Assistant Communications ManagerJob Description

An Assistant Communications Manager has broader strategic responsibilities and often supervises projects or junior staff, while a Communications Specialist focuses primarily on execution of specific communication tasks. The Assistant Manager role typically requires more experience and involves greater decision-making authority in campaign planning and stakeholder management.

While media relations experience is highly valuable, candidates with strong writing skills and digital communications expertise can succeed with proper training. Consider candidates from adjacent fields like marketing, journalism, or content strategy who demonstrate excellent communication abilities and willingness to learn media outreach protocols.

Prioritize writing skills first, as this role requires daily content creation across multiple channels. Strategic thinking can be developed through mentorship, but poor writing fundamentally limits effectiveness. Test candidates with real-world writing samples and editing exercises during the interview process.

Provide a mock crisis scenario or press release assignment with a tight deadline to assess writing quality, strategic thinking, and time management. Ask candidates to critique existing company communications and suggest improvements, revealing their analytical skills and understanding of effective messaging principles.

Watch for poor attention to detail in application materials, inability to provide specific examples of past campaign results, or lack of familiarity with current digital communication trends. Candidates who can't articulate how they measure communication effectiveness or show limited understanding of different audience needs may struggle in this role.