Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

About The Position

Reporting to the Senior Athletic Director for Marketing and Communications, the Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications leads the Athletics Communications/Media Relations unit. The role plans, edits, and strategically tells the Department’s stories while promoting and protecting the Carolina Athletics brand through media pitching, web stories, news releases, social media, and event coverage. The position leads a team of nine or more media relations professionals and works with leaders across creative services, marketing, productions, sponsorships, and revenue generation to coordinate social media and storytelling strategy, content, planning, and analytical insights in support of revenue and recruiting objectives. The role also works with external media and supports communications and media relations for coaches and student-athletes across 28 sports teams, as well as University and Department communications projects. The Assistant Athletic Director advises the athletics director on external and internal communications, including media statements, interviews, and internal communications, and recruits and manages student workers.

Requirements

A relevant post-baccalaureate degree and at least 5 years of related professional experience in marketing, communications, journalism, public affairs, or a related field; alternatively, a relevant undergraduate degree and at least 3 years of relevant experience may be accepted for candidates with comparable professional backgrounds.
Strength across creative disciplines, with expertise in one or more of writing, editing, graphics, and storytelling.
Ability to lead a media relations team and engage, motivate, and support creative professionals.
Ability to pitch stories and work with media.
Understanding of how to monetize digital content to meet sponsorship and revenue objectives.
Understanding of how to support sport program recruiting needs with content suited to appropriate channels.
Exceptional communication, leadership, and organizational skills, including the ability to communicate needs, strategy, and results and build consensus with stakeholders outside the Creative Services unit.
Knowledge of and ability to implement analytics programs to track and report campaign effectiveness, optimize current business, and identify new opportunities.
Ability to abide by UNC, ACC, and NCAA regulations.

Nice To Haves

At least 8 years of experience in a communications role in college athletics, professional sports, media, or a communications agency.
Experience managing personnel, particularly in creative and communications disciplines.
Vision and initiative to imagine, strategize, and cultivate new ideas, champion them, and bring them to completion.

Responsibilities

Lead the Athletics Communications/Media Relations unit and a team of nine or more media relations professionals.
Plan, edit, and strategically tell the Department’s stories to promote and protect the Carolina Athletics brand.
Develop proactive media pitching, web stories, news releases, social media, and event coverage.
Coordinate social media and storytelling strategy, content, planning, and analytical insights with leaders in creative services, marketing, productions, sponsorships, and revenue generation.
Support revenue and recruiting objectives, including the communications and media relations needs of coaches and student-athletes across 28 sports teams.
Work with and answer questions from external media.
Assist with University and Department communications projects.
Advise the athletics director on external and internal communications, including media statements, interviews, and internal communications.
Recruit and manage student workers.
Comply with UNC, ACC, and NCAA regulations and refer questions or concerns about compliance to the Compliance Office.