A Head of PR is a professional who plays a crucial role in shaping and managing an organization's public image and reputation. They are responsible for crafting and implementing communication strategies to ensure that a company's message is effectively conveyed to the public, stakeholders, and the media. In this blog post, we describe the primary responsibilities and the most in-demand hard and soft skills for Heads of PR.

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Main Responsibilities of a Head of PR

The following list describes the typical responsibilities of a Head of PR:

Align

Align and motivate teams and stakeholders across the business at every level.

Analyze

Analyze PR efforts and report on their effectiveness.

Arrange

Arrange training and induction for any new department staff.

Assess

Assess the impact of sponsorships and partnerships.

Assist in

• Assist in crafting customer-facing product copy, messaging and image assets.

• Assist in implementation of company inventory database upgrade at warehouse.

• Assist in setting up the project, maintain item master and vendor master in local ERP.

• Assist with gathering and clarifying product and project requirements as required.

Assume

Assume a lead role in the development and execution of strategy for a Team.

Attend

Attend client meetings as required.

Attract

Attract new customer segments.

Boost

Boost internal engagement / excitement in product marketing efforts.

Build

• Build alignment around the company for product plans and difficult tradeoffs.

• Build and nurture the product vision with your PMs, based on the insights you gathered.

• Build a thorough understanding of Leadfeeder's customer use cases & value proposition.

• Build Repeatable Processes.

Close

Close collaboration and alignment with engineering teams to ensure product roadmap delivery.

Coach

Coach, support and develop the growth of individuals in the engineering team.

Collaborate with

• Collaborate closely with the Employee Engagement team in charge of all internal communications.

• Collaborate with Engineering and Design on timelines and scope of product priorities.

• Collaborate with influencers and brand ambassadors.

Communicate

• Communicate, collaborate, challenge.

• Communicate with various stakeholders, including employees, investors, and the public.

Conduct

• Conduct due diligence on potential M&A candidates with a focus on product efficacy.

• Conduct market research to inform PR strategies.

• Conduct public opinion research and surveys.

Contribute to

• Contribute to good inter-departmental communication and interpersonal relations.

• Contribute to the development of new product and service delivery ideas for the business unit.

Coordinate

Coordinate multiple projects and work through others.

Craft

Craft key messages and talking points.

Create

• Create and update other product assets required to communicate and promote products.

• Create an environment of continuous learning and improvement.

• Create a performance-based culture through accountability and drive for excellence.

• Create compelling press releases, articles, and other content.

Create

• Create executive presentations and messaging for the Leadership forums and All Hands meetings.

• Create go to market strategy, and expansion plans for new products and / or features.

• Create high performing teams.

Cultivate

Cultivate and maintain relationships with journalists and media outlets.

Define

• Define a process for keeping the portfolio current.

• Define competitive pricing plans and influence GTM plans.

• Define S.M.A.R.T Key results to set team's strategy.

• Define the long-term Product vision and strategy.

• Define your teams' purpose and ensure alignment with the organization's business strategy.

Determine

Determine the resourcing / team needs based on the backlog of work and mapped against projects.

Develop

• Develop an acquisition strategy within the assigned area.

• Develop and execute PR strategies aligned with organizational goals.

• Develop media relations strategies, seeking high-level placements.

• Develop peer-to-peer training, with an emphasis on virtual delivery.

• Develop process domain expertise among team of engineers.

• Develop product concepts that leverage internal and external customer feedback and market insights.

• Develop relationships with consultants / contractors / vendors and evaluate their performance.

• Develop relationships with internal clients to assess their technology, support, and security needs.

• Develop the career and skills of our design team.

• Develop user stories and define acceptance criteria.

Drive

• Drive alignment, especially on projects that span multiple businesses.

• Drive change through others.

• Drive commercial partnerships with on / offtake and key stakeholders.

• Drive engagement and collaboration.

• Drive performance of the overall portfolio of risk segments to gain the optimum mix.

Engage with

• Engage with customers and internal teams to understand product needs.

• Engage with new and existing customers to identify business opportunities.

• Engage with the local community and relevant interest groups.

Ensure

• Ensure adherence to defined processes and execute engagement programs.

• Ensure alignment amongst Property underwriting staff.

• Ensure company goals and priorities are communicated and understood across the organization.

• Ensure consistent internal and external messaging.

• Ensure key milestones and outcomes are achieved for all projects.

• Ensure optimal process and tools within the team to facilitate a high cadence of product development.

• Ensure PR activities adhere to legal and ethical guidelines.

