Deputy Communications Director Jobs
Deputy Communications Director jobs are open across government agencies, nonprofits, corporations, and advocacy organizations, at every level from senior communications manager to director, with specializations in media relations, public affairs, and crisis communications. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Showing 5 of 9+ Deputy Communications Director jobs
Department Information
ABOUT CDPHE:
Our mission captures this broad portfolio of work: to advance Colorado’s health and protect the places we live, learn, work, and play. Our vision is a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations can thrive. Achieving the mission and vision takes bold action, talented people, broad partnerships, and a commitment to serving every Coloradan.
- This position will have hybrid workplace options available, at the discretion of the supervisor and based on business needs. The employee will still be required to report to the agency address listed on this announcement: 4300 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80246, USA
Be BOLD.....Make a REAL difference . . . join us in serving our communities advancing Colorado's health and protecting the places we live, work, learn, and play, to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.
CDPHE offers:
- Free parking and access to RTD bus lines.
- Flexible working arrangements
- Retirement ( PERA options), Medical and dental health plans
- Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
- Paid life insurance
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- 11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off
- Tuition assistance
- Wellness programs
- Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects
- Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
Description of Job
The Work Unit:
The Office of Communications leads and coordinates CDPHE’s enterprise communications function. The office provides department-wide communications strategy, editorial direction, media relations, internal communications, digital communications, marketing, crisis and emergency communications, language access, risk assessment, and coordination with executive leadership and the Governor’s Office.
CDPHE uses a matrixed enterprise communications system. The Office of Communications partners with communications staff and directors across divisions and offices to coordinate communications and share accountability for outcomes. Divisions and offices bring subject matter expertise and knowledge of their programs, partners, regulated communities, and operational needs. The Office of Communications establishes department-wide standards, coordinates significant communications, provides quality control, and helps CDPHE communicate clearly and consistently.
What You Will Do:The Deputy Communications Director reports to the Senior Director of External Affairs and Communications and helps lead CDPHE’s enterprise communications function. You will supervise four communications professionals, provide strategic editorial review for consequential department communications, lead recurring department-wide communications operations, and manage cross-functional projects. You will work across public health and environmental programs, often under short deadlines and while situations are developing. The position serves as acting office lead when delegated by the Senior Director.
This role requires excellent judgment, exceptional editing skills, the ability to learn technical subjects quickly, and a management style that gives employees clear direction and support.
Key Responsibilities:
- Team leadership and supervision
- Strategic editing and quality control
- Recurring communications operations and coordination
- Cross-functional project management
Lead and develop the team
- Supervise the webmaster and creative specialist, social media manager, internal communications manager, and a communications specialist.
- Serves as acting office lead when delegated or when the Senior Director is unavailable, making timely decisions consistent with delegated authority and department and state policies.
- Set priorities, assign and review work, coordinate coverage, and manage competing deadlines.
- Set performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, recognition, performance management, and professional development.
Provide strategic editing and quality control
- Review high-profile, sensitive, cross-divisional, leadership-level, regulatory, legislative, partner-facing, constituent, and media-related communications.
- Edit for plain language, accuracy, conciseness, accessibility, consistency, and alignment with department positions.
- Help subject matter experts explain complex scientific, technical, regulatory, and policy information without changing its meaning.
- Identify communications risks, unanswered questions, conflicting recommendations, and potential areas of public confusion.
Run recurring communications operations
- Plan and manage cross-divisional communications meetings and recurring meetings with local public health agency public information officers.
- Oversee the local public health agency communications digest and routine communications reports for department leaders and communications staff.
- Gather information about upcoming announcements, reports, campaigns, rulemaking, public meetings, and emerging issues so the right people have shared awareness.
- Maintain calendars and coordination tools and improve recurring processes when they are no longer useful or effective.
Manage cross-functional projects
- Define project scope, participants, roles, milestones, deliverables, timelines, review requirements, and approval paths.
- Track department marketing campaigns, facilitate required reviews and approvals, and share approved campaign materials with local public health agencies.
- Develop constituent messaging and response templates when needed.
- Coordinate with divisions and offices to gather information for CDPHE’s SMART Act presentation and follow up on outstanding materials.
- Keep leaders informed, resolve barriers, and elevate risks.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Experience Only:
Or
Education and Experience:
- Experience supervising communications professionals, setting priorities, managing performance, and developing employees.
- Exceptional strategic editing skills, including experience turning complex scientific, technical, legal, regulatory, or policy information into clear public-facing language.
- Experience working in a large, matrixed, highly regulated, or similarly complex organization.
- Experience managing cross-functional projects involving people who do not report directly to you.
- Experience establishing editorial standards, approval processes, quality-control practices, or communications governance.
- Experience coordinating public education or marketing campaign reviews.
