The Head of the Institute for Communication Studies manages the administrative and organizational tasks of the Institute in cooperation with the Custodian.

The Head of the institute represents the interests of the institute to the Dean's Office of the Faculty of Humanities and the university management. The Executive Director is elected for two years by the members of the Institute Conference.

The custodian manages the institute's business and reporting together with the head of institute.  She is responsible for the planning of courses, quality management, financial planning and controlling of the institute's funds.

She advises students interested in the subject, carries out grading, equivalence examinations and is responsible for the networking of the subject with the alumni organization "Netzwerk Essener Kommunikationswissenschaft, e.V.".

The institute's conference decides on the organizational and structural matters of the institute. Furthermore, it develops future strategies of the institute as a contribution to the development plan of the faculty. It discusses recommended resolutions for the faculty council and deliberates on doctoral and postdoctoral regulations as well as on the structural issues of the faculty.