Torchora
Back to Home

Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Internal Communications Manager

💰 $ - $

CommunicationsHuman ResourcesInternal Communications

🎯 Role Definition

The Internal Communications Manager is responsible for designing and executing an integrated internal communications strategy that informs, engages and aligns employees with business priorities. This role partners with senior leaders, HR, IT and cross-functional teams to lead change communications, drive employee engagement, manage digital channels (intranet, email, Slack/Teams, Yammer), and measure communication effectiveness. The ideal candidate blends strategic thinking, strong writing and editorial skills, technical fluency with CMS and collaboration tools, and hands-on project management to elevate the employee experience and support organizational objectives.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Communications Specialist / Internal Communications Specialist
  • Corporate Communications Coordinator
  • HR Generalist with communications experience

Advancement To:

  • Senior Internal Communications Manager
  • Head of Employee Experience / Director of Internal Communications
  • VP, Corporate Communications or Employee Engagement Lead

Lateral Moves:

  • Change Communications Manager
  • Employee Experience Manager
  • Employer Brand / Talent Communications Manager

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Develop and own the internal communications strategy and annual communications plan aligned to corporate priorities, business objectives, and change programs, ensuring messaging consistency across business units and geographies.
  • Create clear, persuasive, and audience-tailored written content for executive communications, leadership briefings, CEO messages, town halls, and leadership presentations to ensure alignment and visibility of strategic priorities.
  • Design and execute end-to-end change communications campaigns for major initiatives (reorgs, system implementations, M&A, policy changes), including stakeholder mapping, messaging frameworks, timeline and risk mitigation plans.
  • Plan, produce and execute company-wide town halls, leadership forums and virtual events (scripting, Q&A moderation, run-sheets, technical coordination) to maximize participation and clarity of key messages.
  • Manage the corporate intranet (SharePoint/other CMS) and channel strategy — maintain content calendar, governance, taxonomy, search optimization, and content lifecycle to improve discoverability and employee self-service.
  • Lead internal email and newsletter programs (content development, segmentation, A/B testing, scheduling) to drive open rates, click-throughs and measurable engagement outcomes.
  • Own employee segmentation and targeted communications (by function, region, level) to personalize messaging and increase relevance and impact across distributed and hybrid workforces.
  • Partner with HR and Talent teams to develop onboarding communications, leadership toolkits, performance cycle communications, recognition programs and other lifecycle communications that support culture and retention.
  • Produce multimedia content — scripts, short videos, podcasts, infographics and slide decks — collaborating with creative/video teams or vendors to convert complex messages into compelling internal content.
  • Coach and counsel senior leaders and managers on effective communication techniques, message discipline, and visible leadership behaviors; prepare talking points and rehearsal support for spokespeople.
  • Establish and manage internal communications governance, editorial standards, content templates, and a corporate style guide to ensure brand-aligned, inclusive, and compliant messaging across channels.
  • Implement measurement and evaluation frameworks (employee surveys, pulse checks, intranet analytics, email metrics, engagement KPIs) and deliver regular insights and recommendations to leadership.
  • Monitor employee sentiment and feedback channels (surveys, Yammer/Slack, HR case trends), identify emerging issues or rumors, and proactively recommend communications or interventions.
  • Lead crisis and incident communications for internal stakeholders—prepare rapid response templates, incident updates, FAQ documents and coordinate with crisis leadership teams to ensure timely, accurate messaging.
  • Collaborate with external communications, PR and marketing teams to align internal messaging with external announcements, product launches, and brand initiatives.
  • Manage relationships with vendors, agencies and creative partners — scope work, review deliverables, manage budgets and ensure quality and timeliness.
  • Maintain strict confidentiality on sensitive organizational information and advise legal/HR on disclosure timing and content for regulated or sensitive matters.
  • Drive adoption and change for digital collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Yammer) via communications campaigns, training content and champion networks.
  • Develop and maintain communication playbooks and content toolkits (FAQs, templates, manager guides) to enable consistent implementation of programs by local teams and managers.
  • Lead cross-functional communication councils or steering committees to coordinate messaging across functions and global markets, ensuring alignment and reducing duplication.
  • Execute targeted pulse surveys, focus groups and employee listening sessions to validate effectiveness of communications and iterate on content and channel strategy.
  • Track and report ROI for internal communications initiatives, including engagement lift, behavioral change indicators, intranet traffic and program adoption metrics.
  • Localize and adapt core messages and campaigns for regional markets, coordinating translations, cultural nuances and local stakeholder approvals.
  • Maintain an editorial calendar and prioritize communications workstreams to ensure timely delivery of high-impact content under competing deadlines.
  • Support HR and business leaders on talent and performance communications such as promotions, restructures and compensation cycles ensuring clarity and empathy in messaging.

