Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

Cornell University•Ithaca, MI

1d•$65,447 - $75,632•Onsite

About The Position

The Assistant Director, Athletic Communications assists with developing and executing the department’s strategic digital communications and social media plans to meet the goals and objectives of Cornell’s 37-sport Division I athletics program. In addition to traditional media relations responsibilities, this role serves as a primary content strategist, creator and publisher within an always-on digital environment. The position is responsible for developing platform-specific content strategies and producing compelling, platform-native storytelling across social, web and video platforms to drive engagement, support recruiting and enhance the visibility of Cornell Athletics. The Assistant Director, Athletic Communications works to maintain branding and visual standards across graphics, photography and video content for digital and social platforms. By developing compelling content, the Assistant Director shapes the narrative of Cornell student-athletes and highlights the achievements of its teams, coaches and programs. This role plays a central part in shaping and protecting the voice, tone and public narrative of Cornell Athletics across digital platforms. The Assistant Director manages the full content lifecycle from ideation through production, publishing, distribution and performance analysis, using data and audience insights to inform and optimize strategy. This role is integral to the operation of Cornell Athletics Communications as the Assistant Director acts as the frontline spokesperson for assigned teams, producing record books, news releases and feature stories, responding to media requests, staffing events and supervising student assistants and statistical crews. In addition, they serve as a liaison between coaching staff, student-athletes and media to coordinate interviews and provide timely, accurate information that enhances the media experience at events. The role also collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to identify storytelling opportunities and execute integrated content campaigns aligned with departmental, university and conference priorities.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree with at least 2 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Strong interpersonal and communication skills with attention to detail
Strong understanding of storytelling principles across written, visual and video formats
Ability to proficiently use social media platforms (Twitter/X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube) and Adobe Creative Suite
Knowledge of Division I Athletics and NCAA regulations
Familiarity with live statistical packages
Knowledge of social media strategy, live event production, statistics, sports writing, graphic design and video editing
Ability to work under deadline pressure
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings and weekends

Nice To Haves

Ability to manage digital assets (photography, documents, and archival video).
Experience creating platform-native content, including short-form video and mobile-first storytelling
Experience in video editing and visual storytelling
Experience using analytics tools to evaluate performance and inform content strategy

Responsibilities

Assists with developing and executing the department’s strategic digital communications and social media plans.
Serves as a primary content strategist, creator and publisher within an always-on digital environment.
Develops platform-specific content strategies and produces compelling, platform-native storytelling across social, web and video platforms.
Works to maintain branding and visual standards across graphics, photography and video content for digital and social platforms.
Manages the full content lifecycle from ideation through production, publishing, distribution and performance analysis.
Acts as the frontline spokesperson for assigned teams, producing record books, news releases and feature stories.
Responds to media requests, staffs events and supervises student assistants and statistical crews.
Serves as a liaison between coaching staff, student-athletes and media to coordinate interviews.
Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to identify storytelling opportunities and execute integrated content campaigns.