5 free templates, including a nonprofit first-comms-hire version, plus corporate, internal, and marketing communications, with BLS pay data and the FLSA exempt-status and pay-transparency guidance generic templates skip. Download as DOCX.
A communications manager owns how an organization tells its story: the strategy, the messaging, the media relations, the content, and the reputation. At a large company the role may lead a team; at a small nonprofit, association, or startup, it is usually a team of one who sets the strategy and also does the work. That range is part of why the generic templates online fall short, along with the things they all skip: a realistic salary band, the FLSA classification, the pay-transparency rules, and an honest scope for a solo small-organization hire.
At FirstHR, we build for the small organizations where this is often a milestone first hire and there is no HR department to write the posting. The five templates below cover the role across specializations: general, nonprofit first-comms-hire, corporate, internal, and marketing communications. Each is ready to use. Fill in the bracketed fields and post, and the guide to writing a job description covers the fundamentals behind any posting.
TL;DR
Five free communications manager job description templates by specialization: General, Nonprofit, Corporate, Internal, and Marketing communications. The role is salaried and almost always exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, which expressly covers public relations and marketing work. The closest federal occupation reports a median of $138,520; title-level pay clusters around $108,000 to $120,000. Download as DOCX.
What a Communications Manager Does
A communications manager leads an organization's internal and external communications, developing strategy, owning messaging and brand voice, managing media relations, producing content across channels, and protecting and growing the organization's reputation. At a small organization the role is usually a solo professional who both plans the strategy and produces the day-to-day work.
The closest federal occupation is public relations managers, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics uses to capture communications managers and directors, since there is no separate occupation for the title. The role is a strategic, salaried professional position. For scoping any role before posting, the guide to defining job responsibilities walks through the process.
Communications Manager Duties and Responsibilities
Communications manager duties cluster into four areas: strategy and messaging, media and external communications, internal communications, and reputation and reporting. A good job description picks the specific duties from each area that match your organization and channels rather than listing every possible task.
Strategy and messaging
Develop and execute the communications strategy
Own messaging, brand voice, and narratives
Manage the communications calendar and budget
Media and external
Manage media relations and press inquiries
Produce content across web, social, and print
Grow reach and the organization's reputation
Internal communications
Lead internal and employee messaging
Support leadership and change communications
Manage the intranet and employee channels
Reputation and reporting
Handle crisis and issues communications
Protect brand and reputation
Measure and report on results
At a nonprofit the content and stakeholder duties dominate; in a corporate role, media and crisis communications lead; in an internal role, employee channels and change communications. The constant is owning the message. Scale the duties to your organization, channels, and specialization.
Which Template Should You Use?
Pick the template by specialization. The own-the-message core runs through all five, but each one emphasizes the duties, audience, and framing that fit a specific kind of communications role. Use this guide to choose.
General Communications Manager
Any organization, the baseline
The universal version: strategy, messaging, media relations, content, and internal communications. Start here and adapt to your organization and channels.
Nonprofit / First Comms Hire
Mission-driven, solo role
The strongest small-org fit: a build-it, do-it role owning communications end to end for a nonprofit or association, including donor and stakeholder messaging. The version nobody else writes for.
Corporate Communications
Reputation and media
For a company: corporate messaging, media and analyst relations, executive and crisis communications, and reputation management across stakeholders.
Internal Communications
Employee-facing
For employee communications: intranet, newsletters, leadership and change messaging, and engagement content that keeps the team informed and aligned.
Marketing Communications
Marcom, brand and demand
For marketing-aligned communications: campaigns, content, brand voice, and product messaging that drive awareness and demand alongside the marketing team.
Match the Template to the Role
Any organization, as a baseline: General. A nonprofit or association making its first comms hire: Nonprofit. A company managing reputation and media: Corporate. An employee-facing role: Internal. A marketing-aligned role: Marketing. When in doubt at a small nonprofit or startup, the Nonprofit / First Comms Hire version is the strongest starting point.
