Graduate Assistant, Strategic Communications

General Description:
Assist in the publicity, promotion and brand advancement of the University of Tennessee’s 20 Division I varsity athletic programs, with a detailed focus on strategic communications. Work closely with local and national media in promoting Tennessee Athletics while helping to execute the department’s digital, social and storytelling strategy. This position will report to the Associate Athletic Directors for Strategic Communications but will be mentored by the entire strategic communications staff in preparation for a successful, achievement‐oriented career in strategic communications, media relations and/or public relations.

Duties and Responsibilities:

·         Serve as the primary strategic communications contact for assigned Tennessee Olympic sport(s) programs.

·         Serve as the secondary strategic communications contact for the men’s or women’s basketball program as assigned.

·         Develop and execute multi-faceted promotional strategies for Tennessee’s athletic programs and/or individuals.

·         Collaborate closely with local, regional and national media outlets and Tennessee’s creative team to pitch and execute story ideas promoting teams and individual student-athletes.

·         Maintain and execute a social media content calendar for assigned Olympic sport(s) and serve as the publisher for respective sport(s) platforms.  

·         Facilitate media interview requests with head coach, assistant coaches and student-athletes for assigned Olympic sport(s) and assist with interview requests for basketball.

·         Ensure accurate and up-to-date information—including bios, rosters, schedules, statistics, press releases—is published daily via UTsports.com and sport-specific social media platforms.

·         Maintain statistical records and provide real-time data entry during live events.

·         Help manage media relations logistics associated with selected athletic events, including assigned sport(s), men’s or women’s basketball, football, baseball and NCAA postseason events hosted by Tennessee.

·         Assist with the training and mentoring of the strategic communications undergraduate intern staff.

·         Must be willing to work/travel on nights and weekends.

·         Complete other duties as assigned by the strategic communications staff.

Required Qualifications:

Education:
Bachelor’s degree required. Preferred majors include journalism, public relations, communications, sports management or a related field of study.

Experience:
At least two years of previous experience in a collegiate strategic communications/media relations office, professional sports franchise or comparable work environment. It’s preferable that candidates have previous experience as a primary or secondary sport contact at the NCAA or professional level.

Competencies/Skills:

·         Demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking and strong public relations sensibilities.

·         Strong writing and verbal communication skills.

·         Basic working familiarity with NCAA LiveStats and/or Stat Crew software.

·         Ability to create compelling and engaging social media content with strong knowledge of social media platforms.

·         Advanced knowledge of PC and Apple computers.

·         Basic HTML coding ability.

·         Basic graphic creation and video-editing skills.

·         Knowledge of Adobe Creative Cloud, including Adobe InDesign and Photoshop, and SIDEARM digital platform.

·         Ability to cultivate and maintain positive personal relationships with internal and external constituencies.

·         Basic working knowledge and familiarity with NCAA rules.

·         Strong multi-tasking abilities.

Position Details:

Start Date:
Aug. 1, 2025

Financial Aid:
Full financial aid will be provided for tuition, fees and books. Student health insurance is also provided through Student Health Services. A monthly stipend of $2,250 is also provided, as are complimentary tickets for home football and basketball games. Housing is not covered.

Applicants must be accepted into and attend graduate school.

To Apply:
Please email a detailed letter of interest, résumé, links to work samples, and contact information for three professional references by March 21, 2025, to Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications Bill Martin (billmartin@tennessee.edu) and Executive Associate Athletics Director of Brand Advancement/Chief Communications Officer Jason Baum (jbaum@tennessee.edu).