Job Descriptions
CORPORATE PR and PR AGENCY JOBS
We’ve outlined below some of the basic requirements for some of the more common Corporate and Agency public relations jobs
Corporate
Assistant
Duties may vary depending on the company’s needs, but may include support for other staff members, responding to information requests, assisting in the organisation of media or corporate events, drafting press releases or in-house magazine or website copy.
Other tasks include clipping newspapers, assisting with research needs, maintaining media contacts lists, clippings and other archives, and handling press release mailings.
Executive/Specialist
Corporate PR executives/specialists are responsible for PR activities within communications departments of larger organisations (responsibilities are similar to an agency account executive/account manager). Tasks can include media liaison, writing press releases, speeches, magazine features, website copy, planning special events or press conferences.
Senior executives may be involved in communications strategic planning and programme implementation, public events, writing and co-ordinating production of annual reports, brochures and other literature/presentations, website/intranet development and management.
Manager
PR managers develop and implement public relations programmes and other communications activities for the company and manage a team of public relations and administrative staff.
They are responsible for managing the communications strategic planning process and the implementation of corporate PR plans. They may work with other marketing communications groups within the company to ensure co-ordination of all marketing and PR initiatives, and usually manage external PR agency relationships and budgets.
General Manager/Director
General managers and communications directors are responsible for the development and implementation of the long-term strategic focus and management of the organisation’s public relations/communications functions, including image and reputation management, media relations, corporate and internal communications, community and investor relations.
These senior roles are responsible for the overall management of the public relations department as well as fiscal planning, and budget and executive staff management.
They are usually the senior media spokesperson for the organisation.
Agency
Account Executive
Assistant account executive or account executive are the entry-level jobs at most agencies.
Duties may vary depending on the agency’s needs, but may include support for other staff members, responding to information requests, assisting in the organisation of media or corporate events, media relations including pitching stories, writing press releases or magazine or website copy. The role can also include event planning, special events, media conferences and trade shows.
Other tasks include clipping newspapers, assisting with research needs, maintaining media contacts lists, clippings and other archives, and handling press release mailings.
Account Manager
An account manager oversees PR accounts, often supervising account executives working on those accounts, and drives the day-to-day hands-on tactical work and client liaison and is usually accountable for performance delivery and achieving specific outputs and targets.
Account Director
Account directors are responsible for the management of a group of client accounts and the agency team undertaking work on behalf of those clients. They provide strategic public relations counsel to senior client executives and help generate new agency business.
Account directors are also responsible for fiscal planning and budget management.
General Manager/Agency Principal
These senior agency executives manage the firm and are responsible for agency profitability, staff management/recruitment and overall client management.
They maintain client relationships at a senior level and lead the development of strategic-level communication strategies and campaigns. They also drive new business generation and are responsible for fiscal planning and budget management.