• Ensure Product Teams deliver on ambitious and stretching OKRs.

• Ensure product vision fits with overall IMV mobility architecture and blueprint.

• Ensure that all client deliverables are met on time and service is of the highest quality.

• Ensure that the consistency of communication across different parts of the sites.

• Ensure that the highest level of the Code of Conduct is displayed in your own and staff.

• Ensure the skills of the CTU, GCS Underwriting and Reinsurance teams remain groundbreaking.

• Ensure this is used consistently to fuel other customer-facing business functions.

Establish

• Establish and manage routines and policies as needed.

• Establish and preserve a product culture that insists on beautiful products that customers love.

Evaluate

• Evaluate trends to determine what customers of Receipt Bank would buy or stay a customer.

• Evaluate work beyond delivery.

Evangelize

Evangelize the importance of user experience and design at Clio.

Execute

• Execute strategic objectives for Property.

• Execute targeted email campaigns for PR purposes.

Facilitate

• Facilitate additional design feedback from stakeholders.

• Facilitate discussion of project milestones between the development team and Product Owner.

Form

Form a fully functional relationship with our PR agency.

Gather

• Gather and analyze feedback from the public.

• Gather market intelligence to help our team develop a better product and sell more effectively.

Grow

Grow the membership internationally.

Identify

• Identify and deliver new value-add services.

• Identify and prioritize target markets, solution opportunities and buyers.

• Identify commercial opportunities and implement innovations.

• Identify new opportunities for our products, both in the platform and the market.

• Identify opportunities to improve CEO's online presence.

• Identify, pitch and land speaking and other PR opportunities for the leadership team.

• Identify product playbook, who owns which area of our sites, and execution routes.

• Identify sustainable competitive advantages across a range of use cases.

Implement

Implement best in class product management and development practices.

Improve

Improve procurement and logistic routines and tools to ensure slim, fast and efficient processes.

Increase

• Increase brand visibility and recognition.

• Increase our installs and registrations.

Initiate

Initiate ideas and design approaches for new business opportunities.

Interview

Interview with co-founders with presentation to prepare and then the Board.

Lead

• Lead, manage, coach and support your team of PMs, rolling out a progression framework for them.

• Lead price negotiation with all suppliers, maintain and analyse costs and pricing grids.

• Lead Producers, Supervisors and HoDs to enable them to drive results through their respective teams.

• Lead product design practice, process, and philosophy.

• Lead regulatory and compliance programs related to role.

• Lead the delivery of concierge sourcing projects for targeted customer and categories.

Maintain

• Maintain and update product documentation related to specifications and product capabilities.

• Maintain an external network with peer organizations and professional firms.

• Maintain a positive public visibility within the assigned area of the market.

• Maintain high SEO ranking of his personal blog.

• Maintain processes to ensure documentation, reports and plans are accurate and complete.

• Maintain workspace inventory.

Make

Make decision on production priorities and focus and communicate these to the team.

Manage

• Manage and assess the performance of team members who specialise in first-line support.

• Manage and coach a team of Product Managers.

• Manage and maintain a messaging platform document.

• Manage and mitigate PR crises effectively.

• Manage and monitors ongoing relationships to ensure successful project outcomes.

• Manage and oversee project squads to ensure smooth delivery.

• Manage booking system of conference rooms and phone booths.

• Manage continuous improvement and updates of the NPI process and tools.

• Manage contractual negotiations with talent and managers / agencies.

• Manage desktop, telephony, and other hardware support.

• Manage equity derivatives product revenues and expenses.

• Manage PR budgets and allocate resources effectively.

• Manage Product Team (R& D, UI / UX).

• Manage Purchase Contracts.

• Manage relationships with government agencies and officials.

• Manage Supply Base and Improve Supplier and Cost Performance (Delivery, Cost & Quality).

• Manage technology aspects of DR / BCP activities such as backups etc.

• Manage up and down effectively.

Measure

Measure and report on these metrics to the organization.

Mentor

Mentor and professionally develop a team of motivated Project Managers and Scrum Masters.

Monitor

• Monitor, analyze, and communicate PR results.

• Monitor competitors' PR activities.

• Monitor the performance of the sales team to business / sales plan.

Motivate

Motivate and develop direct reports.

Operate

Operate within a budget, while maximizing time and resources.

Organize

Organize and conduct press conferences as needed.

Oversee

• Oversee Midweek Video Projects and manage the recording calendars.

• Oversee pre-production, production, and post-production of these projects.

• Oversee the creation of multimedia content, including videos and podcasts.

