Marketing communications manager

What does a marketing communications manager do?

A marketing communications manager plans and runs how an organisation speaks to customers, the media and the public.

The work covers campaigns, press releases, social media, events and brand guidelines.

The role usually sits in a marketing or corporate communications team. Larger Singapore organisations may split it into marketing communications and public relations. Smaller ones expect one person to do both.

You work with designers, writers, sales teams, senior leaders, agencies and journalists. Finance and legal teams also review budgets and public statements.

What the work involves

• Plan campaigns across print, digital and social channels, and brief designers, writers and agencies.
• Write or approve press releases and media kits, and reply to journalists' queries.
• Check that websites, social posts and printed materials follow the brand guidelines.
• Review channel performance and audience data, then adjust the next campaign plan.
• Track budget spending and prepare regular marketing reports for senior management.
• Run events and media activities, and watch online conversation with a social listening tool.

Pay in Singapore

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Skills a marketing communications manager needs

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Marketing communications manager job description

We are hiring a marketing communications manager to lead brand, media and campaign work for our Singapore business.

You will plan communications, manage budgets and agencies, handle media relations and report results to senior management. You will work closely with sales, design and leadership teams.

Responsibilities

• Develop marketing communications plans that match business goals and target audiences.
• Profile market segments and gather data to support campaign decisions.
• Write, edit and approve press releases, media kits and other content.
• Manage relationships with journalists and respond to media queries.
• Keep websites, social media and printed materials in line with brand guidelines.
• Plan and run campaigns and events across traditional, digital and social channels.
• Manage the marketing budget and report spending against plan.
• Analyse channel performance and brand awareness research, and recommend changes.
• Organise contact databases by audience segment for targeted messaging.
• Brief and manage designers, copywriters, agencies and other vendors.

Requirements

• A degree in marketing, communications, mass communication, business or a related field is common.
• Typically 5 to 8 years of experience in marketing, public relations or corporate communications.
• Strong writing and editing skills, with a portfolio of press releases, articles or campaign copy.
• Experience with media relations and with social listening or media monitoring tools such as Sprout or Meltwater.
• Working skill with design and content tools such as Canva, and comfort with reading campaign data.
• Experience managing budgets, agencies and several projects at once.

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Marketing communications manager career path

Most people start as a marketing communications officer, move to executive, then manager.

Senior managers can advance to assistant director or director level.

1. Marketing communications officer

   Entry · SkillsFuture title

   You support campaigns, update content, prepare materials and handle routine media and social tasks under guidance.

2. Marketing communications executive

   Mid · SkillsFuture title

   You run parts of campaigns, write content and press releases, report on channel performance and follow brand guidelines across channels.

3. Marketing communications manager

   Senior · SkillsFuture title

   You own communications plans and budgets, manage media relationships and agencies, and lead a small team or several projects.

4. Director of marketing communications

   Head · SkillsFuture title

   You set communications direction for the organisation, guide brand and reputation, and advise senior leaders. An assistant director role often comes first.

Steps marked "SkillsFuture title" follow the career pathway in the SkillsFuture Skills Framework. The others are titles commonly used in Singapore.

Related jobs and their pay

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Marketing communications manager interview questions

We wrote these questions from the skills this job needs. They are not an official question bank.

1. Walk us through how you would write a press release for a product launch.

   What a good answer covers

   • Starts with the news angle and why it matters to the audience
   • Puts the key facts in the opening paragraph
   • Includes a quote, company background and a media contact
   • Checks facts and approvals with legal and senior leaders before release
   • Adapts the release for different outlets

2. How do you decide which journalists and outlets to approach for a story?

   What a good answer covers

   • Defines the target audience first
   • Reviews what each journalist has covered recently
   • Matches the story angle to the outlet's beat
   • Builds a targeted list instead of mass sending
   • Tracks coverage and follows up with useful material

3. How do you keep brand messaging consistent across the website, social media, events and printed materials?

   What a good answer covers

   • Maintains clear brand guidelines covering tone, visuals and key messages
   • Shares templates and approved assets with teams and agencies
   • Sets a review step before content goes live
   • Audits channels regularly and fixes drift
   • Updates guidelines when research shows a change in perception

