Assistant AD, Communications and Content

Job Description Summary

Works with internal and external constituents to heighten Wake Forest University’s visibility and brand awareness with an emphasis on men’s basketball and management of the full Athletics Communications team. Develops content for GoDeacs.com and oversees social media strategy for all Athletics-related accounts, including analytics and platform-specific approaches to maximize reach and engagement. Plays an active role in crisis communications and collaborates daily with fan experience, ticket sales, facilities and operations, and creative services to ensure alignment and success. Builds and maintains strong relationships with coaches, student-athletes, and staff across the department.

*This position is not eligible for sponsorship of non-immigrant or immigrant visa status through Wake Forest University. All eligible applicants are encouraged to apply.

Essential Functions

• Direct overall Athletic Communications operations for 16 of Wake Forest’s intercollegiate sports. Develops effective strategies for publicizing the Wake Forest athletics program.
• Organizes staff and assigns duties for consistency to the needs of media representatives, athletic staff, and student-athletes. Assigns responsibility for each home and away Olympic sports contest to ensure appropriate coverage.
• Implements and integrates emerging technologies and ideas on social media.
• Manages social media analytics reports and sets future goals and benchmarks.
• Serves as the public and media liaison for the head coach, student-athletes, and assistant coaches of men’s basketball.
• Promotes student-athletes to local and hometown media to further publicity opportunities.
• Advises student-athletes and coaches in dealing with media representatives.
• Maintains and distributes statistics for men’s basketball.
• Collects opponent statistical information to assist coaches and scouting efforts.
• Provides media and opponent; sports information directors with statistics and other pertinent information.
• Reports results and event information back to local media.
• Coordinates all publicity (press releases, game notes, programs, statistics, and records) for men’s basketball and writes feature stories for GoDeacs.com and WFU publications.
• Travels with sports teams to handle all media requests and assist in all social content coverage.
• Produces sport-specific media guides and record books. Maintains files of news clippings and photos pertaining to various sports events and projects relating to the intercollegiate athletics program. Fulfills background and historical requests concerning former student-athletes.
• Assists the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Communications & Content on staff management, football, and other sports and assignments as needed.
• Serves as part of the official statistics crew for select sports.
• Manages computer statistics program setup and monitors press row for athletic events.
• Works within the budgetary guidelines set up by the Communications office and assists the Senior Associate AD with budget management. Includes freelance photography budget planning and stat workers for all sports.
• Manages relationship with Learfield for co-branded/sponsorship content.
• Collaborates with Athletics staff on content strategy, process, and protocols to enhance the performance of Wake Forest Athletics social media accounts and branding.
• Executes growth and execution of the name, image, and likeness program, including content management and implementation of Teamworks/INFLCR partnership to ensure student-athletes have content available to build and grow their personal brands.
• Create synergy with athletics communications and their creative, fan experience, facility and operations, tickets sales, etc. colleagues.
• Participate as a member of the external team to assist with communications and marketing initiates to elevate fundraising, revenue generation and ticket sales.
• Writes and edits press releases, features stories for various publications on local, regional, and national level.
• Assist in supervising the management of the athletic department’s website (GoDeacs.com).
• Serves as the media liaison for men’s basketball and assists on other sports as needed, arranging media conferences and defining procedures for interviewing student-athletes, coaches, and administrators.
• Serves as liaison to campus colleagues in University Marketing & Communications and Campus Life for communication-related and content-specific promotions and ideation.
• Abides by all NCAA, ACC policies, and procedures.
• Works a variety of athletic events held on campus, including ACC and NCAA championship events as needed.
• Upholds Wake Forest Athletics branding guidelines and identity standards.
• Assists with photography, shooting, editing video, and creating graphics as needed.

Other Functions

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Required Education, Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Bachelor's degree with at least five years of directly related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Strong working knowledge of the Athletic Communications/sports information profession.
• Must be proficient in social media platforms promoting the athletic department and its individual sports programs.
• Ability to work evenings and weekends.
• Ability to travel as required.
• Valid driver license with good driving record; must be insurable.
• Medium work: exerting up to 50 pounds of force occasionally. Limited amount of lifting (boxes, monitors, etc.) and assembling required. Full range of physical activities. Close visual acuity. Subject to inside and outside environmental conditions.
• Knowledge of ACC and NCAA rules as they pertain to Athletic Communications/sports information.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including experience working with members of the media.
• Experience working with computer statistics software, such as Stat Crew and Automated Scorebook.
• Writing, editing, and proofreading skills with experience in preparing press releases.
• Proficiency in computer skills, including desktop publishing experience using Adobe Creative Suite or other relevant software packages; and Adobe Premiere Pro.

Accountabilities

• Supervises Assistant Directors of Communication.
• Supervises Post-Graduate communication interns.
• Manages student volunteers.