With Who: Samford University
Location: Birmingham, AL
Type of Employment: Full-Time
Position Description: Director of Strategic Communications is responsible for publicizing assigned sports and assisting with all facets of athletic communications including sports information, media relations, publications, etc. This individual will serve as the media contact for assigned sports while providing statistical information, event stories, website and social media content, etc.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with the content generation and management of the athletics department website and social media channels.
- Manage and maintain social media accounts for assigned sports and be innovative in storytelling on social media for assigned accounts and teams. This includes content planning for assigned sports.
- Write and edit various department communication materials, press releases, game notes and content for the department’s website.
- Work within the external team to develop and execute sport-by-sport social media campaigns across a variety of platforms including in-game tweets
- Effectively tell the story of assign sports visually, on the website and on social media
- Work closely with athletics creative, video and marketing staffs to promote stories of the department through digital and social media platforms.
- Coordinate season reviews and previews with creative, video and marketing staffs
- Nominate and promote student-athletes and coaches for awards.
- Work with local and national media to promote Samford Athletics and Bulldog student athletes
- Assist with the student employee program and gameday staffing.
- Travel with teams as needed
- Coordinate photographers for department needs
- Archive photos, build photo galleries and work with creative team for photos for marketing and other materials as needed
- Create and execute digital storytelling methods for the department working with creative and marketing for concepts and ideas
- Explore innovative and creative ways to tell the Samford athletics story
- Maintain, develop and educate Samford Athletics student workers
- Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
- Applicant must have obtained a Bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited institution.
- Minimum of 1 year of public relations, communications or sports information experience in an NCAA athletics department and/or professional sports organization.
- Knowledge of the methods and techniques used in planning, designing, editing and producing publications.
- Knowledge of journalistic principles, practices, and techniques of disseminating information to the public through the media and other communication platforms.
- Knowledge of grammar, composition and AP style.
- Strong written and oral communication skills.
- Advanced computer skills, particularly in word processing, desktop publishing, Photoshop, InDesign, StatCrew, Adobe premiere, Adobe Lightroom, photography web page design and maintenance.
- Knowledge and understanding of various social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube.
- The position requires some travel and working evenings, weekends and select holidays in addition to daily office hours. Also requires other related duties as assigned by your supervisor and/or other department leadership.
Apply (or request more information): Apply today on the CofC Alumni Career Center site!