• Oversee the delivery of qualitative PR coverage to drive SEO traffic.

• Oversee the organization's social media presence.

Own

• Own and drive the delivery of the product roadmap.

• Own market research to develop the design of the new product.

Participate

Participate and lead special client or internal projects as required.

Perform

Perform "root cause reviews".

Plan

Plan and execute PR-related events.

Process

• Process and system skills.

• Process management and optimization (for credentialing and onboarding).

Produce

• Produce and review product requirements documents (PRD).

• Produce product collateral and marketing materials (working with external partners).

Promote

Promote and communicate CSR initiatives.

Protect

Protect and enhance the organization's reputation.

Provide

• Provide design guidance for our Commercial team on presentations and proposal documents.

• Provide guidance and consultation on underwriting issues.

• Provide necessary support to partners and enforce project governance for partner prime projects.

• Provide quality customer service to guests and prospective members.

• Provide regular written progress reports to clients and key stakeholders.

• Provide senior management with PR guidance and recommendations.

• Provide training, supervision and mentoring for L& P staff on procurement policies and procedures.

• Provide vendor choice advice and recommendation to Blue Prism, its partners and its customers.

Recruit

Recruit, retain and develop top talent within the product and development team.

Report

Report on progress relative to target state metrics.

Represent

• Represent the business externally, as the company face whilst attending trade fairs etc.

• Represent the company at retail and digital exhibitions and conferences.

• Represent the customer - Be the champion and voice of customers.

• Represent the long-term interests of our products with the rest of the company leadership team.

• Represent the organization at public events and conferences.

Review

Review and approve payment requests initiated by the L& P Department.

Run

Run experiments and take ownership of analysis from these experiments / KPIs.

Scope

Scope and prioritise activities based on business and customer impact.

Seek

Seek to find holes in owned processes and works to improve without being asked.

Share

Share Best Practice across team / clients.

Stay up to date with

Stay up to date with PR, fashion & industry trends and best practices.

Support

• Support in producing collateral for future investment.

• Support in the development of the product's long-term vision and strategy.

• Support logistics in planning.

• Support new clients with onboarding and efficient workflows.

• Support the annual GCS planning process by providing technical and qualitative input.

• Support your team to develop in line with the business goals and department strategy.

Take

• Take appropriate corrective action.

• Take ownership and responsibility.

Train

Train and prepare staff for media interactions.

Undertake

Undertake and support supplier negotiations and relationship-building to obtain best value.

Use

• Use customer behavior, usage and consumption data to inform decision-making.

• Use Jira for ticket tracking, sprint planning, and communication with business stakeholders.

• Use PR content to support marketing efforts.

• Use well-communicated data to influence the executive team and product leadership.

Work with

• Work as part of the Leadership Team, strategic planning and management.

• Work closely with CEO and technical team to define product.

• Work with external partners to collaborate on resources.

• Work with global clients to understand their requirements and map State Street solutions to them.

• Work with product managers to develop insight-based user value propositions.

Write

• Write and review 1-pagers / PRDs as well as giving design / UX feedback.

• Write Up, Gap Analysis, Gantt & Milestone plans, Change Controls, and Specifications etc..

Most In-demand Hard Skills

The following list describes the most required technical skills of a Head of PR:

1. Media Relations and Outreach

2. Crisis Management Planning

3. Content Creation and Editing

4. Social Media Management

5. Data Analytics and Measurement Tools

6. Event Planning and Management

7. Market Research and Analysis

8. Brand Management

9. Legal and Ethical Compliance Knowledge

10. Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

11. Email Marketing Tools

12. Multimedia Production Software

13. Budgeting and Financial Analysis

14. Influencer Marketing

15. Public Speaking and Presentation

16. Government Relations and Advocacy

17. Survey and Feedback Analysis

18. Competitive Analysis Tools

19. Internal Communications Platforms

20. Crisis Communication Strategies

Most In-demand Soft Skills

The following list describes the most required soft skills of a Head of PR:

1. Communication and Interpersonal Skills

2. Leadership and Team Management

3. Creative Thinking

4. Adaptability and Flexibility

5. Problem Solving

6. Emotional Intelligence

7. Negotiation and Conflict Resolution

8. Time Management and Prioritization

9. Cultural Awareness and Sensitivity

10. Stakeholder Relationship Building

Conclusion

A Head of PR is a key figure in an organization's efforts to maintain a positive public image and communicate effectively with various stakeholders. By honing the required hard and soft skills, PR professionals can successfully navigate the ever-evolving landscape of public relations and contribute to the achievement of their organization's goals.