Assistant Athletic Director, Strategic Communications

Position Department: Athletics Media Relations

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Overview:

The Assistant Athetic Director, Strategic Communications, provides vital leadership, vision, and operational oversight for the athletic department's brand storytelling, digital footprint, and public relations platforms. This role is responsible for directing the official athletics website, driving a modern social media ecosystem, and maximizing student-athlete advocacy through platforms like FanWord. Utilizing Asana project management tools, the position ensures optimal operational efficiency across creative content calendars, statistical reporting, and media workflows. All duties are executed in tight alignment with the guidelines, rules, and regulations of the University and the NCAA.

Responsibilities:

• Brand Leadership & Project Management: Provides direct leadership, coaching, performance tracking, and professional growth opportunities for full-time strategic communications staff, assistants, and student interns. Introduces and manages comprehensive Asana project management workspaces to streamline creative content workflows, track multimedia deliverables, and ensure cross-departmental alignment on communication timelines. Motivates and mentors student workers, providing hands-on education in the evolving fields of modern collegiate athletic public relations and digital media production.
• Digital Strategy, Website, & FanWord Integration: Serves as the lead administrator for the official Athletics website, managing content accuracy, design elements, roster releases, and accessibility standards. Orchestrates an engaging, multi-channel social media strategy across all official athletic department accounts (including X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook) to drive audience growth, fan interactions, and brand value. Integrates and champions the regular utilization of the FanWord platform to build high-impact, student-athlete-first narratives that highlight athletic and academic success.
• Statistics, Media Relations, & Gameday Operations: Oversees the meticulous compiling, reporting, and archival preservation of official game and season statistics, historical records, and conference tracking data utilizing modern statistical infrastructure. Directs media operations during home athletic events, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and supervising game-day personnel (such as statisticians, clock operators, public address announcers, and scorekeepers). Acts as the primary public relations contact for designated sports, executing press releases, fulfilling public inquiries, and building strong collaborative networks with local, regional, and national media.
• Serves as a Game Management administrator for designated events as required. Actively promotes academic achievement, ethical sporting conduct, and equitable opportunities for all student-athletes and staff members
• Requires the flexibility to work long hours including evenings and weekends

Position Department: Athletics Media Relations

Position Type: Staff Full-Time

Overview:

The Assistant Athetic Director, Strategic Communications, provides vital leadership, vision, and operational oversight for the athletic department's brand storytelling, digital footprint, and public relations platforms. This role is responsible for directing the official athletics website, driving a modern social media ecosystem, and maximizing student-athlete advocacy through platforms like FanWord. Utilizing Asana project management tools, the position ensures optimal operational efficiency across creative content calendars, statistical reporting, and media workflows. All duties are executed in tight alignment with the guidelines, rules, and regulations of the University and the NCAA.

Responsibilities:

• Brand Leadership & Project Management: Provides direct leadership, coaching, performance tracking, and professional growth opportunities for full-time strategic communications staff, assistants, and student interns. Introduces and manages comprehensive Asana project management workspaces to streamline creative content workflows, track multimedia deliverables, and ensure cross-departmental alignment on communication timelines. Motivates and mentors student workers, providing hands-on education in the evolving fields of modern collegiate athletic public relations and digital media production.
• Digital Strategy, Website, & FanWord Integration: Serves as the lead administrator for the official Athletics website, managing content accuracy, design elements, roster releases, and accessibility standards. Orchestrates an engaging, multi-channel social media strategy across all official athletic department accounts (including X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook) to drive audience growth, fan interactions, and brand value. Integrates and champions the regular utilization of the FanWord platform to build high-impact, student-athlete-first narratives that highlight athletic and academic success.
• Statistics, Media Relations, & Gameday Operations: Oversees the meticulous compiling, reporting, and archival preservation of official game and season statistics, historical records, and conference tracking data utilizing modern statistical infrastructure. Directs media operations during home athletic events, including hiring, onboarding, scheduling, and supervising game-day personnel (such as statisticians, clock operators, public address announcers, and scorekeepers). Acts as the primary public relations contact for designated sports, executing press releases, fulfilling public inquiries, and building strong collaborative networks with local, regional, and national media.
• Serves as a Game Management administrator for designated events as required. Actively promotes academic achievement, ethical sporting conduct, and equitable opportunities for all student-athletes and staff members
• Requires the flexibility to work long hours including evenings and weekends

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required. Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of four years of experience in collegiate athletic communications, sports public relations, or media management.
• Technical & Software Proficiency: Must be highly proficient in NCAA Live Stats Software, PrestoSports, Adobe Creative Software (specifically Photoshop and InDesign), and Asana project management infrastructure.
• Digital Strategy Capabilities: Comprehensive mastery of current social media ecosystems (X, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook) to drive audience growth and athletic brand awareness.
• Core Competencies: Superior writing and editing skills, sharp attention to detail, strong time-management capabilities, and an ability to exercise independent judgment with total integrity and confidentiality.
• Valid driver's license (or reliable transportation), current CPR certification, and passing results on an Act 153 Background Screen and a Motor Vehicle Report check

Exemption Status: Exempt

Act 153 Clearance Required: Yes

Required To Pass a Motor Vehicle Report Check (If driving on behalf of the University): Yes

Required to Pass a Credit Check: Yes

Additional Posting Information: None

Special Applicant Instructions: None

Commitment to Diversity:

RMU complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws and provides equal opportunity in all educational programs and activities, admission of students and conditions of employment for all qualified individuals regardless of race, color, sex, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation, or national origin.

Reasonable Accommodation Notice:

Federal law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Please email humanresources@rmu.edu or call us at (412) 397-6270 if you require a reasonable accommodation to apply for a job or to perform your job.

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