Download all five as a single Word document or copy individual templates. Each one follows the same structure: organization and role summary, key responsibilities, required and preferred qualifications, salary, and how to apply. Fill in the brackets before you post.
Download All 5 Job Description Templates
General, nonprofit, corporate, internal, and marketing communications. All in one DOCX.
Template 1: General Communications Manager
The universal version: strategy, messaging, media relations, content, and internal communications. Use this for most organizations and adapt it to your channels.
Communications Manager Job Description (General)
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Organization: __
Location: __
Reports to: Director / VP / Executive Director / CEO
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
ABOUT [ORGANIZATION NAME]
[One or two sentences about your organization, what you do, and the communications
function this manager will own or build.]
ROLE SUMMARY
[Organization Name] is hiring a Communications Manager to lead our internal and
external communications. You will develop and execute our communications strategy,
own messaging and brand voice, manage media and public relations, produce content
across channels, and protect and grow our reputation. This is a strategic role
with real ownership of how we communicate.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Develop and execute the communications strategy
•Own messaging, brand voice, and key narratives
•Manage media relations and press inquiries
•Produce content across web, email, social, and print
•Lead internal communications and employee messaging
•Manage the communications calendar and budget
•Handle crisis and issues communications
•Measure and report on communications results
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's degree in communications, PR, marketing, or related field, or equivalent experience
•[4 to 7] years of communications, PR, or marketing experience
•Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills
•Experience with media relations and content across channels
•Strong judgment, organization, and project management
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Experience in [your industry or sector]
•Crisis communications experience
•Familiarity with analytics, design, and content tools
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume, a cover letter, and writing samples to __.
[Organization Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Template 2: Nonprofit / First Comms Hire
The strongest small-org fit: a build-it, do-it role owning communications end to end for a nonprofit or association, including donor and stakeholder messaging.
Communications Manager Job Description (Nonprofit / First Comms Hire)
COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION (NONPROFIT / FIRST COMMS HIRE)
Organization: __ (nonprofit / association)
Location: __
Reports to: Executive Director
Employment type: Full-time [or part-time; see FLSA note]
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried) [if full strategic role; see note]
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
ROLE SUMMARY
[Organization Name] is hiring our first Communications Manager to tell our story
and grow our impact. Reporting to the Executive Director, you will own
communications end to end: messaging, content, social media, email, media
relations, donor and stakeholder communications, and our website. This is a
build-it, do-it role for someone who can set strategy and also produce the work on
a small team.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Build and run the organization's communications
•Develop messaging that advances the mission
•Produce content for web, email, social, and print
•Manage media relations and community outreach
•Support donor, grant, and stakeholder communications
•Manage social media and the website
•Coordinate communications with programs and leadership
•Track and report on reach and engagement
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
•[3 to 6] years of communications or marketing experience
•Strong writing, storytelling, and content skills
•Comfortable owning communications solo on a small team
•Commitment to the mission
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Nonprofit or advocacy communications experience
•Donor or grant communications experience
•Design and analytics tool familiarity
FLSA NOTE (read before posting)
A full communications manager who sets strategy and exercises independent judgment
is generally exempt under the administrative exemption, which expressly covers
public relations and marketing work. But a part-time or junior coordinator-level
role with mainly routine execution may be non-exempt and owed overtime. Classify by
actual duties and salary, not the title. This is general information, not legal
advice.
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume, a cover letter, and writing samples to __.
[Organization Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Still Using Spreadsheets for Onboarding?
Automate documents, training assignments, task management, and track onboarding progress in real time.
For marketing-aligned communications: campaigns, content, brand voice, and product messaging that drive awareness and demand alongside the marketing team.
