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April 28, 2011 12:51 PM Subscribe
What is my new job title for a very broad writing/editing position within a corporate team?
I have been asked to design a new position and title for myself within a growing corporate team. I've been with this team in a variety of positions (project management, account management, operations, marketing) for nearly five years and I am one of the founding members. In my new proposed position, I will be editing/producing a wide range of marketing messaging as well as a technical documentation library. I'll have a hand in producing and editing client-facing newsletters, product documents, information packets, press releases, and technical announcements. I will also organize and produce major proposals, product specs, case studies, white papers, and service incident reports for internal and external audiences.
To muddy things a bit more, my current title is senior account manager and I will most likely be keeping a handful of the key accounts as part of the transition. I will still report directly to the General Manager but I am closely aligned with the Sales and Professional Services teams.
I'm thinking a title such as "Communications" or "Communications Manager" but I feel those titles are more aligned with public relations. I have been a technical writer/editor in the past, but the name manages to sound both too broad and too narrow. While the tasks are varied, my main focus is organizing communications is to promote the features and benefits of what we do and use documentation to advance client relationships.
What title satisfies such a broad description? Thanks guys!
I have been asked to design a new position and title for myself within a growing corporate team. I've been with this team in a variety of positions (project management, account management, operations, marketing) for nearly five years and I am one of the founding members. In my new proposed position, I will be editing/producing a wide range of marketing messaging as well as a technical documentation library. I'll have a hand in producing and editing client-facing newsletters, product documents, information packets, press releases, and technical announcements. I will also organize and produce major proposals, product specs, case studies, white papers, and service incident reports for internal and external audiences.
To muddy things a bit more, my current title is senior account manager and I will most likely be keeping a handful of the key accounts as part of the transition. I will still report directly to the General Manager but I am closely aligned with the Sales and Professional Services teams.
I'm thinking a title such as "Communications" or "Communications Manager" but I feel those titles are more aligned with public relations. I have been a technical writer/editor in the past, but the name manages to sound both too broad and too narrow. While the tasks are varied, my main focus is organizing communications is to promote the features and benefits of what we do and use documentation to advance client relationships.
What title satisfies such a broad description? Thanks guys!
Content Manager. Editorial Manager. Managing Editor.
posted by kate blank at 1:33 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by kate blank at 1:33 PM on April 28, 2011
Client Communications Coordinator?
posted by cross_impact at 2:04 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by cross_impact at 2:04 PM on April 28, 2011
Best answer: If I were you, I'd try to choose the title of the *next* job you want to have. So, if you want to move more towards a journalism route, call yourself "editor in chief" now. If you want to move more towards an advertising route, call yourself "head copywriter," maybe. If you want to move into management, call yourself "senior communications manager" or something similar.
If you want to be a rockstar, then call yourself "Herman Menderchuk."
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:39 PM on April 28, 2011
If you want to be a rockstar, then call yourself "Herman Menderchuk."
posted by Mo Nickels at 3:39 PM on April 28, 2011
Best answer: Coordinator is generally a junior title. Maybe "Content Strategist" or "Senior Content Strategist" or "Director of Editorial Strategy", etc.
posted by judith at 3:46 PM on April 28, 2011
posted by judith at 3:46 PM on April 28, 2011
Best answer: I pretty much did what you did and begged for the title of Content Ninja, but they wouldn't give it to me :(
I have an identical background/experience and my previous titles have been things like Senior Documentation Specialist, Director of Communication Services, Online Content Librarian and Editorial Content Manager.
Technical Communications Director (or even leave the "Technical" out, if you prefer) is businessy-sounding enough to still cover your account managing duties while making it clear you're in charge of the company's communication strategies, be they marketing, technical documents, accounting, oversight, advertising, etc. In officespeak, "Director" seems to be more common now than "VP" and more accommodating, as VP tends to sound like a singular position, whereas there can be several Directors on an executive level equal to or one level lower than CEO.
seriously Content Ninja would make me sooo jealous, though
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:59 PM on April 28, 2011
I have an identical background/experience and my previous titles have been things like Senior Documentation Specialist, Director of Communication Services, Online Content Librarian and Editorial Content Manager.
Technical Communications Director (or even leave the "Technical" out, if you prefer) is businessy-sounding enough to still cover your account managing duties while making it clear you're in charge of the company's communication strategies, be they marketing, technical documents, accounting, oversight, advertising, etc. In officespeak, "Director" seems to be more common now than "VP" and more accommodating, as VP tends to sound like a singular position, whereas there can be several Directors on an executive level equal to or one level lower than CEO.
seriously Content Ninja would make me sooo jealous, though
posted by Unicorn on the cob at 8:59 PM on April 28, 2011
It doesn't matter what you're called, all that matters is how much you're paid. If you're doing more work then make sure you're getting more money rather than being fobbed off with a fancier title. The money puts food on the table and the title doesn't matter at all, nobody else will give a toss at your current job anyway, if they're letting you choose it, they really don't care. As Mo Nickels rightly points out though, if you can choose your own title then choose the title you want to have next, that way, when you come to interview for it, you can pretend you've already done it.
posted by joannemullen at 1:27 AM on April 29, 2011
posted by joannemullen at 1:27 AM on April 29, 2011
Response by poster: It's funny... I'm very fortunate that the compensation and work environment are both more than satisfactory, so I'd never cared about titles before. Recent changes in management require us to make clearer definitions of our roles. Your ideas help a lot -- thank you all!
posted by mochapickle at 7:11 AM on April 29, 2011
posted by mochapickle at 7:11 AM on April 29, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
Word Person-in-Chief
posted by inturnaround at 12:58 PM on April 28, 2011