Internal Communications Job Market Analysis: November 2024

193 companies across the US, UK and Canada posted 219 internal communications jobs in November 2024, down 26% from October but still in line with the six-month average. 25 were remote positions (11.4%), down from October’s 15% remote internal comms jobs but matching the September percentage of remote roles.

This article is the second in a series of monthly internal comms job market analyses, using the data I collect in publishing Strictly Internal every week.

A November to remember?

Going into November, I wondered how the US election and Thanksgiving holiday might impact internal comms job postings.

Mid-month saw the highest volume of postings, with over 60 jobs published in the second full week of November, perhaps partly due to the US election and Thanksgiving bookending the month. While overall November numbers were down from October, there was still significant hiring activity throughout the month. Even during Thanksgiving week, companies posted 30 new roles.

When comparing November to December, it’s also good to keep in mind that October had five weeks. Considering all of this, November offered a significant number of new internal comms jobs despite notable events and calendar quirks. 

More roles outside major business centers

London’s dominance as the internal comms job leader continued in November, followed by New York and the Bay Area in the US.

The November data highlights companies embracing location flexibility, with 36 postings offering multiple work locations. These typically link major tech hubs (particularly New York, San Francisco, and Seattle), or provide regional options within metro areas. The most frequent locations mentioned in flexible-location job postings are New York (8 mentions), San Francisco/Bay Area (7), Seattle (5), Chicago (5), and London (5).

Outside of the major business centers, internal or change communications jobs opened in 162 unique geographic locations, an increase of 27% compared to October. This jump in geographic diversity is especially notable since the major hubs accounted for 31% of November's new roles, up from 21% in October (a month when there were more overall roles, too). 

Job levels…stay level

The breakdown of November jobs by job level is almost identical to October.

This makes sense, considering how most organizations are structured, the need for strategist-doer managers in organizations of all sizes and within lean teams, and the fact that recruiters handle hiring for some top roles. 

Major companies continue to invest in IC

While fewer companies published internal comms jobs in November, many organizations opened multiple roles, with 31 companies appearing in both months' job listings. JPMorgan Chase led the hiring surge with 9 new internal comms positions in November, followed by Amazon with 4 roles, and GM and Wells Fargo with 3 roles each.

The Fortune 100 hiring landscape remained relatively stable, with 15 companies posting 32 roles in November compared to 18 companies posting 30 roles in October. While the number of Fortune 100 companies hiring slightly decreased (-17%), the total number of positions increased marginally (+6.7%). 

Several Fortune 100 organizations maintained consistent hiring momentum across both months, including:

• JPMorgan Chase

• Amazon

• Johnson & Johnson

• ADM

• Google

• RTX

Change is constant

Some argue that all internal comms is change comms. Looking at the dozens of jobs posted in November, there is support for that argument. 

• In November, Strictly Internal published 22 communication jobs primarily focused on transformation or change management comms, compared to 23 such roles in October and 20 in September. This steadiness despite a 26% drop in IC roles in October vs. November suggests solid demand for change comms specialization. 

• November and October saw change comms roles ranging from Manager to Director level, with companies like McDonald's posting transformation-focused roles. The roles span various industries, including healthcare, financial services, consulting, and technology.

• 39% of all other internal comms roles published in November contained significant change management or transformation communications responsibilities in the job postings. Common elements include:

  • Leading organizational change communications

  • Supporting digital transformation initiatives

  • Managing change management communications frameworks

  • Developing change readiness strategies

  • Creating change adoption campaigns

  • Facilitating cultural transformation

Over time, I hope these kinds of insights will help internal communicators better understand the job market and help job seekers position themselves for their next opportunity. I’m also hopeful that by taking a closer look at what we’re asking internal comms pros to do, insights about the direction and evolution of the profession will emerge.