Director of Athletics Communications

James Madison University • Harrisonburg, VA

2d • Onsite

About The Position

JMU Athletics is seeking a Director of Athletics Communications to lead the JMU Athletics Communications team in executing strategies for the betterment of the JMU Athletics brand, public perception and storytelling via both direct distribution and through collaboration with traditional local, state and national news media sources. This position will help marshal digital content, historical records and statistics for JMU Football and other assigned sports, while providing primary supervision of JMU Athletics Communications staff to do the same with remaining varsity sports. The person in the role will also collaborate with departmental leaders throughout JMU Athletics support staff to further the department-wide mission and goals.

Requirements

• Experience in the athletic communications field or similar communications or public relations role.
• Ability to supervise and develop staff while effectively managing multiple priorities.
• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communications skills.
• Proficiency in NCAA Live Stats or Stat Crew Experience
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Nice To Haves

• Experience with the Adobe Creative Suite (including InDesign, Photoshop etc.)
• Experience serving as the primary communications contact for a high-profile Division I sport, preferably in football.

Responsibilities

• Develop large-scale departmental strategy for communications, media relations and sports information activities for JMU Football and other assigned sports, working alongside coaches and other JMU Athletics entities to broaden and promote the JMU Athletics brand while aligning with departmental vision and guiding principles.
• Help develop organizational and logistical plan for communications office, leading communications staff meetings and developing staff operational structure to execute mission and goals of the unit.
• Supervise JMU Athletics Communications staff, developing skills and workflow to better support departmental goals through communications and branding efforts and strategies.
• Foster positive relationships with external media partners while identifying opportunities to maximize coverage and proactively position JMU Athletics among local, regional and national media outlets.
• Develop and cultivate strong working relationships with leadership in other support areas of JMU Athletics in order to easily collaborate across departmental lines to simplify and further department-wide operations and objectives.

Benefits

• Paid vacation
• Sick leave
• Parental leave
• Community service leave
• 19 paid holidays annually
• High-quality health insurance options
• Retirement benefits through the Virginia Retirement System
• Balanced Dukes program promotes wellness and work-life integration through resources, events, and support.
• Tuition waiver program for undergraduate and graduate courses taken at JMU

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager
• Education Level: No Education Listed