Marketing Communications Manager Job Description
MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER JOB DESCRIPTION
Company: __
Location: __
Reports to: Marketing Director / CMO
Employment type: Full-time
FLSA status: Exempt (salaried)
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
ROLE SUMMARY
[Company Name] is hiring a Marketing Communications Manager (Marcom Manager) to
lead the messaging and content that support our marketing and brand. You will
develop marketing communications strategy, produce campaigns and content across
channels, manage brand voice, and align communications with marketing goals to
drive awareness and demand.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
•Develop and execute marketing communications strategy
•Produce campaigns and content across channels
•Own brand voice and messaging consistency
•Manage website, email, and social content
•Coordinate PR and product communications
•Support demand generation and brand awareness
•Manage external vendors and the marcom budget
•Track and report on campaign performance
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, or related field
•[4 to 7] years of marketing communications experience
•Strong writing, content, and campaign skills
•Experience across digital channels and brand
•Analytical, organized, and deadline-driven
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
•Product marketing or demand-generation experience
•Design, video, or marketing-automation tool skills
•Industry experience in [your sector]
COMPENSATION AND HOW TO APPLY
Salary range: $_____ to $_____ per year
Benefits: __
To apply, send your resume, a cover letter, and writing samples to __.
[Company Name] is an equal opportunity employer.
Communications Manager Specializations
Communications manager is an umbrella title, and the specialization changes the focus, the skills, and the pay. Most generic templates give one undifferentiated list, but choosing the right specialization helps you attract the right candidate.
Specialization
Focus
Key skills
General / nonprofit
End-to-end communications, often solo
Writing, content, media, stakeholder messaging
Corporate
Reputation, media, executive comms
Media relations, crisis comms, executive writing
Internal
Employee communications
Intranet, change comms, engagement content
Marketing (marcom)
Brand, campaigns, demand support
Campaigns, content, brand voice, analytics
Digital / social
Digital channels and social
Social, content, analytics, design tools
At a small organization, one communications manager often spans several of these at once. Identify which focus matters most for your goals, then weight the job description and required skills toward it while acknowledging the blended reality of a small-team role.
FLSA and Pay Transparency
This is the part generic templates skip, and for a salaried professional role it is the compliance that matters most: why the role is exempt, the edge cases that are not, and the pay-transparency rules for posting. Get these right and your posting is both compliant and clear.
FLSA: a communications manager is almost always exempt
This is the classification question generic templates never answer, and getting it right protects you. A full communications manager is almost always exempt from overtime under the administrative exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The role is salaried, well above the federal salary threshold, and its primary duty is office work directly related to general business operations, developing strategy and exercising discretion and independent judgment over messaging, brand, media response, and budget. That is the textbook administrative-exemption profile, so the salary level is rarely the issue and the duties test is what matters. The role is exempt, which means no overtime, but it also means you should document the strategic, discretionary nature of the work in the posting. This is general information, not legal advice.
Why public relations and marketing work qualifies
The administrative exemption is unusually clear for this role, because federal regulations expressly list public relations, marketing, and advertising among the functional areas that qualify as work directly related to management or general business operations. A communications manager who sets and runs the organization's public relations and marketing communications is performing exactly the kind of work the regulation names. Combined with the discretion and independent judgment the role exercises over messaging and reputation, that makes the administrative exemption the strong default. An executive exemption can also apply if the manager genuinely leads a team of two or more, which is less common at a small organization where the role is a team of one. This is general information, not legal advice.
Watch the junior and part-time edge cases
The exemption follows the duties and the salary, not the title, so be careful with junior or part-time communications roles. A coordinator or specialist whose work is mainly routine execution, scheduling posts, formatting newsletters, updating the website, without real discretion over strategy, may not meet the administrative test, and a part-time role can fall below the salary threshold. In those cases the role is non-exempt and owed overtime. This matters at small organizations that start with a part-time or coordinator-level communications hire and call it a manager. Classify based on what the person actually does and what they are paid, and reclassify if the role grows into a true strategic manager. This is general information, not legal advice.
Pay transparency: post a salary range where required
A growing number of states now require employers to include a good-faith salary range in job postings, and the thresholds reach the smallest organizations, with some covering employers with as few as four or five employees. Because a communications manager is a salaried professional role with a wide pay band, the range you post matters and the law in many states is not optional. Open-ended phrasing like competitive or depending on experience does not satisfy these laws. Before you post, check your state's rule and include a genuine minimum-to-maximum salary range. This is general information, not legal advice.
