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What are the best Public Relations job titles for you and your team? I reviewed 72 PR job titles searched for by candidates (and employers!) to find the best titles for you to choose from. This is the latest chapter in Ongig’s series called Job Titles: The Definitive Guide.
In this article, you’ll find:
- Examples of Public Relations — 7 PR job areas used by top companies
- Communications vs Public Relations — Companies use both PR and Communications in their job titles.
- Public Relations Job Title Hierarchy — The standard org chart for PR department positions with examples from each of the major 6 Public Relations levels. I include examples of top employers and what they call their titles.
- The Top 20 Most Searched-For Public Relations Titles — A column chart of the top 20 Public relations positions that candidates search for on Google.
- 8 Public Relations Job Titles and Descriptions — A list of the top 8 PR job titles and descriptions that employers request.
- Creative Public Relations Job Titles – A few funny job titles we found for public relations professionals.
What are examples of public relations jobs?
Public Relations is a broad career category that covers a variety of job areas including:
- Media Relations
- Investor Relations
- Government Relations
- Community Relations
- Internal Relations
- Customer Relations
- Marketing Communications
Communications vs Public Relations
Our previous article on the “The Top 20 Communications Job Titles” included PR job titles, but we thought Public Relations should have its own article too. PR and Communications are usually interwoven depending on the size of the organization and it shows in the job titles. For example, CarGurus has both “PR” and ” communications” in its Vice President title, “VP of PR and Communications”. Events are also under the PR umbrella at some companies like Williams-Sonoma, which has a “Senior Public Relations & Events Specialist” job title.
For this blog, we decided to focus on job titles with “PR” or “Public Relations” in them. Let’s have a look at a typical org chart of PR job titles.
Public Relations Job Title Hierarchy
Below is a public relations hierarchy chart with top seniority listed at the top down to entry-level jobs at the bottom:
- Public Relations Officer (PRO) – Head of PR, Head of Communications and Public Relations
- VP of PR – Public Relations & Media Relations Executive, Senior Vice President Public Relations and Corporate Communications
- Director of Public Relations – Public Relations Director, Director Global PR, Global Public Relations Lead, PR Senior Director
- Public Relations Manager – PR & Communications Manager, PR and Events Manager, Senior PR Manager, Public Relations Account Manager
- Individual Contributors – Public Relations Strategist, Publicist, PR Consultant, Public Relations Coordinator, Account Coordinator PR, PR Agent
- Entry Level – Public Relations Assistant, Public Relations Administrative Assistant, PR Intern, Public Relations Trainee
Here’s a longer list of titles by each row of the pyramid with little more texture on each:
Job Titles for Public Relations Leaders
Top public relations leaders do not always have the word “PR” in their titles. The Chief Communications Officer (Salesforce), Corporate Communications Officer (Unilever) & Head of Public Affairs (Postmates) are all responsible for public relations activities within their companies.
Below are the top titles I found candidates and employers using for Public Relations leaders.
- Public Relations Officer (Google) & (PRO) (Regus)
- Head of PR (Adidas, Slack)
- Head of Public Relations (Amazon Games)
- Head of Communications and Public Relations (Volvo)
VP of Public Relations Titles
Here are the top titles I found candidates and employers using for PR Vice President titles:
- Vice President of Public Relations (Charles Schwab)
- VP of PR (Weight Watchers)
- Head of Seach PR (Google)
- Vice President Public Relations and Marketing (Restoration Hardware)
- Head of Brand PR (Amazon)
- Public Relations & Media Relations Executive (ADP)
- Senior Vice President Public Relations and Corporate Communications (Salesforce)
- VP of PR and Communications (CarGurus)
Director of Public Relations Titles
Here are the 18 most used PR director titles:
- Public Relations Director (Lowe’s Home Improvement)
- PR Director (AT&T)
- Director Public Relations (Twilio)
- Director of Public Relations (Airbnb)
- Director of PR (AT&T)
- Associate Public Relations Director (Ubisoft)
- Director of Public Relations and Strategic Communications (HomeLight)
- Senior Director Public Relations & Social Media (Splunk)
- Senior Director Global Public Relations (Nutanix)
- Global Public Relations Lead (Zoom)
- Associate Director Global Public Relations (Allbirds)
- Global Public Relations Director (Jack Daniel’s)
- Director of Consumer PR (Instacart)
- PR Senior Director (Apple)
- Director of PR and Communications (Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts)
- Director Global PR (Informatica)
- PR Lead (Google)
- Public Relations Leader (Deloitte)
Public Relations Manager Titles
There are numerous Public Relations Manager alternative titles to use. Here are the top job titles I found candidates and employers using:
- Public Relations Manager (Cisco)
- PR Manager (Oracle)
- Senior Public Relations Manager (ServiceNow)
- Public Relations Account Manager (Private PR Companies)
- PR Account Manager (Private PR Companies)
- Assistant Public Relations Manager (Neiman Marcus)
- PR and Communications Manager (Benefit Cosmetics)
- Digital PR Manager (L’Oréal)
- Senior PR Manager (Poshmark)
- PR and Events Manager (KEDS)
- PR & Communications Manager (Facebook)
- Manager of Public Relations (American Eagle)
- Senior Public Relations Manager (Snowflake)
- Manager of PR (Salesforce)
- Global Public Relations Manager (Disney)
- Associate PR Manager (Poshmark)
- Manager PR & Communications (Peloton)
- Assistant Manager Public Relations (Nintendo)
Individual Contributor PR Titles
When you get to the individual contributor level of Public Relations positions, there is more granularity. Here are the top 15 I found candidates and employers using:
- Public Relations Specialist (Blind)
- Publicist (Private PR Companies)
- PR Consultant (Private PR Companies)
- PR Specialist (HPE)
- Public Relations Coordinator (Overstock.com)
- PR Coordinator (Hermès)
- Public Relations Contractor (Private PR Companies)
- Public Relations Event Coordinator (USMC)
- PR Account Coordinator (Private PR Companies)
- Account Coordinator PR (Private PR Companies)
- PR Agent (Private PR Companies)
- Public Relations Senior Account Executive (Private PR Companies)
- PR and Community Relations Specialist (AAA)
- Senior Public Relations & Events Specialist (Williams-Sonoma)
- Freelance Public Relations Consultant (Private PR Companies)
- PR & Communications Strategist (Private PR Companies)
Entry Level Public Relations Job Titles
Here are the top entry level public relations titles I found candidates and employers using:
- Public Relations Assistant (Gucci)
- PR Assistant (Qualtrics)
- Public Relations Administrative Assistant (Disneyland Resort)
- Public Relations Intern (Apple)
- PR Intern (Tesla)
- Public Relations Trainee (Christian Dior Couture)
Top Public Relations Job Titles (Candidates)
Below is a list of the top 20 Public Relations job titles based on Google queries we found on ahrefs.
