Public Relations Manager Job Description

Public Relations Manager Job Profile and Description

The Public Relations Manager heads a team of communication specialists who are responsible for creating, maintaining and defending the company’s general reputation and positive brand recognition before the general public which includes its markets. The public relations manager is often the company spokesperson who appears in broadcast and print media in situations where corporate information, as opposed to product information, is needed for public consumption.

Public Relations Manager Duties and Responsibilities

• Plan, develop and direct public relations programs that build and sustain a favorable public image for the company or person’s reputation.
• Enunciate the environmental stand, political neutrality and other issues that may affect public sentiment either way.
• Manage a team of communication specialists.
• Attend corporate and public events with high visibility.
• Approve PR programs and campaigns as cleared with higher management.
• Participate actively and work closely with the Advertising Manager in any corporate or individual’s public image positioning initiatives such as crafting new logos, taglines, corporate colors, etc.
• Issue press releases and appear in media in times of high profile court litigation and product scandals.

Public Relations Manager Skills and Specifications

• Must have the sensitivity to gauge public perception about the company or individual based on media, survey polls and online opinion
• Must be able to work long hours often under extreme pressures
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Must have excellent tact and diplomacy and persuasive skills in dealing with the press and the media
• Must have thorough grasp of the industry and socio-politics behind the company or individual/celebrity
• Excellent management, organization and people management skills

Public Relations Manager Education and Qualifications

• A college degree in Public Administration, Advertising, Industrial Psychology, Public Administration, Mass Communication or equivalent is basic
• An MBA along with 3-5 year experience in marketing and public relations capacity is an advantage

Public Relations Managers Salary

The median annual salary for a Public Relations Manager in 2008 was recorded at $106,000. Salaries at the managerial level vary substantially depending on the employee’s level of responsibility, length of service, and educational background, the size and location of the firm; and the industry in which the firm operates.