Hire a Head of Communications in the UK
Hire a Head of Communications in 2026 with the expert support of our specialist communications and public relations recruiters.
Hiring a Head of Communications typically takes a minimum of 10-14 weeks (not including the candidate's notice period). This can extend if you do not have a clear brief, interview process or compensation package agreed when you take the role to market. To run a successful recruitment process, you must first define the role, compensation package and team structure before advertising the role and screening candidates.
Keep reading for our expert advice on how to build the process, including the skills and compensation package required.
Skills to look for in your Head of Comms candidate
5 technical skills
- Media and public relations (PR): Managing media relations, journalist outreach and media alerts, as well as experience writing press releases and hosting conferences.
- Data analytics and reporting: Proficiency in tools, such as Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to track, measure and report performance metrics to the board. This is especially important as brand mentions play an increasingly important role in Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) and Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
- Crisis management: Building response frameworks and messaging protocols for crisis scenarios. In a challenging business environment, crisis specialists with live-incident experience are in especially high demand.
- Project and campaign management: Desinging and leading a communications team to deliver the apropriate strategy. This could be both internal and external comms plans.
- AI and automation tooling: Leveraging AI tools to enhance team productivity, automate necessary processes and build communications knowledge across the business.
5 soft skills
- Relationship building and trust: Heads of Communications must be able to build relationships internally with their senior stakeholders, as well as identify and maintain appropriate journalist networks. They must be able to guide and influence the C-suite to ensure the right decisions are made for brand health.
- Team leadership: They should be able to manage, train and recruit your communications team at different levels, ensuring they're all aligned to the same goal.
- Adaptability and resilience: When faced with PR crises, Heads of Communications must be able to react swiftly, conducting strategies calmly and effectively.
- Emotional intelligence (EQ): Active listening and the ability to understand stakeholder motivations is key, especially in tense situations, where they must be able to calmly navigate the scenario and advise on the right move.
- Judgement: The ability to question and make fast-paced decisions based on varying levels of evidence and claims.
How we recruit Heads of Communications
With over a decade of experience recruiting across the UK, 3Search has developed a structured seven-step hiring process built to engage top talent.
1. Discovery session to define the job brief
We run a structured kick-off session with all stakeholders to understand your business and how the job role fits into it's growth journey. We agree on:
- The role’s commercial purpose mapped against the current team’s capability
- Candidate priorities, including which skills, experience and background we should be targeting
- The compensation package on offer, including benefits, equity and bonus
2. Confirm sourcing strategy
We'll build a sourcing strategy that gives you complete market coverage.
You can find candidates by posting job adverts on platforms, such as LinkedIn or Indeed, but targeted searches with the support of a specialist marketing recruiter are more likely to result in a successful hire. In the 2026 Recruiting Benchmarks Report from Gem, “job boards and marketing channels dominate application volume (roughly 90% combined) but account for only about half of hires.”
3. Map the active and passive talent market
Our recruiters then take the role to market. With warm networks of hundreds of senior marketing talent, we map the market for both passive and active candidates that might be otherwise hard to reach.
4. Pre-screen candidates and shotlist delivery
We assess candidates’ technical and commercial capabilities before they get to interview, eliminating mismatches before the hiring manager sees the shortlist.
5. A structured interview process
We build the interview framework alongside the hiring manager, this might include competency-based questions tied to the job description, a simulated board presentation, or a 30-60-90 plan.
Learn more about interviewing a Head of Comms candidate here.
6. Offer management
Having taken the time to understand exactly what the candidate is looking for in their next role, we work with the hiring manager to ensure that your offer will be accepted first time. We deliver the offer to your chosen candidate and maintain regular contact during their notice period.
7. Support 90-day onboarding with structured check-ins
We don't disappear when the candidate starts the role. We ensure regular check-ins with both the candidate and the hiring manager to identify any integration challenges early on.
Our 'Develop' proposition
Ready to hire a Head of Communications? Get in touch to see how we can help!
FAQs
Where to source Head of Communications talent?
Advertising the role on job boards, such as Indeed, and professional networks, like LinkedIn, can help you discover comms talent. However, they will be the most active portion of the market. To source top communications leaders, you should partner with a specialist communications recruiter, like 3Search, who will give you access to their network of trusted connections.
Should I hire an interim Head of Communications?
Yes, you should hire an interim Head of Communications if you need immediate support. This might be during a brand crisis or business transfromation project that only needs short-term support. A permanent recruitment process can take up to 14 weeks (not including the candidate's notice period), so many companies choose to engage comms leaders on a contract basis.
What is the difference between a Head of Communications and a Head of PR?
The Head of Communications owns internal comms, crisis, executive communications, public affairs, and AI visibility on top of media relations. The Head of PR typically owns external media only.
Working at board-adjacent level, the Head of Communications has to translate subjective creative work, like brand awareness and media coverage, into tangible business outcomes for executive leadership.
What other communications job titles should you search for?
Different businesses will use different job titles. Alternative Head of Communications job titles and their search volumes include:
- Director of Communications (480 vol, largest synonym)
- Communications Director (260 vol, common in FTSE and multinational structures)
- Head of Internal Communications (170 vol, dedicated internal function)
- Head of Public Affairs (110 vol, policy and government relations weighted)
- Head of Corporate Communications (40 vol, regulated sectors and professional services)
- Head of Media Relations (30 vol, press-office weighted)
- Head of External Communications (20 vol, media-facing specialisation)
- Head of Strategic Communications (20 vol, government and consulting)
- Head of Press (20 vol, traditional press-office title)
- Head of Corporate Affairs (emerging, includes ESG and public affairs scope)
- Chief Corporate Affairs Officer (rising 2026 title, broader mandate)
- VP Communications (US-influenced, common in tech and PE-backed scale-ups)
- Head of Reputation (emerging, ESG and stakeholder trust weighted)
Searching for these roles on CVs can help you identify more qualified candidates.