Associate Director, Athletics Integrated Communications

The University of Memphis•Memphis, TN

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The University of Memphis is seeking an experienced and strategic communications professional to serve as Associate Director, Integrated Communications, with primary responsibility for the communications and media relations efforts surrounding the Memphis women's basketball program. The Associate Director will serve as the primary communications contact for women's basketball and men’s soccer with additional sports as assigned. This position will also support the football program in a tertiary role. The Associate Director will develop and execute comprehensive communications strategies that elevate the program, its student-athletes and its coaches across traditional, digital and emerging media platforms. This position will work closely with coaches, student-athletes, athletics administrators, marketing, creative, social media, video, digital, broadcast and external relations staff to maximize the visibility and impact of the supervised athletic programs. The ideal candidate is a proactive storyteller, strong writer and strategic communicator who understands the evolving college athletics media landscape and can effectively build relationships with local, regional and national media.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in communications, journalism, public relations, sports management or a related field and a minimum of 2 - 4 years of progressively responsible experience in athletic communications, sports information, media relations, public relations or a related field. OR Master’s Degree in related field and one (1) year of progressively responsible experience in athletic communications, sports information, media relations, public relations or a related field.
Demonstrated experience working with collegiate athletics or a professional sports organization.
Excellent writing, editing and verbal communication skills.
Strong knowledge of Associated Press style and principles of effective sports communication.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects and competing deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with coaches, student-athletes, administrators, media and external partners.
Ability to work nights, weekends and holidays, including extensive travel during the basketball season.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office and common communications, statistics and digital media platforms.
Strong writing, editing, and storytelling skills
Proficiency in statistical software (e.g., StatCrew, NCAA LiveStats) and Adobe Creative Suite
Ability to manage multiple projects and work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
Must be able to comply with all Athletic Department, University, Board of Trustees, NCAA, and Athletic conference policies and procedures.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary communications contact and strategic communications lead for Memphis women's basketball and men’s soccer.
Develop and implement a comprehensive communications and media relations plan for the women's basketball and men’s soccer programs.
Build and maintain strong working relationships with local, regional and national media covering Memphis Athletics.
Coordinate all media relations activities, including credentialing, interview requests, media availability, press conferences and postgame media responsibilities.
Serve as the primary liaison between the women's basketball and men’s soccer programs and members of the media.
Prepare and distribute game notes, previews, recaps, releases, feature stories, statistical information and other communications materials.
Coordinate student-athlete and coach interviews and assist in preparing participants for media opportunities.
Identify and proactively promote compelling stories involving student-athletes, coaches, alumni and the program.
Develop feature content and storytelling opportunities that showcase the academic, athletic and personal accomplishments of women's basketball student-athletes.
Manage communications efforts surrounding significant program announcements, milestones, postseason appearances, awards and other major events.
Serve as the primary communications contact for home and postseason competition as assigned.
Collaborate with the digital, social media, creative and video teams to develop coordinated storytelling campaigns.
Identify opportunities to extend traditional media coverage through digital, social and multimedia platforms.
Provide timely information, statistics, storylines and content ideas to internal communications and external-facing teams.
Assist with the development of content designed to increase engagement with the women's basketball program and Memphis Athletics brand.
Monitor media coverage and emerging trends to identify opportunities for increased exposure and positive storytelling.
Utilize analytics, media monitoring and other available data to evaluate the effectiveness of communications efforts.
Coordinate communications and media operations for women's basketball and men’s soccer home contests.
Oversee game-day media relations, including press box operations, media credentials, statistics, postgame interviews and distribution of information.
Ensure accurate and timely reporting of game statistics, records, standings and historical information.
Maintain accurate team, player and program records and historical databases.
Prepare and distribute statistical information through appropriate NCAA, conference and institutional systems.
Work with statistics and game operations personnel to ensure accurate information is available to media, coaches, student-athletes and fans.
Serve as a communications liaison with the program's conference office and relevant postseason organizations.
Coordinate conference awards, weekly honors, postseason recognition and other external communications initiatives.
Assist with NCAA postseason communications and media operations as assigned.
Support national award nominations and other opportunities to increase recognition of Memphis women's basketball student-athletes and coaches.
Contribute to the overall communications strategy and priorities of Memphis Athletics.
Provide communications support for other sports and department initiatives as assigned.
Assist with major athletics department events, announcements, campaigns and special projects.
Collaborate with members of the communications team to ensure consistent messaging and presentation of the Memphis Athletics brand.
Participate in department-wide initiatives involving strategic communications, crisis communications and reputation management.
Represent Memphis Athletics professionally and positively with internal and external constituencies.
Perform other duties as assigned by the Assistant Athletics Director, for Integrated Communications or appropriate athletics administration.