POSITION IDENTIFICATION
TITLE Assistant Director, Athletics Communications
CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 5002
GRADE 42
CLASSIFICATION Exempt
IMMEDIATE SUPERVISON Assistant Director of Athletics - Communications
GENERAL FUNCTION
The Assistant Director, Athletics Communications is responsible for providing information to the public on specific and assigned men's and women's intercollegiate athletics programs, assists the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications with public relations activities within intercollegiate athletics, and serves as a liaison between intercollegiate athletics and the media as required. The Assistant Director, Athletics Communications assists in the development and distribution of various publications for men's and women's sports programs, helps develop and maintain an effective presence with web and social media, assists in the development of departmental policies and the administration of office functions, and supervises routine internal administrative management functions within the Athletics Communications Office.
MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS
Education: A Bachelor's degree is required, with an emphasis in English, Communications, Journalism, or Public Relations preferred.
Experience: Requires at least two years in a position performing related work, including positions of graduate assistant, intern, or student assistant, preferably in athletics communication at the college level. An understanding of and experience with web and social media is required. Experience in printing and publication design, and knowledge of radio and television sports broadcasting and production is preferred.
Skills: Management and supervisory skills, strong oral and written communication skills, and effective interpersonal skills, particularly in working with representatives from print and electronic media at the local, regional and national level, are required. Computer literacy, particularly in word processing, statistical software applications and desktop publishing programs, is required. Established sports journalism skills, particularly in the intercollegiate area, are required. The ability to develop knowledge of, respect for, and skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds is required.
Effort: Frequently required to lift and carry equipment and materials weighing up to 30 pounds.
Other: The scope of the position frequently requires extended workdays and work weeks, including weekends, and may include overnight, out-of-town travel, particularly during the fall and spring semesters to attend athletics events, league meetings, and workshops.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Ensures that information about the University's intercollegiate athletics programs is available to the public in a timely and effective manner by assisting in the planning, development, and execution of a comprehensive program of sports coverage which focuses on both competitive and non-competitive activities and includes information on student-athletes and teams in the University's intercollegiate athletics program.
2. Expands the opportunities for publicizing the University's intercollegiate athletics program by serving as a liaison between the University and the media, responding to requests from the media for information regarding individuals and teams, initiating communications, as appropriate, with the media and providing information which could result in additional coverage of athletics, and coordinating media needs and reporting functions for assigned events so that material for publication or broadcast is available as desired.
3. Works with event coverage and promotion by performing duties as assigned in the area of game analysis commentary on radio and/or television game broadcasts of University athletic events.
4. Provides a comprehensive package of materials for public dissemination by assisting in the planning, development, and distribution of publications for men's and women's sports, including annual media guides for each sport which contain schedules, rosters, statistics, results, records, season outlook, and sketches on individual student-athletes, individual event programs containing an update of the material published in the respective media guides, schedule cards, schedule posters, ticket flyers, newsletters, alumni publications, special event publications, and post‑season media guides.
5. Assists with a comprehensive and timely presence on the internet, including social media, for Missouri State University Intercollegiate Athletics programs.
6. Ensures that necessary individual and team statistical data for University teams and their opponents are gathered and disseminated through regular sports information channels by staffing athletics events with sports information personnel at competitive events hosted by the University, and staffing or providing liaison, as necessary, for those competitive events which occur away from the University.
7. Assists in the maintenance of a close and effective working relationship between the Athletics Communications Office and coaches and other staff personnel within intercollegiate athletics by establishing priorities for completion of tasks in the wide variety of areas in which Athletics Communications interacts with coaches and other staff personnel and ensuring that Athletics Communications’ response to requests for assistance from Athletics is prompt, thorough, and effective within the framework of established priorities.
8. Promotes a positive image of the University by responding to inquiries and requests for materials from individuals and organizations and formulating replies or providing materials appropriate and consistent with University policies and guidelines and presented in a manner favorable to the University and serving as a spokesperson for the University on athletics related matters, regarding both University teams and other activities within the University's intercollegiate athletics community.
9. Ensures that major special events such as the University Athletic Hall of Fame inductions, annual All-Sports Auction, graduation, academic honors for student-athletes, major conference and national event participation by University teams, and other special events reflect positively on the University by conducting research of records to identify and verify the accomplishments of teams and individuals, writing scripts for speeches or public announcements, and providing background material which lend an historical significance and perspective to the accomplishments of current events.
10. Supervises management of the daily operations of the Athletics Communications Office by assigning internal work to meet routine administrative requirements, monitoring the completion of assigned activity responsibilities, and evaluating progress toward achievement of established goals and objectives.
11. Promotes a positive image of the University through maintaining credible relations with various news media and other collegiate athletics communications offices.
12. Abides by and complies with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and Missouri Valley Conference rules, academic standards, requirements, and policies of the University, and all guidelines and policies of the Athletics department and reports any concerns of compromise or violation of rules, standards, guidelines or policies to the Director of Athletics or the Associate Director of Athletics for Compliance.
13. Contributes to a work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with those of other cultures or backgrounds.
14. Maintains competency and professional currency through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed by the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications.
15. Contributes to the overall success of the Intercollegiate Athletics by performing all other duties and responsibilities as assigned.
SUPERVISION
The Assistant Director, Athletics Communications is supervised by the Assistant Director of Athletics for Communications and supervises clerical, graduate assistant, and student employees.
OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES
REVISED MARCH 2021
