Assistant Strategic Communications Director

Purdue Athletics is looking for a driven, energetic and creative person to join its team and serve as Assistant Strategic Communications Director. The successful candidate will guide strategic communications responsibilities for assigned Purdue University sport programs - Women's Soccer and Softball - creating goals and executing initiatives to maintain and strengthen ‎the overall image of the Purdue Boilermakers. This role is responsible for publicity efforts, media relations, social media execution and brand visibility for assigned sport programs. The individual will collaborate with the Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Communications to support sport coaches, student-athletes and department personnel, manage and fulfill external media requests and other customer needs. This person will also provide direction and supervision for student assistants, game day support ‎staff and others to ensure all conference, NCAA and other reporting and operational standards are met and information is ‎accurate. 

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Manage day-to-day publicity and outreach, including social media, web and other forms of communication, for assigned Purdue sport programs, while also assisting in efforts to impact overall departmental goals. Duties include management of social media, daily and weekly media relations efforts, drafting and posting of press releases, webpage design and maintenance, writing and editing of printed and digital publications, media counseling of coaches and student-athletes, and proactive planning and execution of comprehensive media strategies to position program(s) in the most positive manner.

• Work with marketing staff, creative services personnel, event management, facility operations, on-site television, video or radio production staff, visiting coaches, and visiting communications staff (and others) to ensure that home games, other events and outreach initiatives are enjoyable for event participants, fans and the public, and best represent student-athletes, coaches, sport programs, and Purdue University.

• Assist in overall communications, publicity and branding efforts for the athletics department in collaboration with fellow communications staff, marketing personnel, John Purdue Club staff and the creative services department.

• Travel with assigned sport programs, as needed and when necessary, to execute prescribed duties. Provide supporting coverage, as needed, throughout strategic communications department.

• Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Journalism, English, Sport Management or related field of study preferred.

• 2 years of experience in sports information/athletics communications in a university or conference office setting or sports reporting for a newspaper, magazine, radio, television or other media outlet.

The Purdue Boilermakers, an NCAA Division I athletics department and member of the Big Ten Conference, are proud representatives of Purdue University, based in West Lafayette, Indiana. With 18 sports programs, the department maintains an annual purpose of producing a championship-caliber organization that values integrity, mutual respect, belief in hard work, teamwork and commitment to inclusiveness. Above all else, the Boilermakers possess the courage to lead, in competition, in the classroom and in the community.