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Posting Details (Default Section)
Posting Number: 20244079S
Position Title: Senior Associate Athletics Director for Brand & Strategic Communication
Position Type: Staff
Location: Villanova, PA
Recruitment Type: Internal/External Applicants
Work Schedule: full-time/12-months
Avg Hours Week
Department: 727-Athl - Administration
Position Summary
Work in collaboration with the VP/Director of Athletics to achieve the following objectives for the athletic department:
Graduate Complete-Student Athletes
Strive to Win Championship
Be in compliance with NCAA and Campus Community
Be Fiscally Sound and Generate Revenue
Specifically, support the overall mission of the athletic department with a focus on Brand advancement and strategic communication. This position will serve on the senior administrative team and will have consistent and ongoing open dialogue with the VP/Director of Athletics.
All duties must be performed in compliance with University, Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.
Duties And Responsibilities
Serve as communications strategist and advisor for the Athletics Department/VP/Athletic Director, providing communication counsel and expertise regarding the changing landscape in college athletics.
Stay current and communicate changes in collegiate sports industry as it relates to current litigation, possible legislation and other major collegiate athletics landscape changes etc. and communicate these changes in real time.
Prepare and ensure consistency in messaging for athletic director, head coaches, and senior staff. Direct crisis communication strategy for Athletics – develop a risk “heat map” for senior administration and head coaches along with outside consultant.
Working closely with both MBB / WBB head coaches, General Manager, rosters, existing media/social/digital teams and leaning on external consultant for support. Travel with MBB / WBB and attend fundraising events when necessary.
Support the VP/Athletic Director to assure alignment, particularly with the Office of President and University Communication and Marketing, as it relates impactful changes to both Villanova’s athletic profile and the overarching athletic landscape.
Serve as public spokesperson with various constituencies regarding Villanova, particularly the changing landscape.
Oversee a renewed communication strategy for Villanova Athletics and Athletic Director with an emphasis on MBB / WBB , including:
Telling the athletics’ story with a focus on men’s and women’s basketball storytelling through traditional media, social, digital, and graphic verticals.
Provide ongoing expertise to strengthen all verticals of communications and branding, including media relations, social, digital, and graphics for athletic department.
Collaborate closely with campus partners in communications and marketing to ensure alignment of communications strategies and plans, including the forthcoming comprehensive capital campaign
Work collaboratively with Ticket Office staff, Legends, and others to assist with annual season ticket renewal campaigns for MBB / WBB /FB.
Provide individual student-athletes counsel in the development of their own personal brands in connection to Villanova Athletics profile and mission.
Meet with individual student-athletes and/or groups when necessary to provide counsel and insight to individual student-athletes as they develop their own personal brands in conjunction with the Villanova Athletics profile and mission.
Support and elevate Olympic Sports through various narratives around team success on and off the field. Meet with Olympic Sports programs and others when necessary.
Special projects as assigned by the VP/Director of Athletics to include but not limited to coverage of national sports stories and the impact on Villanova Athletics, specialized donor trips/engagements both on and off campus.
As part of the senior administrative team, this position is expected to attend weekly senior staff meetings, MBB / WBB weekly operations meetings, head coaches meetings, and annual Head Coaches Retreat.
Outside of athletic department the position is expected to attend bi-weekly Issue Management Advisory Meeting led by University Communications.
Help support key events throughout calendar year (Freshmen student-athlete orientation (mid-August), Student-Athlete Mass (August) Varsity Club Hall of Fame (Feb), Senior Student-Athlete Awards (May)
Minimum Qualifications
Formal Education:
Bachelor’s Degree required, Master’s preferred.
Specific Job Knowledge
Knowledge of innovative technology, social media, mobile dynamics for branding and storytelling.
Understanding of local and national media trends, organizations and key trendsetters. Knowledge of
NCAA rules, a plus.
Minimum Work Experience
Experience in strategic communications in the agency, media, professional or college sports, or institutional worlds.
Work Skills
Ability to excel at all forms of communications including writing, speaking, social media, etc. Must possess excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills.
Ability to lead and manage a team and coordinate small and large-scale projects.
Equipment Knowledge
Proficiency with personal computer applications (word processing, spreadsheets, database)
Preferred Qualifications
Master’s Degree.
Physical Requirements And/or Unusual Work Hours
Professional work environment
Some night and weekend hours
Some travel required
Special Message To Applicants
Posting Date: 06/28/2024
Closing Date (11:59pm ET):
Salary Posting Information
Commensurate with experience
Salary Band: L
Job Classification: exempt
References Needed
References Needed
Minimum Number of References Needed 3
Maximum Number of References Needed 3
Seniority level
Mid-Senior level
Employment type
Full-time
Job function
Other
Industries
Higher Education
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