Director of Athletics Communications Strategy

Dartmouth College•Hanover, NH

62d•Onsite

About The Position

Are you a dynamic, strategic PR professional eager to elevate a leading institution's reputation and brand presence while communicating goals, priorities and wins to staff, campus partners and key stakeholders? Dartmouth College Athletics and Recreation Department (DCARD) is seeking an innovative Communications Strategist to be a thought partner to leadership and deliver high-impact messaging initiatives. This pivotal role offers an exciting opportunity to shape and amplify DCARD's narrative both regionally and nationally, aligning with Dartmouth's commitment to excellence in health, wellbeing, and performance. As the in-house strategic communications expert, you will design and execute integrated PR plans that drive cohesive storytelling across internal and external audiences. You'll play a key role in managing the media presence and brand reputation of the Director of Athletics and Recreation, as well as the Department, by crafting compelling content focused on the strategic priorities-from engaging media campaigns to persuasive media pitches, news releases, and feature stories. Collaborating closely with the communications team and campus partners, you'll ensure consistent messaging that resonates with diverse constituents and advances Dartmouth's broader goals. Your responsibilities will extend to proactive reputation management, identifying timely opportunities for DCARD senior leadership, coaches and staff to share their insights through media interviews, op-eds, and public speaking engagements. You'll also manage issues and crisis communications, protecting and enhancing Dartmouth's trusted brand. Must have experience in strategic development of PR planning and execution, speech writing and training, success in where and how to message effectively, strong written and verbal skills. Requires the ability to engage, collaborate and coordinate with multiple stakeholders across campus and beyond. Join DCARD as the strategic communications expert where creativity, partnership, and data-driven insights fuel continuous improvement and impactful narratives. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about storytelling that shapes public perception, this role is your gateway to making a meaningful contribution to an iconic institution's legacy.

Requirements

At least seven years of experience in a communications or public relations department, preferably in a college/university environment, or the equivalent.
Bachelor's degree in English, journalism, communications, or a related area.
Ability to identify business and strategy goals and execute high-quality projects on time.
Excellent writing and editing skills.
Strong organizational skills.
Ability to work independently and with initiative, creativity, and sound judgment.
Ability to maintain strict confidentiality.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing and growing a brand's presence on various social media platforms.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute communications strategies for external and internal constituent communication that align with DCARD's strategic priorities, as defined by the Director of Athletics and Recreation.
Manage Director of Athletics and Recreations media and brand presence and strategic messaging and create and/or direct the creation of innovative and captivating content to drive strategic narratives.
Work alongside the communications team to help guide strategic messaging for DCARD.
Monitor and track communication efforts, compiling data and analytics reports and insights to support continuous improvement, including weekly media reports for senior leadership.
Serve as departmental liaison with all college publication & communication offices and supports broader communications initiatives that advance Dartmouth's reputation and showcase its impact on health, wellbeing and performance.
Create media plans with defined communications goals and success metrics, create and/or oversee the creation of engaging social media content, write news releases, media pitches, statements, talking points, and FAQs.
Responsible for the development, editing, and distribution of all media releases, feature stories, and new hire announcements. Developing concepts and assigning material to staff and freelancers as appropriate.
Proactively identify and secure opportunities for DCARD coaches and staff to share their expertise on timely issues and topics relevant to the institution's key audiences and the public, including media interviews, op-eds, guest appearances, and speaking engagements.
Enhance regional and national media exposure.
At the direction of the Director of Athletics and Recreation and/or Office of Communications leadership, support DCARD-related issues management, crisis and emergency communications.
Draft social media content, media statements, FAQs, talking points, and/or community messages.
Monitor media coverage and track media requests for Director of Athletics and Recreation.
As assigned, handle confidential, sensitive information, exercise excellent professional judgment and discretion, and interact appropriately with Dartmouth constituencies, including senior administrative officers.
Partner with the Director of Athletics and Recreation's Office team to coordinate the efficient and smooth operation of the office; prioritize workflow and efficiency to maximize use of the Director of Athletics and Recreation's time.
Compile, screen, and prioritize the Director of Athletics and Recreation's mail for daily review; manage follow up and maintain correspondence files.
Respond to email and other correspondence on behalf of the Director of Athletics and Recreation and draft responses on complex matters as appropriate.