Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Vice President of Communications

🎯 Role Definition

The Vice President of Communications (VP Communications) is an executive leader accountable for shaping and delivering the organization’s communications strategy across earned, owned, and paid channels. This role leads public relations, media relations, crisis and issues management, internal communications, executive messaging, reputation and brand strategy, digital and social media activation, measurement and analytics, and cross-functional communications programs that support corporate goals. The VP Communications partners closely with the CEO, executive team, legal, HR, marketing, investor relations and external agencies to ensure coherent, timely, and impactful storytelling that builds stakeholder trust and drives organizational priorities.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

Director of Communications
Head of Corporate Communications / Senior Communications Manager
Director of Public Affairs or Head of Media Relations

Advancement To:

Chief Communications Officer (CCO)
Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs
Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) / Chief Reputation Officer

Lateral Moves:

VP, Public Affairs or Government Relations
VP, Brand & Content Strategy
Head of Corporate Affairs / External Affairs

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

Develop and own the multi-year corporate communications strategy aligned to business objectives, brand positioning, and executive priorities, including annual plans, KPIs, budgets, and resource allocation.
Lead media relations strategy and execution: cultivate relationships with national, trade, and local journalists; generate proactive coverage; prepare spokespeople; and manage media interviews to secure high-impact placements.
Direct crisis and issues communications: design crisis playbooks, coordinate cross-functional rapid response teams, lead real-time messaging, and manage reputation risk during sensitive events.
Oversee executive communications for the CEO and leadership team: draft speeches, talking points, op-eds, board materials, and Q&A documents to ensure consistent narratives and strategic alignment.
Build and lead a high-performing communications organization: recruit, mentor, set goals, conduct performance reviews, and develop career plans for direct reports and matrixed communications staff.
Create integrated corporate narrative and key messaging frameworks that translate complex business strategies into clear, compelling language for customers, employees, regulators, investors, and media.
Own internal communications and change communications plans for major organizational initiatives (reorgs, M&A, product launches), ensuring timely, transparent, and empathetic messaging across channels.
Lead digital communications and social media strategy: set platform priorities, editorial calendars, amplification plans, crisis monitoring, influencer engagement, and paid/social integration with PR.
Manage external agency and vendor relationships (PR agencies, media buyers, creative firms, measurement vendors): negotiate contracts, set objectives, and hold agencies accountable for deliverables and outcomes.
Direct reputation management initiatives and proactive thought leadership programs that position executives and the company as trusted authorities in key issues and industries.
Drive content strategy and production across owned channels (website, blogs, video, podcasts, newsletters), ensuring consistent brand voice, SEO optimization, and cross-channel storytelling.
Partner with legal, compliance, investor relations, and HR to align public messaging with regulatory requirements, financial disclosures, employment law considerations, and corporate policies.
Lead measurement and analytics for communications impact: define success metrics (share of voice, sentiment, message pull-through, engagement, media ROI), implement dashboards, and translate insights into action.
Oversee communications for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and strategic partnerships: provide integration communications, stakeholder outreach, and messaging to minimize disruption and support business outcomes.
Develop and manage the communications budget: prioritize investments, track spend, optimize agency and media buying, and report ROI to senior leadership.
Conduct media training and spokesperson coaching for executives and subject-matter experts to improve interview performance, message discipline, and on-camera presence.
Coordinate public affairs and stakeholder engagement strategies in collaboration with government relations when reputational or regulatory issues require advocacy or community outreach.
Lead diversity, equity & inclusion communications to ensure internal and external messaging reflects organizational values and supports inclusive culture-building.
Oversee event communications for major corporate events, product launches, conferences, and CEO appearances, including pre-event messaging, media outreach, and post-event amplification.
Manage global communications programs and regional communications leads to ensure consistent messaging, cultural adaptation, and compliance with local regulations across territories.
Design and run proactive campaigns that integrate PR, content marketing, digital, and experiential tactics to support product launches, fundraising, recruitment, and brand-building objectives.
Serve as a senior adviser to the CEO and executive team on reputational risk, communications strategy, and stakeholder perceptions, providing counsel that informs strategic decisions.

Secondary Functions

Support ad-hoc executive requests for rapid communications assets, briefing documents, and stakeholder outreach plans.
Maintain media monitoring and social listening capabilities to surface emerging issues, competitor activity, and opportunities for proactive storytelling.
Contribute to employer brand and talent attraction communications in partnership with HR and talent acquisition.
Drive continuous improvement of communications processes, tools, and knowledge sharing across the organization.
Participate in cross-functional governance forums (risk, legal, investor relations) to align communications with enterprise priorities and compliance requirements.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

Strategic Communications Planning — proven ability to develop multi-channel communications strategies that align with business goals and drive measurable outcomes.
Media Relations & Press Strategy — expert at building journalist relationships, pitching news, managing interviews, and maximizing earned media coverage.
Crisis & Issues Management — experience creating crisis playbooks, leading response teams, and communicating during high-stakes scenarios.
Executive Communications & Speechwriting — strong track record drafting speeches, op-eds, CEO statements, and executive-facing content with persuasive clarity.
Digital & Social Media Strategy — expertise in social platform strategy, content amplification, influencer engagement, paid social integration, and social crisis response.
Content Strategy & Editorial Oversight — ability to oversee content calendars, ensure brand voice consistency, and optimize content for SEO and audience engagement.
Measurement & Analytics — familiarity with media analytics, sentiment analysis, share-of-voice, digital KPIs, and dashboards that tie communications to business metrics.
Budgeting & Vendor Management — experience managing communications budgets and leading agency and vendor procurement, performance, and contracts.
Internal & Change Communications — skills in designing employee communications programs, town halls, and change management communications.
Public Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement — knowledge of government relations coordination, advocacy communications, and community engagement where applicable.

Soft Skills

Executive Presence & Strategic Judgment — ability to advise senior leaders with credibility and sound strategic counsel.
Strong Written & Verbal Communication — exceptional writing, editing, and storytelling skills; clear and persuasive verbal articulation.
Leadership & Team Development — track record of building, mentoring, and inspiring high-performing communications teams.
Collaborative Influence — works effectively across functions (legal, HR, marketing, investor relations, product) to align communications priorities.
Crisis Calm & Decisiveness — remains composed under pressure and makes timely, principled decisions in fast-moving situations.
Creative Problem Solving — develops original communications approaches to complex business and reputational challenges.
Cultural Sensitivity & Global Mindset — adapts messaging and programs for diverse geographies and stakeholder groups.
Project Management — strong organizational skills, with an ability to manage multiple priorities and cross-functional programs to deadlines.
Data-Informed Thinking — uses analytics to test, optimize, and justify communications investment and tactics.
Ethical Judgment & Confidentiality — exercises discretion handling sensitive executive, legal, and financial information.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Bachelor's degree in Communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, English, Political Science, or related field.

Preferred Education:

Master’s degree (MA, MS) in Communications, Public Policy, MBA, or related advanced degree preferred.
Executive education or certifications in crisis communications, media training, or digital marketing are a plus.

Relevant Fields of Study:

Communications / Public Relations
Journalism / Media Studies
Marketing / Branding
Political Science / Public Policy
Business Administration / Management

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

10+ years of progressive experience in corporate communications, public relations, media relations, or public affairs with at least 5 years in senior leadership roles (director level or above).

Preferred:

15+ years of cross-functional communications experience, including crisis management, enterprise-wide communications strategy, and agency leadership.
Experience in highly regulated industries (finance, healthcare, energy, tech) or global/multi-market communications a plus.
Demonstrated success measuring communications impact and reporting results to executive leadership and boards.