ years of consumer tech PR experience at an agency and/or in-house, managing all functions of PR, including major announcements, product launches and consumer pitching
• 3-5 years managing national or global PR agencies and/or consultants
• Strong network of press contacts in both tech and consumer verticals
• Experience building influence and thought-leadership platforms for top executives
• Deep understanding of how PR fits within the marketing mix, as well as knowledge of other marketing disciplines
• Strong ability to summarize data or press coverage, pull out key learnings and create actionable insights in easy-to-understand abstracts
• Proven track record of introducing consumer products to market, conducting local market launches, announcing major partnerships, crafting messaging and prepping executive spokespeople accordingly
• Experience using creative ideas and company data to conduct successful campaigns
• Sensibility to react quickly, decisively, and effectively in a fast-paced media environment
• Excellent time management and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and quickly execute high-quality work
• Team player, ability to get along with a range of personalities, and never be afraid to reach out to others in the organization to brainstorm, get ideas or ask questions
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Good judgment, particularly in high-pressure situations

Ulta Beauty

Senior Manager, Public Relations

New York, New York

Ulta Beauty is the largest specialty beauty retailer in the United States and the place for the true beauty enthusiast who gets butterflies as she shops for beauty and experiments throughout our store. We are the only one to provide our guest's prestige, mass and salon products, and services under one roof – All Things Beauty, All in One Place™. We put our guests at the center of all we do, committing to offer her unrivaled ways to be beautiful in an environment that provides the thrill of exploration and delight of discovery.

Position Summary:

The Senior Manager, Beauty Public Relations works with the Director as a key thought leader in helping develop strategy and direction of the beauty PR function. Interacting closely with senior management as well as high profile external industry leaders, this position serves as Ulta Beauty’s beauty industry ambassador. Collaborating closely with other internal thought leaders, this position is tasked with building critical industry and media relationships and offering counsel to key executives. Working cross-functionally in this role, the senior manager will lead efforts in building relationships with brand partners, supporting their PR efforts with fresh, innovation PR tactics. Assist and represent the Director of Communications in all aspects of the management of beauty PR agency partners specifically serving as their primary day-to-day contact. Support and back up the Director in the key area of issue/crisis management as it relates to beauty/product related issues.

Strong team leader tasked with helping lead the team to carry out media and external communications tactics to generate strategic, priority media coverage for Ulta Beauty with the beauty and beauty trade media in support of Ulta Beauty and brand partner efforts.

Additional duties include reviewing assigning, critiquing, editing and approving communication materials. Developing long-term relationships with priority media contacts to increase Ulta Beauty visibility and leverage for increased opportunity for media coverage in priority outlets.

Drive process to validate media relation effort success through analysis and measurement of earned media results. Mentor and manage one direct report. Position requires travels up to 40%.

Core Job Responsibilities:

• Lead efforts in planning and implementation of initiatives of the Ulta Beauty Beauty PR strategy including beauty editor engagement and a beauty-focused PR/external visibility strategy.
• Lead external communication support of corporate marketing initiatives including 21 Days of Beauty and Gorgeous Hair Event as well as planning public relations plans for priority brand launches.
• Lead public relations support of Ulta Beauty’s in-house brand, the Ulta Beauty Collection with the goal of elevating the brand and its portfolio of products within the beauty space.
• Develop and manage ideas for primary storylines and tier the appropriate media channels to reach prioritized Ulta Beauty audiences. Along with the director, develop and maintain relationships with key members of the beauty and beauty trade media.
• Interact with senior leaders to help prepare and manage media opportunities for which they serve as spokespersons including top executives like merchandising SVPs by proactively identifying opportunities to build company’s awareness and reputation by sharing our narrative as outlined in the corporate PR strategy.
• Cultivate relationships with a wide range of subject matter experts within the company and identify initiatives to promote new opportunities to pitch to media. Identify and coach subject matter experts to become spokespeople.
• Help manage external agency partners and serve as the primary day-to-day agency contact.
• Manage the creation and distribution approach of media materials; coordinate adaptation and implementation of campaigns throughout the organization.
• Create a process to effectively and quickly communicate PR results and activities to internal stakeholders.
• Serve as key partner to executive communications and merchandising teams, as work necessitates.

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