Associate Athletic Director for Sports Information and Communication

Job description

Job Description Department: Athletics Communications Pay Rate Type: Salary Employee Type: Job Summary: Colby is a member of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) and has 32 intercollegiate sports that compete at the Division III level. The department also includes the campus recreation program and hosts a variety of club and intramural sports. More than one-third of Colby’s 2,200 students participate in intercollegiate sports and, in total, nearly three-quarters are involved in fitness and recreation activities in the department. With an investment of over $250 million into Athletics in the last decade, Colby’s state-of-the-art athletics complex makes the facilities on Mayflower Hill a benchmark for all Division III institutions across the country. The Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center is the central hub of Colby athletics. The 350,000 square-foot athletics center includes basketball and volleyball courts, an indoor track and field competition center, aquatic center with Maine’s first 50-meter pool, squash center, hockey arena, a tri-level strength and fitness center, training rooms, and coaching suites. Additionally, the College opened a 70-acre-plus outdoor competition center that consists of eight competition and recreational fields that are also among the finest outdoor venues in Division III. The College has seen dramatic improvement in the Learfield Director’s Cup standings since the opening of the Harold Alfond Athletics and Recreation Center, elevating to the top-6% of Division III institutions in the yearly standings. An additional distinguishing feature of Colby College’s Athletic Department is its Peak Performance Program, a comprehensive high-performing model designed to optimize student well-being and performance. Peak Performance integrates sports medicine, strength and conditioning, sports psychology, nutrition and sports sciences. Located in central Maine, the College has incredible access to other outdoor venues such as the Belgrade Lakes and Sugarloaf Mountain Resort, one of the premier ski destinations on the east coast. The Associate Athletic Director for Sports Information & Communications serves as a senior communications strategist and administrator for the Department of Athletics. Reporting directly to the Deputy AD for Competitive Excellence, this executive role assists the Deputy AD in leading all external communications, media relations, digital content, broadcast/media rights, crisis response, and brand protection for the department while providing direct oversight and supervision to full-time Associate AD for Sports Information & Communications and media specialists. The hiring range for this position is $65,000 - $70,000. Essential Functions To be successful in this position, an individual should be able to perform the essential duties and bring the education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities that support the role. This list of duties is intended to be representative rather than exhaustive, and additional responsibilities may be assigned as needed. Lead and mentor communications staff—including the Assistant Athletic Director, digital content creators, and broadcast directors—fostering a culture of accountability and innovation. Serve as the primary media and communications contact for assigned varsity programs, managing all press box / scorer’s table operations, statistical crews, live video streaming, webcast broadcasts, and social media coverage for home, away, and postseason contests. Represent the college and athletic department on NESCAC conference communication committees, NCAA regional/national committees, and collegiate sports communicators associations. Assist the Deputy AD in partnering with Campus Communications, General Counsel, and senior leadership to direct crisis communications, sensitive issue management, and high-profile messaging (e.g., coaching searches, roster updates). Assist the Deputy AD for Sports Information & Communications with Mule Weekly Recap and other primary projects throughout the academic year as assigned Assist the Deputy AD and support assigned head coaches in proactively identifying storytelling opportunities and managing their sport-specific web, and media interview needs. Assist the Deputy AD in managing department brand identity and overseeing marks and logos Manage live statistical capture and ensure full compliance in reporting accurate box scores and season statistics to NESCAC conference office and the NCAA within mandated deadlines. Utilize Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Express, InDesign) and video editing suites to create high-impact social media graphics, video highlights, and promotional materials. Maintain exemplary standards of professionalism, integrity, and customer-service-oriented interaction with student-athletes, coaches, visiting teams, media outlets, and campus partners across the college community. Collaborate effectively with other Department of Athletics’ team members Demonstrate an active understanding of and commitment to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce and athletic culture supporting overall college success. Perform additional duties as assigned; duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice. Position Qualifications Education and/or experience :' Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred Require 5+ years of progressive leadership experience in athletics communications, sports information, media relations, and marketing with preferred experience in personnel management Outstanding oral and written communications skills and attention to detail Strong self-initiative and ability to multitask in a fast-paced environment with tight deadlines Aptitude for collaborating with others and maintaining positive working relationships with staff, coaches, administrators and campus colleagues Must be able to work independently and exercise judgment with minimal supervision Strong attention to detail and a commitment to delivering Ability to work evenings and weekends on a regular basis based on game schedules and travel as required Experience with Photoshop, Adobe Express and other graphic design programs desired Valid driver’s license required and must meet the College’s Fleet Safety Policy requirements Physical/Mental Demands The physical demands and work environment characteristics described herein are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform essential functions of this position and/or may be encountered while performing essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. To successfully perform the essential functions of this position, an employee must be able to maintain appropriate confidentiality with regard to employee data, documents, issues, etc., and respect privacy needs of employees and past employees with regard to the same. The ability to comply with highly inflexible deadlines is required to successfully perform the essential functions of this position; there will be multiple occurrences of sudden, urgent task completion required. There may be occurrences of employees, past employees, members of the general public, and others who express opinions, may exhibit strong emotions, which will require the employee to interact professionally, diplomatically, and appropriately in such situations. While performing the essential duties of this position, an employee would frequently be required to move around on grass, turf, courts, gymnasium, and training rooms. There may be multiple/daily instances of prolonged personal computer use which would include keyboard and/or mouse usage as well as viewing a computer monitor. An employee must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds to perform essential position functions. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and ability to adjust focus. The overall work environment requires the mental ability to shift focus quickly due to interruptions; an employee must be able to mentally track multiple projects and tasks as well. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate; however, there may be unexpected instances of somewhat loud sounds. Frequent travel and early morning/evening/weekend work is required. Colby College supports the Americans with Disabilities Act and is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position. To Apply: Interested candidates should apply electronically by clicking the “Apply Now” button on the Colby College website. Please upload a cover letter and resume to your application.