Exempt Under the Administrative Exemption
A communications manager is almost always exempt under the FLSA administrative exemption, because federal rules expressly list public relations and marketing among the qualifying functions and the role exercises discretion over strategy. Watch part-time and coordinator-level roles, which can be non-exempt and owed overtime.
Because classification turns on the real duties and salary rather than the title, document the strategic, discretionary nature of the role in the posting. For the full framework, the exempt versus non-exempt guide and the Fair Labor Standards Act overview explain how the tests work. State rules can be stricter, so confirm against your state. This is general information, not legal advice.
Skills and Qualifications
Communications manager roles start from strong writing, strategic judgment, and the ability to work across channels, with specialization-specific skills layered on top. Scale the experience and specifics to your organization.
Requirement
What to look for
Education
Bachelor's degree in communications, PR, or marketing, or equivalent experience
Experience
Several years of communications, PR, or marketing experience
Core skills
Writing, editing, storytelling, media relations, judgment
Channels
Web, email, social, and content across formats
Specialization
Crisis comms, internal comms, or marcom by focus
Classification
Exempt, salaried; administrative exemption
Keep every requirement job-related, since the EEOC prohibits job advertisements that show a preference based on a protected characteristic, and the SHRM guide covers the standard sections of a job description. Request writing samples, since writing is core to the role.
Communications Manager Salary
A communications manager is a salaried, exempt role, with pay varying by sector, organization size, and region. Use government data for context, then benchmark to the title and your market.
Closest Federal Occupation Median $138,520 (BLS)
The closest federal occupation, public relations managers, reported a median annual wage of $138,520 as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $78,880 and the highest 10 percent over $239,200 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). That occupation blends in senior PR and director pay; title-level communications manager pay clusters lower, commonly around $108,000 to $120,000.
Corporate communications managers tend toward the higher end, while small nonprofits and part-time roles pay materially less. Set the range based on your sector, your organization's size and budget, and your local market, and post a salary range where your state requires one. Because this is a salaried professional role with a wide band, benchmark to the specialization and level you are actually hiring rather than to the high federal-occupation figure. This is general information, not legal advice.
Hiring for a Small Organization
At a 15-to-50-person nonprofit, association, or startup, the communications manager is usually a team of one, both strategist and producer, and is often a milestone first hire. The job description has to reflect that solo reality rather than copy a corporate department head's posting. Here is how to write it for a small organization.
At a small organization, the communications manager is usually a team of one
Most templates online assume a corporate communications department with a manager directing a team. At a 15-to-50-person nonprofit, association, or startup, the communications manager is typically the entire function: they set the strategy and also write the posts, send the emails, manage the website, and handle the press, all themselves. The job description has to reflect that reality, scoping a realistic mix of strategic and hands-on work rather than copying a corporate department head's posting. The Nonprofit / First Comms Hire template above is written for exactly this solo, build-it-yourself role, which is where the title actually lands at small-organization scale.
Know which communications role you actually need
Communications titles blur together, and hiring the wrong level wastes money. A communications coordinator or specialist executes the work under direction and is often junior or part-time. A communications manager sets strategy and owns the function. A communications director leads a team and sits in senior leadership, with a higher salary band. At a small organization, what is often called a manager is really a hands-on individual contributor who both plans and produces. Decide whether you need someone to run communications strategically, produce the day-to-day work, or both, and match the title, the level, and the pay to that. This page focuses on the manager level, with variants by specialization.
It is almost always exempt, but confirm before you classify
A full communications manager is almost always a salaried, exempt professional under the administrative exemption, so there is usually no overtime to budget. But the classification depends on the actual duties and the salary, not the title, and the edge cases are real at small organizations. A part-time or coordinator-level hire doing mainly routine execution, without discretion over strategy, can be non-exempt and owed overtime. Get the classification right before you post and before the first paycheck, because misclassifying a non-exempt worker as exempt creates back-pay liability. When in doubt on a junior or part-time role, treat it as non-exempt or confirm with counsel.
