Duck Athletic Fund Communications Director

University of Oregon•Eugene, OR

About The Position

The Communications Director works closely with the Assistant Athletic Director, Development, and the Athletic Department Marketing Team to support Duck Athletic Fund and Athletic Ticket Office marketing and communications initiatives, including annual giving campaigns, digital marketing, and brand development. The role coordinates, creates, develops, and implements campaigns to attract, acquire, and retain donors and ticket office customers through print, social media, email, and web channels. The position assists in managing the Duck Athletic Fund’s brand and communications strategy in alignment with the department’s broader brand strategy. It supports fundraising through direct mail, email, crowdfunding, day-of-giving campaigns, and annual giving stewardship. The director designs and produces Duck Athletic Fund and ticket office materials, including letters, emails, proposals, event invitations, and stewardship pieces, and oversees related websites, social media, and other digital creative opportunities. The successful candidate develops strategic communications plans and creates engaging, visually appealing, brand-consistent content that tells Duck Athletic Fund stories. The position represents the department at meetings, game-day functions, athletic events, and other Duck Athletic Fund activities. Weekend work and occasional travel are required. A valid driver’s license and the ability to obtain UO Drivers Certification are also required.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or five years of digital marketing experience.
Five years of successful digital marketing experience resulting in measurable philanthropic impact.
Three years of direct experience managing email marketing, including content creation, data segmentation, and email marketing strategy.
Valid driver’s license and ability to obtain UO Drivers Certification.
Willingness to work weekends and travel occasionally.
Ability to strategize, prioritize, and multitask to meet goals and deadlines.
Strong organizational skills and excellent verbal and written communication skills, including proofreading, editing, and content creation.
Ability to collaborate with professional peers, build effective relationships with high-value prospects and donors, and provide responsive customer service.
Ability to work independently and maintain cooperative working relationships with faculty, staff, and others.
Ability to communicate and work effectively with individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Commitment to and experience promoting diversity and equity.
Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite applications for designing graphics for digital efforts and other projects.
Ability to think strategically and plan and implement a comprehensive content calendar and communications efforts.
Ability to apply social media best practices and use social media platforms and tools to create engaging content.
Ability to attend athletic events in varying environments, including inclement weather.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, public relations, communications, advertising, or a related field.
Experience in segmentation and multi-channel solicitation development.
Experience filming and editing videos for digital distribution.
Previous experience using email marketing platforms.
Background in college athletics, especially athletics development.

Responsibilities

Coordinate, create, develop, and implement marketing campaigns to attract, acquire, and retain donors and ticket office customers through print, social media, email, and web channels.
Assist with and manage the Duck Athletic Fund brand and communications strategy in alignment with the department’s overall brand strategy.
Support fundraising efforts, including direct mail, email, crowdfunding, day-of-giving, and annual giving stewardship.
Design and produce Duck Athletic Fund and ticket office collateral, including letters, emails, proposals, event invitations, and stewardship pieces.
Oversee the Duck Athletic Fund and Athletic Ticket Office website, social media, and other digital creative opportunities.
Develop strategic communications plans and creative, engaging, visually appealing, brand-consistent content.
Plan and implement a comprehensive content calendar and communications across email, social media, and direct mail.
Attend meetings, game-day functions, athletic events, and other Duck Athletic Fund functions as a department representative.