4. How would you plan a content calendar for a business audience that is slow to respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Maps content to the stages of the buying decision
   • Mixes formats such as articles, case studies and short posts
   • Picks channels where the audience already spends time
   • Sets measures for each piece, such as enquiries or downloads
   • Reviews results monthly and drops weak formats

5. Which measures do you report after a communications campaign, and how do you present them?

   What a good answer covers

   • Links measures to the campaign goal, beyond reach or likes
   • Combines channel data with brand awareness or survey findings
   • Compares results to the plan and the budget
   • Explains what worked and what to change
   • Keeps the report short and clear for senior management

6. How would you use a social listening tool such as Sprout or Meltwater to protect and improve your brand?

   What a good answer covers

   • Sets up keyword and brand-name tracking, including common misspellings
   • Watches for sudden rises in mentions or negative sentiment
   • Sets alerts for key issues and escalates them quickly
   • Uses findings to adjust messaging and content
   • Shares a regular summary with the wider team

7. How do you use ChatGPT in your communications work, and what rules do you follow?

   What a good answer covers

   • Uses it for first drafts, outlines and variations, and writes the final copy themselves
   • Edits every output for accuracy, tone and brand voice
   • Keeps confidential and personal data out of it
   • Checks facts and quotes against reliable sources
   • Follows the organisation's policy on AI use

8. How would you set up Canva so a non-designer team can produce on-brand social posts and flyers?

   What a good answer covers

   • Builds locked templates with approved fonts, colours and logos
   • Stores shared assets in a brand kit
   • Limits who can edit or publish final files
   • Gives short guidance on layout and image use
   • Reviews samples and updates templates as needed

1. A journalist emails at noon about a customer complaint spreading online and wants a response by 3 pm. What do you do?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirms the facts with the relevant team quickly
   • Alerts the line manager and legal or senior leaders
   • Prepares a short, honest statement and agrees who speaks
   • Replies before the deadline, even to say more time is needed
   • Checks social channels and prepares for follow-up questions

2. Your campaign budget is cut by a fifth halfway through the quarter. How do you respond?

   What a good answer covers

   • Reviews spending to date and results by channel
   • Identifies activities with the weakest return and cuts those first
   • Protects the core message and the main audience
   • Talks to agencies about scope and timing
   • Tells stakeholders what will change and what the new targets are

3. The sales team wants a promotional message that clashes with your brand guidelines. How do you handle it?

   What a good answer covers

   • Listens to the sales goal behind the request
   • Explains the brand risk with a clear example
   • Offers a version that keeps the offer and fits the brand
   • Escalates only if no agreement is reached
   • Agrees a faster approval path for future requests

1. Tell us about a campaign that missed its target. What did you do next?

   What a good answer covers

   • Describes the goal and the result plainly
   • Explains how you found the cause using data
   • Shows what you changed during or after the campaign
   • Tells stakeholders early about the gap
   • Names one lesson applied to later work

2. Describe a time you managed an agency or a senior stakeholder who kept changing the brief.

   What a good answer covers

   • Sets out how you clarified goals and scope in writing
   • Agrees approval stages and deadlines up front
   • Explains the cost or timing effect of each change
   • Stays calm and professional under pressure
   • Describes the final outcome

1. You want to send a promotional email to a list of past customers and event attendees. What Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) points do you check first?

   What a good answer covers

   • Confirms the organisation has consent or another valid basis to use the data for marketing
   • Checks that each message offers a clear way to opt out and that opt-outs are honoured
   • Checks the Do Not Call Registry rules before sending marketing by phone, text or messaging apps
   • Limits access to the contact database and keeps data only as needed
   • Involves the data protection officer when unsure

2. How would you adapt a campaign for Singapore's mix of English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil speakers?

   What a good answer covers

   • Starts from audience research to decide which languages and channels matter
   • Adapts the message for culture and tone as well as wording
   • Uses native speakers or trusted reviewers to check wording
   • Avoids imagery or references that may offend any community
   • Measures response by language group and adjusts the plan

Common questions about a marketing communications manager job

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