- Experience communicating about public health, environmental protection, emergency response, government, science, or another technical field.
- This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
- A pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.
Supplemental Information
- Completed State of Colorado application.
- A Cover Letter - No more than 150 words.
- If using education to qualify for this position a copy of your transcripts (unofficial acceptable) or diploma must be provided with application. Transcripts must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
- If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
- All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
- Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.
- A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.
Department Information
ABOUT CDPHE:
Our mission captures this broad portfolio of work: to advance Colorado’s health and protect the places we live, learn, work, and play. Our vision is a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations can thrive. Achieving the mission and vision takes bold action, talented people, broad partnerships, and a commitment to serving every Coloradan.
- This position will have hybrid workplace options available, at the discretion of the supervisor and based on business needs. The employee will still be required to report to the agency address listed on this announcement: 4300 Cherry Creek S Dr, Denver, CO 80246, USA
Be BOLD.....Make a REAL difference . . . join us in serving our communities advancing Colorado's health and protecting the places we live, work, learn, and play, to create a healthy and sustainable Colorado where current and future generations thrive.
CDPHE offers:
- Free parking and access to RTD bus lines.
- Flexible working arrangements
- Retirement ( PERA options), Medical and dental health plans
- Defined Benefit Plan or the PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus optional 401K and 457 plans
- Paid life insurance
- Short- and long-term disability coverage
- 11 paid holidays per year and generous personal time off
- Tuition assistance
- Wellness programs
- Professional development opportunities on a wide variety of subjects
- Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
Description of Job
The Work Unit:
The Office of Communications leads and coordinates CDPHE’s enterprise communications function. The office provides department-wide communications strategy, editorial direction, media relations, internal communications, digital communications, marketing, crisis and emergency communications, language access, risk assessment, and coordination with executive leadership and the Governor’s Office.
CDPHE uses a matrixed enterprise communications system. The Office of Communications partners with communications staff and directors across divisions and offices to coordinate communications and share accountability for outcomes. Divisions and offices bring subject matter expertise and knowledge of their programs, partners, regulated communities, and operational needs. The Office of Communications establishes department-wide standards, coordinates significant communications, provides quality control, and helps CDPHE communicate clearly and consistently.
What You Will Do:The Deputy Communications Director reports to the Senior Director of External Affairs and Communications and helps lead CDPHE’s enterprise communications function. You will supervise four communications professionals, provide strategic editorial review for consequential department communications, lead recurring department-wide communications operations, and manage cross-functional projects. You will work across public health and environmental programs, often under short deadlines and while situations are developing. The position serves as acting office lead when delegated by the Senior Director.
This role requires excellent judgment, exceptional editing skills, the ability to learn technical subjects quickly, and a management style that gives employees clear direction and support.
Key Responsibilities:
- Team leadership and supervision
- Strategic editing and quality control
- Recurring communications operations and coordination
- Cross-functional project management
Lead and develop the team
- Supervise the webmaster and creative specialist, social media manager, internal communications manager, and a communications specialist.
- Serves as acting office lead when delegated or when the Senior Director is unavailable, making timely decisions consistent with delegated authority and department and state policies.
- Set priorities, assign and review work, coordinate coverage, and manage competing deadlines.
- Set performance expectations and provide coaching, feedback, recognition, performance management, and professional development.
Provide strategic editing and quality control
- Review high-profile, sensitive, cross-divisional, leadership-level, regulatory, legislative, partner-facing, constituent, and media-related communications.
- Edit for plain language, accuracy, conciseness, accessibility, consistency, and alignment with department positions.
- Help subject matter experts explain complex scientific, technical, regulatory, and policy information without changing its meaning.
- Identify communications risks, unanswered questions, conflicting recommendations, and potential areas of public confusion.
Run recurring communications operations
- Plan and manage cross-divisional communications meetings and recurring meetings with local public health agency public information officers.
- Oversee the local public health agency communications digest and routine communications reports for department leaders and communications staff.
- Gather information about upcoming announcements, reports, campaigns, rulemaking, public meetings, and emerging issues so the right people have shared awareness.
- Maintain calendars and coordination tools and improve recurring processes when they are no longer useful or effective.
Manage cross-functional projects
- Define project scope, participants, roles, milestones, deliverables, timelines, review requirements, and approval paths.
- Track department marketing campaigns, facilitate required reviews and approvals, and share approved campaign materials with local public health agencies.
- Develop constituent messaging and response templates when needed.
- Coordinate with divisions and offices to gather information for CDPHE’s SMART Act presentation and follow up on outstanding materials.
- Keep leaders informed, resolve barriers, and elevate risks.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
Experience Only:
Or
Education and Experience:
- Experience supervising communications professionals, setting priorities, managing performance, and developing employees.
- Exceptional strategic editing skills, including experience turning complex scientific, technical, legal, regulatory, or policy information into clear public-facing language.
