VP, Communications

XFL Properties LLC DBA United Football League

35d•Remote

About The Position

The Vice President of Communications will lead the day-to-day communications operations and will be responsible for developing and implementing a communications strategy on a national and local level that builds on the League’s brand, drives awareness, and increases league, team, and player visibility in support of League’s objectives. The VP, will work with senior leaders across all business units and football operations to develop communications strategies and execute plans that contribute to and advance UFL’s objectives with a focus on protecting, shaping, and telling the UFL story in compelling, creative, and unexpected ways. This role will liaison with the SVP Communications to coordinate efforts for corporate and internal communications. This role will oversee the Team’s head communications functions and support the team's local footprint, with an emphasis on business, player & community engagement and influencers and digital communications. It is critical the individual ensures our teams are building their team’s visibility and affinity in the market and growing their fan bases. The VP will collaborate with Team & League staff to align on business priorities and cross-functional initiatives as well as ensure local execution, partnering closely with Marketing, Ticket Sales, Sponsorship, Social Media and other verticals. The VP, Communications will counsel senior leaders and participate in significant decisions that impact the reputation of the brand. This leader will provide real-time support and judgment regarding enterprise-level events, including business transactions, material announcements, and crisis situations at both the League and team levels. This role goes beyond traditional media engagement – we are looking for a senior integrated brand and marketing communications strategist.

Requirements

15+ years of leadership experience in Marketing or Corporate Communications, Public Relations or Marketing/Digital/Content with specific experience in the media, sports, or entertainment industries.
Experience leading teams and cross-functional initiatives.
Strong knowledge of the sports entertainment and media landscape.
Communications, marketing, public relations, journalism, or advanced equivalent degree preferred.
Experience managing outside agency relationships to ensure the best use of resources.
A deep set of media contacts locally and nationally across various mediums.
Strong interpersonal skills.
Superior written and verbal communication skills including creative approaches to internal and external marketing and communications platforms.
Highly organized and detail-oriented with excellent project management skills while exercising flexibility and adaptability to changing conditions.
A self-starter, energetic and resilient leader with enthusiasm and determination to ensure consistent achievement of deliverables, timelines, and objectives across multiple stakeholders.
Ability to work flexible hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Responsibilities

Serve as the spokesperson and lead media interactions that promote the organization.
Work with senior executives to coordinate consistent and on-brand messaging that creates engagement with critical associations and organizations to recognize opportunities while defining and executing appropriate strategies to support them.
Proactively identify challenges and emerging issues faced by the organization along with mitigation strategies to address them with professionalism and discretion.
Develop and implement a strategic communications plan to advance the UFL brand identity, broaden awareness and increase visibility across key stakeholder audiences.
Prepare talking points, speeches, presentations and other supporting material as required.
Lead the communications team with an integrated and strategic lens, ensuring all efforts ladder up to an overarching brand narrative and platform that is executed across all earned, shared and owed channels. Puts models and processes into place that allow for successful integrated planning and execution.
Collaborate with league departments to support revenue generation activities including ticketing, merchandise and partnership activations.
Create thought-leadership strategies for the UFL brand and executive teams.
Foster positive and proactive relationships with key media relations contacts, industry partners, influencers and the community that keep the UFL authentic and transparent while shaping public opinion.
Lead initiatives that expand the UFL’s reputation within the media landscape and industry.
Publicize and promote efforts to strengthen, grow and diversify football at all levels of the sport, playing a key role in the generation of football content to help keep the focus of media attention on the game and its players.
Ensure frequent coverage of the UFL programs, players, special events, community outreach, public announcements, and other projects.
Write, develop, produce, and distribute a high volume of press kits, releases, lead responses and trip itineraries.
Host and participate in press trips, events and individual media visits and ensure all event logistics are coordinated
Establish media operations at league and teams’ games and events, playing a leading cross-organizational role in accreditation, transportation, accommodations, and the implementation of media operations plans and procedures to support the overall organizational objectives for each respective event
Manage media relations, including proactive pitching and reactive response to media inquiries. Oversee in-bound press inquiries and coordinate responses as appropriate.
Leverage current events, players, fans, employees, community, philanthropy and special events to develop opportunities for storytelling.
Co-lead the Football Communications efforts to generate unique, compelling, and informative players profiles, and human-interest stories across all owned, earned, paid and partner touchpoints.
Develop effective communication strategies and processes to support football operations during in-season and off-season activities, including gameday, draft, combines and playoffs, as well as oversee and support stats, bios that elevate players profiles.
Oversee and manage the communications function to ensure support in local markets that drive awareness for UFL brand, team and players and business objectives.
Establish consistent league-wide media operations including media guides, stats, press kits, gameday notes, accreditation, and policies for practices, gamedays and events.
Build a Communications team that is industry savvy and upholds the core values and vision of the UFL
Mentor, inspire and develop a team of communications professionals (including agency partners/consultants), providing opportunities for professional development and continuous performance feedback.
Lead staff performance and development through goals, objectives and changing priorities.
Manage the Communications P&L.