Public Relations Specialist is the top searched-for job by candidates. What is a Public Relations Specialist? The Balance Careers says:
“Public relations (PR) specialists communicate with the public on behalf of an entity such as a company, organization, individual, politician, or government. They’re also sometimes called communication, or media specialists.”
Top 8 PR Job Titles and Descriptions (Employers)
Below are the top 8 Public Relations Job Description titles employers request on Google, according to ahrefs.
I’ve included a brief description for each as well as the # of job title searches per month by employers.
Public Relations Manager
A PR Manager, commonly known as a Public Relations Manager, leads the public relations department or a PR firm. A PR manager coordinates the public relations team and oversees the planning of external communications pieces. A PR Manager is a liaison between the public relations team and the media or external marketing firms that promote a product or organization.
# of job title searches per month: 500; PR manager 150
Public Relations Specialist
A Public Relations Specialist creates media releases and develops social media plans for an organization. A Public Relations Specialist is also responsible for creating and maintaining the public image of an organization. The daily tasks of a Public Relations Specialist include responding to media requests, helping clients effectively communicate with the public, draft speeches, arrange media interviews, and maintain a company’s positive image and identity.
# of job title searches per month: 200; PR Specialist: 200
Publicist
A Publicist manages publicity for companies, public figures, celebrities, and films. A Publicist effectively communicates a brand’s message to its target audience by doing the following tasks:
- Writing press releases
- Creating media kits
- Creating social media content
- Setting up publicity events
- Tracking media coverage
# of job title searches per month: 200
Public Relations Director
A Public Relations Director is responsible for leading and directing the creation of strategic public relations initiatives for a client or organization. A Public Relations Director oversees the coordination of interviews with media and may also serve as a lead spokesperson. Another responsibility of a Public Relations Director is to manage team members tasked with creating press releases, media kits, and talking points for speeches.
# of job title searches per month: 150; Director of Public Relations: 80; PR Director: 60
Public Relations Coordinator
A Public Relations Coordinator maintains and develops the public image of an organization or client. Job duties of a Public Relations Coordinator include:
- Writing press releases
- Arranging public appearances
- Maintaining a social media presence
- Creating public relations strategies
# of job title searches per month: 100; PR Coordinator: 60; PR Account Coordinator: 30
Public Relations Intern
A Public Relations intern assists a PR and communications department with various tasks. A Public Relations intern is tasked with:
- Creating media kits
- Writing press releases
- Planning marketing events
- Handling administrative tasks
# of job title searches per month: 60; PR Intern: 50
PR Assistant
A PR Assistant, also known as a Public Relations Assistant, is responsible for supporting a senior public relations professional or publicist. A PR Assistant does clerical tasks, conducts research for the PR department, and prepares press clips for the media or internal contacts. A PR Assistant also updates email lists for journalists and sends email blasts.
# of job title searches per month: 50; Public Relations Assistant: 40
Public Relations Officer
A Public Relations Officer, or the Head of PR, is a senior management position that leads a public relations team. A Public Relations Officer is responsible for:
- Developing public relations strategies
- Managing media relations for the CEO
- Coordinating internal communications
- Getting publicity for a company
- Being involved in branding discussions
- Leading crisis communication efforts
# of job title searches per month: 40; PRO: 10; Head of PR: 10
Funny PR Job Titles
Below are some funny/creative public relations job titles we’ve found.
- Ambassador of Buzz (Corporate Communications Associate)
- Chief Image Officer (Assistant in charge of making their Exec’s image look great)
- Master of Disaster (Crisis Manager)
Want more funny job titles? Check out our 100+ Creative & Funny Job Titles [by Department & Position]
Other Resources on Public Relations Job Titles
In addition to the sources cited above, special thanks to these experts on PR job titles:
- The Balance Careers’ article on What Does a Public Relations Specialist Do?
- Career Girls for their article on Public Relations Specialist – What You Need to Know
- Study.com’s Job Description of a Public Relations Coordinator
- Lisa Finn’s article on Job Description of a PR Intern
- Get in Media’s Public Relations Assistant Job Description
- Kristen Hamlin’s article in What Are the Duties of a Public Relations Officer?
Why I wrote this?
My team and I share this research on Public Relations job titles to help you optimize your own titles. This supports our mission to transform job descriptions. Check out Ongig.com to see how our software transforms your job titles and job descriptions.
