| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | Marketing |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | Corporate Communications Manager |
| Direct reports | Public Relations Executive |
| Experience | 5 to 8 years in PR, media relations or journalism |
PR Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: PR Manager
Department: Marketing
Reports to: Corporate Communications Manager
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A PR Manager earns media coverage and public goodwill for a company, its leaders and its products. They build relationships with journalists, pitch stories, write press releases, arrange interviews and press events, manage the PR agency, and handle negative stories and media queries. PR managers work in-house at companies and hospitals, or at PR agencies handling several clients. The role reports to the corporate communications manager or the marketing head, and is judged on the quality of coverage rather than its volume.
Key responsibilities
- Build a media map of relevant journalists, editors and publications across national, regional, trade and online media.
- Develop story ideas from company news, data, customer stories and leadership views, and pitch them to suitable journalists.
- Write press releases, bylined articles, fact sheets and media kits, and get them approved by leadership and legal.
- Arrange media interviews, press conferences and site visits, with briefing notes and preparation sessions for spokespeople.
- Respond to media queries within the agreed time, with approved answers and the right spokesperson.
- Handle negative or incorrect stories by gathering facts, preparing statements and requesting corrections where appropriate.
- Manage the PR agency's monthly plan, deliverables and billing, and review coverage quality with them.
- Track coverage every day and prepare monthly reports on reach, tone, message pickup and share of voice.
- Support award entries, industry events and speaking opportunities for company leaders.
- Work with the social media team so that coverage is shared and online comments are monitored.
Requirements
- Graduate or postgraduate degree in journalism, mass communication or public relations
- Strong written English, with a regional language an advantage
- PR agency or newsroom experience is an advantage
- 5 to 8 years in PR, media relations or journalism
KRAs and KPIs for a PR Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Quality coverage | Planned number of stories in priority publications each quarter, at least half carrying a key message |
| Media response time | Media queries answered within the journalist's deadline in at least 95 percent of cases |
| Negative story handling | Statement or response ready within 3 hours of a negative story being flagged |
| Share of voice | Share of voice in priority media at or above the target against named competitors |
| Spokesperson readiness | Every spokesperson briefed before each interview, with the briefing note on file |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: Media monitoring service, Media contact database, Press release distribution service, Social listening tool, MS Word, Google Sheets for media tracking.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Corporate Communications Manager, Head of Corporate Affairs, Head of Brand
Interview questions for a PR Manager
- Pitch me a story about our company in two minutes, as you would to a business journalist.
- A reporter calls at 7 pm about a customer complaint going viral. What do you do?
- How do you decide which publications matter for a B2B company?
- Tell us about a story you got corrected. How did you approach the editor?
- How do you prepare a first-time spokesperson for a TV interview?
- How would you report PR results to a CFO who only trusts numbers?
Managing a PR Manager in ZeniaHR
Hire and manage your marketing team in one place
Post the role, onboard the new hire, and track attendance, leave and KRAs in ZeniaHR. Free for your first 50 employees.
Book a free demoSee pricingFrequently asked questions
What does a PR manager do?
A PR manager earns media coverage and goodwill for a company. They build relationships with journalists, pitch stories, write press releases, arrange interviews and press conferences, answer media queries, manage the PR agency and handle negative stories with approved statements.
What is the difference between a PR manager and a marketing manager?
A marketing manager pays for reach through advertising, events and campaigns, and focuses on leads and sales. A PR manager earns coverage through journalists and cannot buy it, so the work depends on news value, relationships and credibility. The two teams coordinate on launches and announcements.
Do PR managers need a journalism background?
It is not required, but it helps. Former journalists understand deadlines, news value and how editors think, which makes pitching easier. Many PR managers instead start at PR agencies as executives, learning media relations across several clients before moving in-house.