Assistant Director of Athletics Communications & Creative Content

POSITION: Assistant Director of Athletics Communications & Creative Content

DEPARTMENT: Athletics

REPORTS TO: Associate Athletic Director - Sports Information

PRIMARY FUNCTION:

This position will assist the Associate AD - Sports Information with all aspects of the athletics communications office, including but not limited to promoting, publicizing, and reporting on all athletics events and competitions. Strong writing skills, experience with social media, web site development and maintenance, and knowledge of sport statistical software are desired. Candidate must also have interpersonal skills to work effectively within a culturally diverse community.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelor's Degree in Communications, Marketing, Sport Management or a related field, is required.
• 1-2 years of relevant experience in athletics communications, graphic design and/or video editing is required.
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.
• Very strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a culturally diverse community and build relationships with faculty, staff and external partners.
• Experience working with athletic teams is preferred.
• Position requires considerable initiative, creativity and the ability to work both independently and as a member of a team.
• Excellent skills in NCAA Live Stats, Stat-Crew System, Internet Software (Sidearm), Adobe InDesign & Photoshop, Adobe Creative Suite, Acrobat, and Microsoft Suite (Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).
• Ability to handle sensitive information and maintain confidentiality.
• Experience managing a web platform in a college athletics setting.
• Digital photography experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the day-to-day operations of an intercollegiate athletics department.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Recommend, build and execute strategic campaigns for social media such as: Facebook, Twitter (X), YouTube, and other channels as needed.
2. Develop best practices; recommend rules of engagement, and innovative initiatives for the use on various digital/social/mobile media.
3. Maintain and monitor all PPU Athletics social media sites.
4. Assist in all marketing & promotional efforts of sports including pre-season marketing, in­ game marketing/promotions and overall implementation of a marketing plan for all Plan and organize media days for each team.
5. Assist in game/event operations to include script writing, scheduling of event workers, coordinating promotional events, venue set-up & breakdown and overall game presentation.
6. Assist with Community Engagement Activities as needed.
7. Assist with special events and projects as assigned by the Associate AD or Vice President of Athletics.
8. Assist with tasks such as statistics, public address and media relations at assigned home events while tracking team results and public/media relations for all traveling teams.
9. Assists the Associate AD - Sports Information Director as spokesperson and contact for athletics department to external sources (such as: media, fans, alumni, parents, MEC, NCAA).
10. Designs, writes, or edits assigned publications (printed or electronic) that originate in the athletics department. This includes a comprehensive news and information internet site, press releases, etc.
11. Assists in maintaining statistics for athletics teams and responsible for reporting those to MEC and NCAA.
12. Maintains accurate records of school's athletics history and records.
13. Generates interest and awareness for all athletics programs at Point Park University.
14. Supervise interns and student workers and serves as contact person for Sports Comm Club.
15. Promote athletics events utilizing campus e-mails, flyers, social media, and campus and student organizations.
16. Provide strategy and leadership of the Athletic Department's web-based presences.
17. Research user trends and emerging web tactics to ensure the institution stays at the forefront of the web space in the college athletics landscape.
18. Create and develop original content for com and other PPU web properties which work to reinforce the department's revenue generation and public relations efforts and ensures that Point Park's athletic web presences are current, and a positive reflection of the brand.
19. Execute web strategies and ensure that all web properties maintain a consistent brand message and image.
20. Assist as needed with the broadcast/webcast of home athletics events.
21. Prepare press releases for local newspapers and radio stations; primary, secondary and extended newspapers (metropolitan, dailies, weeklies), radio stations, wire services and TV stations; hometown news media of student athletes; hometown news media of athletic staff and sports guests of the college; and state, national and international magazines.
22. Responds to statistical and other report requirements for the NCAA, MEC, intercollegiate opponents, various periodicals, journals and magazines, major television networks, national wire services and other print and electronic services, including pointparksports.com website.
23. Provides pre-and post-game statistical information and game notes plus any other data the media requires in cumulating the sports events at the university.
24. Maintains historical data, such as photo and video archives.
25. May be responsible for photography at PPU events.
26. Ability to coordinate meetings and interviews.
27. Responsible for maintaining and upgrading the technology tools necessary to operate the athletics communications department efficiently.
28. Commits to and be responsible for adhering to all rules and regulations set forth by the University, the Mountain East Conference and the NCAA with the utmost integrity.
29. Works cooperatively with personnel in the athletics department, attends department meetings and activities, and always represents the college positively when interacting with the community, alumni, high school and club coaches, media and general public.
30. Work under pressure at times to handle a wide variety of activities and confidential matters with discretion.
31. Supply specific documents, correspondence or information from files upon request of the Vice President of Athletics.
32. Other duties as assigned by the Associate AD or Vice President of Athletics.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:

• Frequent evening and weekend hours.
• The employee must have the ability to occasionally lift, carry, and/or drag approximately 50 pounds
• Specific vision abilities required by the job include ability to distinguish the nature of objects by using the eye.
• Work is performed indoors and/or outdoors in conditions including loud and constant noise.
• Occasional travel is required.