Corporate PR and PR Agency Roles

Assistant
Many people may start out in PR within a corporation as a public relations assistant. PR assistants are typically responsible for disseminating information to the press and the general public, maintaining accurate deadlines and maintaining archives of press clippings. Assistants may also locate supplementary materials for the press.

Coordinator
Most people enter PR within a corporate setting as a PR coordinator, if not as an assistant. Generally the PR coordinator plays an administrative role, and the work involves projects such as clipping newspapers, assisting in research, maintaining a list of media contacts, and coordinating mailings of press packets to the media. Generally, the PR coordinator role is a steppingstone to becoming a PR specialist within a corporation.

Specialist
PR Specialists are responsible for PR activities within communications departments of larger organizations, and responsibilities are similar to what account executives handle within PR agencies. The PR specialist is usually responsible for writing press releases, speeches or op-ed pieces, planning special events, representing their company at press conferences and/or tradeshows, tracking trends, and looking for opportunities where their company might receive media coverage due to a widely covered news event.

Senior Specialist:
PR senior specialists assess the public relations needs of an organization, and are responsible for planning and implementing programs to meet them. They typically make public appearances, produce special events, and write press releases, speeches, annual reports, and other material to promote a corporation and its image.

Manager
PR managers typically develop and implement policies and procedures for the public relations department and manage a group of PR specialists. Managers are responsible for planning and executing PR plans and programs (often related to a specific division or product area), and typically report to a senior manager or Director.

Senior (or Group) Manager
Senior Managers help develop and drive PR programs for the corporation, manage other PR staff in order to plan proactive, ongoing PR programs, execute media/analyst relations activities, and other PR activities. Senior PR managers may work with other marketing communications groups within the organization to ensure coordination of all marketing and PR initiatives, and usually manage external agency personnel.

Director
PR Directors develop and implement their company's overall strategic public relations programs. Programs may often include media relations, community relations, internal communications and investor relations. Directors usually report to a vice president and/or executive, and often have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.

Managing Director
Managing Directors are responsible for the day-to-day management of the corporate PR department, supervising senior staff, assisting with campaign and PR strategy development, and have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.

VP/Executive
Reporting to the CEO or senior executive, PR Vice Presidents are responsible for long term PR strategy, image and reputation management, and oversee all PR related functions in the corporation (corporate/internal communications, media relations, crisis management, and analyst and investor relations). Vice Presidents are responsible for fiscal planning and implementation, and serve as the senior spokesperson for the company.

AGENCY:

Intern
Typically, interns perform at the level of an agency account coordinator. Duties may vary depending on the agency's need, but may include helping respond to editorial requests, handling logistics for press tours, press meetings, and other press events, drafting media alerts and/or press releases, tracking editorial calendars and researching industry speaking opportunities.

Account Coordinator
Most people start at a PR agency as an account coordinator, if not as an Intern. Generally the account coordinator plays an administrative role, supporting an account executive. The work involves projects such as clipping newspapers, assisting in research, maintaining media contact lists, and coordinating press kit mailings. Generally, the account coordinator role is a steppingstone to becoming an assistant account executive.

Assistant Account Executive
Within PR agencies, account coordinators will usually be promoted to an assistant account executive. The assistant account executive will sometimes work directly with the client, and usually works on projects such as writing press releases, planning special events and/or briefings, preparing briefings documents, maintaining media contract lists, and tracking their client's coverage in the press. Typically, the assistant account executive position is a steppingstone to becoming an account executive.

Account Executive
Within PR agencies, the account executive is usually the day-to-day contact for their clients and typically writes press releases, plans special events, prepares annual reports, tracks trends and looks for opportunities where the client might receive media coverage due to a widely covered news event. Account executives are sometimes called PR specialists in the communication department of larger organizations.

In many instances, account executives will represent a company at press conferences and/or tradeshows, write speeches for client executives, prepare annual shareholder reports, and submit the client's products and/or services for industry awards.

Senior Account Executive
Senior account executives may manage one or more team members, and are responsible for planning and executing PR plans, writing press releases, white papers, op-ed pieces and other PR materials, and pitching story ideas to the media.

Account Manager
Within PR agencies, a step up from the senior account executive is the account manager. The account manager oversees PR accounts, often managing the senior account executives, account executives and account coordinators. They'll often do hands-on tactical work similar to that handled by the senior account executives and/or account executives, but they typically manage other staff members assigned to the account as well.

Account Supervisor
Account supervisors drive client programs, manage a team, interact with senior clients, and are typically accountable to their clients and the agency.

Account Director
Account directors typically maintain overall responsibility for operation of a specific group of accounts and people. They provide strategic public relations counsel to senior executives, help the agency drive new business and typically have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.

General Manager
General Managers typically have responsibility for the gross profitability, people management and client service for their designated market or region. They are responsible for business management, driving new business for the agency and have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.

Managing Director
At the managing director and vice president level, executives typically manage the firm, meet with higher-level clients, and create overall communication strategies. Managing directors may manage multiple accounts, staff and client relationships. They also may help the agency drive new business and have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.

VP/Group Managing Director
At the managing director and vice president level, executives typically manage the firm, meet with higher-level clients, and create overall communication strategies. Managing directors may manage multiple accounts, staff and client relationships. They also may help the agency drive new business and have fiscal planning and budget management responsibilities.