- Experience working in a large, matrixed, highly regulated, or similarly complex organization.
- Experience managing cross-functional projects involving people who do not report directly to you.
- Experience establishing editorial standards, approval processes, quality-control practices, or communications governance.
- Experience coordinating public education or marketing campaign reviews.
- Experience communicating about public health, environmental protection, emergency response, government, science, or another technical field.
- This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
- A pre-employment background check will be conducted as part of the selection process.
Supplemental Information
- Completed State of Colorado application.
- A Cover Letter - No more than 150 words.
- If using education to qualify for this position a copy of your transcripts (unofficial acceptable) or diploma must be provided with application. Transcripts must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
- If you are a veteran, a copy of your DD214 must be attached to your colorado.gov/jobs application.
- All applications that are received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement. Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications proceed to the next step.
- Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process.
- A top group, up to six candidates, will be invited to schedule an interview with the hiring manager.
Deputy Communications Director Jobs by Experience Level
See All 9 Deputy Communications Director Jobs
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Find JobsDeputy Communications Director Job Market
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Education
- Non-Profit & Social Services
- Healthcare & Medical Services
What Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in deputy communications director jobs.
- 7 or more years of communications, public relations, or media relations experience
- Demonstrated experience managing media relationships and securing earned coverage
- Ability to develop and execute strategic communications plans across multiple channels
- Strong writing and editing skills across press releases, speeches, and digital content
- Experience supervising or mentoring communications staff or junior team members
- Proficiency with digital content management tools and social media platforms
Tips for Your Deputy Communications Director Job Search
Tailor your resume for each sector
Government and nonprofit deputy communications director roles weigh earned media and stakeholder messaging differently than corporate ones. Rewrite your summary and bullet points to match the sector's language before you apply to each opening.
Show measurable impact in writing samples
Hiring committees for this role expect a portfolio, not just a resume. Include press releases, op-eds, or messaging frameworks you authored, and annotate each with the outcome it drove, so reviewers can judge your judgment, not just your output.
Apply early to roles that fit
Migrate Mate lists deputy communications director openings from across the United States in one place, so you can find roles that match and apply directly to each listing.
Signal strategic range beyond media relations
Many candidates pitch themselves purely as press contacts. Interviewers for deputy director roles want evidence you can build internal communications programs, advise executives on message discipline, and manage a team, so include those dimensions explicitly.
Prepare for a writing or messaging exercise
Most final-round interviews for this level include a timed written exercise, a mock press statement, a talking-points memo, or a rapid-response scenario. Practice under a deadline so the format doesn't slow you down on the day.
Negotiate scope before you negotiate compensation
At the deputy director level, the reporting line and decision-making authority vary enormously between organizations. Clarify before accepting whether you'll have direct budget ownership and hiring authority, because those details shape the role more than the title does.
Deputy Communications Director Jobs: Frequently Asked Questions
Which companies are hiring the most deputy communications directors?
Howard University, FairVote, and Curry County, OR are hiring the most deputy communications directors right now, with openings concentrated in New York, Colorado, and Oregon, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. Demand is especially active in government agencies, large nonprofits, and healthcare systems.
How many deputy communications director jobs are remote?
About 40% of deputy communications director openings are fully remote or hybrid as of November 2026, though availability depends heavily on the organization type. Roles focused on digital communications and content strategy are more likely to offer remote flexibility, while positions requiring regular executive advising or press briefing support tend to stay on-site or hybrid.
How do you become a deputy communications director?
Start by building a foundation in communications, journalism, public relations, or public affairs, typically through a bachelor's degree in one of those fields. Spend several years working in a communications role with increasing responsibility, managing projects, earning media coverage, and writing for senior audiences. Move into a team lead or manager role to develop supervisory experience, then target deputy director openings once you can demonstrate both strategic and people leadership.
Can you get a deputy communications director job with limited experience?
It's uncommon to land this role without significant experience, but candidates who've accelerated through smaller organizations sometimes qualify earlier than the typical timeline suggests. If your current title is below director level, focus on taking on deputy duties informally: managing a communications staff member, owning a major campaign end to end, or serving as the primary media contact. Those concrete examples carry more weight than years of service alone.
What does the deputy communications director interview process look like?
Most processes run three to four rounds, starting with a recruiter or HR screen, followed by a structured interview with the communications director or chief communications officer. Finalists usually meet a broader panel that includes colleagues from policy, government affairs, or marketing, then complete a written exercise covering a press statement, a rapid-response memo, or a messaging strategy scenario. References are checked before an offer is extended.
Where can I find and apply to deputy communications director jobs?
You can find and apply to deputy communications director jobs on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from across the United States. Search the roles available, find the ones that match your background and goals, and apply directly to each listing that fits.
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