Even one strategic hire kicks off real onboarding
Hiring a communications manager is often a milestone hire at a small organization, the first person who owns the story, and it still triggers the full onboarding process: a signed offer, Form I-9, tax forms, state new-hire reporting, policy acknowledgments, and access to the tools and channels they will run. For a small nonprofit or startup without an HR department, doing that well sets the tone for a senior professional. FirstHR fits this people side: send the offer for e-signature, collect and store the new-hire paperwork, run a structured onboarding workflow, and manage employee records as the team grows. To be clear about scope, FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so pair it with those providers. Applicant tracking is coming soon.
From Hiring to Onboarding
The job description is step one. Once a candidate accepts, the same document becomes the basis for the offer letter and onboarding, and at a small organization a communications manager is often a senior, milestone hire worth onboarding well. Beyond the signed offer, Form I-9, and tax forms covered in any new hire paperwork process, this person needs access to your channels, accounts, and brand from day one.
Send the offer
Confirm the salary, title, and start date in writing. An offer letter template makes this fast for a salaried professional hire.
Collect the paperwork
Gather the signed offer, Form I-9, tax forms, and policy acknowledgments, stored in one place.
Set up access and tools
Give the new manager the channels, accounts, and brand assets they need to own communications from week one.
Onboard for impact
Share strategy, stakeholders, and context so a senior hire can deliver quickly, then keep the records organized.
A structured start helps even a senior professional deliver quickly, so an onboarding template is worth using. Once your offer is ready, the offer letter template handles the next step. FirstHR connects the offer, signed paperwork, e-signatures, and onboarding workflow in one place so a small nonprofit or startup can manage the full process and employee records from one system. FirstHR is an onboarding and HR platform, and it does not run payroll or administer benefits, so connect those separately. Applicant tracking is coming soon to FirstHR.
Key Takeaways
A communications manager owns an organization's strategy, messaging, media relations, content, and reputation.
Use the template that matches the specialization: general, nonprofit, corporate, internal, or marketing communications.
The role is salaried and almost always exempt under the administrative exemption, which expressly covers public relations and marketing work.
Watch junior and part-time edge cases, which can be non-exempt and owed overtime; classification follows duties and salary, not the title.
Post a salary range where your state requires it; pay-transparency thresholds reach organizations with as few as four or five employees.
At a small nonprofit or startup, the role is usually a solo, hands-on hire who both sets strategy and produces the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a communications manager do?
A communications manager leads an organization's internal and external communications. The role develops and executes communications strategy, owns messaging and brand voice, manages media and public relations, produces content across web, email, social, and print, leads internal and employee communications, handles crisis and issues communications, and measures the results. At a large organization the role may direct a team and focus on strategy, while at a small nonprofit, association, or startup it is usually a team of one who both sets the strategy and produces the day-to-day work. The exact mix depends on the organization and the specialization, whether corporate, internal, marketing, or nonprofit communications. The common thread is owning how the organization communicates and protecting and growing its reputation.
What is the difference between a communications coordinator, manager, and director?
They are three levels of the same function. A communications coordinator or specialist executes the work under direction, scheduling posts, formatting newsletters, updating the website, and is often junior or part-time. A communications manager sets strategy and owns the communications function, developing messaging, managing media relations, and exercising real discretion, and at a small organization often produces the work as well as planning it. A communications director leads a communications team, sets high-level strategy, sits in senior leadership, and commands a higher salary band. The levels differ in scope, seniority, discretion, and pay, and the difference matters for both the job posting and the FLSA classification. Decide whether you need someone to execute, to manage, or to lead, and match the title and pay accordingly. This is general information, not legal advice.
Is a communications manager exempt or non-exempt under the FLSA?
