Director of communications jobs can be obtained in both the private and public sectors of the economy. Corporations and government agencies both employ these professionals to handle different tasks associated with dealing with the media, the public, and investors, for instance. The individual fulfilling this role at a corporation may be expected to perform certain investor relations duties, as well. There is likely to be interaction with managers of other divisions and with high-level executives.

These jobs may include functions that are also tied to finance, public relations and marketing. The precise tasks tied to director careers in communications vary depending on the size of an employer and the amount of resources devoted to these areas. There are likely to be heavy writing requirements tied to these roles as director of communications jobs may involve the creation of press releases to announce major corporate events. It's also likely that the individuals in these positions are expected to produce internal communication memos and announcements to distribute to staff to make other personnel aware of programs, initiatives, and developments. A director might also have certain managerial responsibilities to oversee or lead the efforts of a communications department.

Education facilities and charitable organizations represent a niche where director of communications jobs may be fulfilled. Individuals in these jobs might be responsible for some marketing tasks and effectively relaying the message or cause of an entity. Communication director professionals may report to a more senior manager but might still be included in shaping the direction of the group.

Industry professionals might obtain director of communications jobs at government offices. These positions can be filled at the office of an individual representative or for a larger federal agency. The director is likely to have some seniority on a communications team, and might be asked to present or release public statements at times.

Government officials are often inundated with requests from the media, and ultimately these representatives have the final say on accepting those invitations. The individuals in director of communications jobs, however, might be responsible for weeding out any interview requests that are considered inappropriate at a given point in time or finalizing the details of a request that is being honored. If a public official is not being made available for interviews, a director of communications might be expected to field questions on behalf of the representative as a spokesperson.