Secondary Functions

  • Provide training and enablement for managers on communication best practices, inclusive language and storytelling techniques.
  • Support internal campaign creative production by writing scripts, reviewing storyboards and coordinating review cycles with creative teams.
  • Audit and optimize internal channel mix; recommend consolidation, retirements or upgrades of legacy tools and channels.
  • Contribute to employer brand and recruitment communications where internal and external narratives intersect.
  • Assist in developing measurement dashboards and executive reporting templates that highlight communication impact and business outcomes.
  • Support ad-hoc employee listening programs and synthesis of qualitative feedback for action by business partners.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Internal communications strategy development and execution
  • Change management communications and stakeholder mapping (ADKAR familiarity a plus)
  • Executive communications, speechwriting and presentation development
  • Intranet/CMS administration (SharePoint preferred) and content governance
  • Email and newsletter platforms (internal comms, marketing automation or comms tools)
  • Digital collaboration platforms (Microsoft Teams, Slack, Yammer) and channel strategy
  • Analytics and measurement: intranet analytics, email metrics, survey tools (Qualtrics, SurveyMonkey), and basic data visualization for dashboards
  • Content production: video scripting, basic video editing familiarity, podcast workflows and storyboard review
  • Copywriting, editing, proofreading, tone and editorial style consistency
  • Project management tools and methodologies (JIRA, Asana, Trello, Agile ceremonies familiarity)
  • Familiarity with localization and translation workflows and vendor coordination
  • Basic HTML/CSS or CMS templating skills for intranet content (beneficial)
  • Experience managing external agencies and vendor contracts, budgets and SLAs
  • Crisis communications planning and rapid response coordination

Soft Skills

  • Exceptional written and verbal communication with strong storytelling ability
  • Strategic thinking and the ability to translate business strategy into clear employee messaging
  • Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills at senior executive levels
  • High emotional intelligence, empathy and trustworthiness dealing with sensitive topics
  • Project prioritization, organization, and the ability to manage multiple campaigns simultaneously
  • Coaching and facilitation skills to prepare leaders and managers for public-facing communications
  • Problem solving, resilience and calm under pressure (critical for crisis situations)
  • Collaborative mindset with cross-functional teams and global colleagues
  • Attention to detail and commitment to editorial quality and compliance
  • Data-informed decision making and comfort synthesizing measurement into actionable recommendations

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing, Human Resources, English or related field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master's degree in Communications, Organizational Psychology, MBA or related discipline is a plus.
  • Certifications in change management (Prosci), communications, or project management add value.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Corporate Communications
  • Public Relations / Journalism
  • Organizational Development / Psychology
  • Marketing / Business Administration
  • English, Media Studies or Technical Communication

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

  • 4–8 years of professional communications experience with at least 2–4 years focused on internal communications, employee engagement or change communications.

Preferred:

  • 7+ years of experience leading internal communications programs in a matrixed, global organization, including demonstrable experience with change programs, executive communications, intranet management and measurement.
Explore More Careers