A full communications manager is almost always exempt from overtime under the administrative exemption of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The role is salaried, typically well above the federal salary threshold, and its primary duty is office work directly related to general business operations that involves discretion and independent judgment on matters of significance. Federal regulations expressly list public relations, marketing, and advertising among the qualifying functional areas, which makes the administrative exemption a strong fit for a communications manager who sets strategy and manages messaging and reputation. An executive exemption can also apply if the manager genuinely leads a team of two or more. The important caveat is that the exemption follows the actual duties and salary, not the title: a part-time or junior coordinator-level role doing mainly routine execution may be non-exempt and owed overtime. Classify based on the real job, and consult counsel for close calls. This is general information, not legal advice.
How much does a communications manager make?
A communications manager is a salaried role with pay that varies by organization size, sector, and region. The closest federal occupation, public relations managers, reported a median annual wage of $138,520 as of May 2024, with the lowest 10 percent under $78,880 and the highest 10 percent over $239,200, though that occupation blends in senior public relations and communications-director-level pay and runs high. Title-level market data for communications manager specifically clusters lower, commonly in the range of roughly $85,000 to $140,000, with a typical midpoint around $108,000 to $120,000, and corporate communications managers toward the higher end. Small nonprofits and part-time roles can pay materially less, sometimes below the higher figures entirely. Set your range based on your sector, your organization's size and budget, and your local market, and post a salary range where your state requires one. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should a small nonprofit hire a communications manager?
Often yes, when communications has grown beyond what a founder, executive director, or program staff can handle on the side. For a mission-driven nonprofit or association, a dedicated communications manager is frequently a milestone first hire who owns storytelling, donor and stakeholder communications, social media, and media relations, all of which directly support fundraising and impact. At small scale, the role is usually a solo, hands-on professional who both sets strategy and produces the work, reporting to the executive director. The Nonprofit / First Comms Hire template on this page is built for exactly this situation. The main alternatives to consider are a part-time or contract communications role, or folding communications into a marketing or development position, depending on your budget and how central communications is to your mission. This is general guidance, not a strict rule.
Do I have to include a salary range when posting a communications manager role?
In a growing number of states, yes. Many states now require employers to include a good-faith salary range in job postings, and the thresholds reach small organizations, with some covering employers with as few as four or five employees. Because a communications manager is a salaried professional role with a wide pay band, this is directly relevant, and open-ended phrasing like competitive or depending on experience does not satisfy these laws. The specific states, thresholds, and rules change, so check your state's current pay-transparency law before you post, and include a genuine minimum-to-maximum range where it applies. Even where it is not required, posting a range tends to attract better-matched candidates and saves time. This is general information, not legal advice.
What is the difference between a communications manager and a marketing manager?
They overlap but have different centers of gravity. A communications manager focuses on messaging, reputation, media relations, internal communications, and brand voice, with the goal of how the organization is understood and perceived. A marketing manager focuses on generating awareness, leads, and sales, owning campaigns, demand generation, and often the marketing budget and channels. The two blur most in the marketing communications, or marcom, role, which sits between them and supports marketing goals with messaging and content. At a small organization, one person frequently covers both communications and marketing, which is why the title and the actual duties can diverge. Decide which outcomes you most need, reputation and messaging or demand and sales, and write the job description around those. The marketing communications template on this page covers the blended role. This is general information, not legal advice.
What should a communications manager job description include?
A strong communications manager job description names the specialization up front, whether general, nonprofit, corporate, internal, or marketing communications, and includes a short organization summary, a role summary that makes the scope clear, and responsibilities grouped into strategy and messaging, media and external communications, internal communications, and reputation and reporting. The parts that add the most value and that generic templates skip are the FLSA exempt-status note explaining why the role is administrative-exempt and warning about junior or part-time edge cases, a realistic salary range with pay-transparency awareness, an honest scope for a solo small-organization role, and required writing samples. State the salary range where your state requires it, name the reporting line, and list both required and preferred qualifications. Close with an equal opportunity statement and clear application instructions. This is general information, not legal advice.
