Senior Associate Athletics Director - Communications

Job Description

The Senior Associate Athletics Director for Communications leads the development and execution of Vanderbilt University’s Athletics Communications strategy. This leader ensures all athletics storytelling, media relations, and engagement strategies advance Vanderbilt’s institutional goals and reflect the excellence and distinctiveness of the university’s athletics experience. This role also serves as the communications alignment lead between the university’s Division of Communications and Marketing (MarComm) and the Athletics Department.

As both strategist and team leader, the Senior Associate Athletics Director oversees a talented team of professionals responsible for shaping and sharing the Vanderbilt Athletics narrative across local, national, and digital platforms. The role combines creative direction with operational leadership—translating institutional priorities into clear communications strategies that amplify the university’s values, athletic achievements, and the student-athlete experience.

Equally important, the Senior Associate Athletics Director provides decisive leadership for the department’s people and culture—developing talent, elevating performance, and shaping the next generation of athletics communications professionals.

Key Responsibilities and Expected Performance

Strategic Leadership and Alignment

• Lead Athletics Communications, guiding strategy and execution across media relations, content, digital storytelling, and engagement

• Partner closely with MarComm and Athletics leadership to align athletics communications with Vanderbilt’s broader reputation, brand, and institutional priorities

• Position Vanderbilt Athletics as a nationally recognized, “one-of-one” brand by identifying storytelling opportunities that highlight the unique combination of academic excellence, competitive success, and Nashville’s dynamic setting and leverage this content across all channels

• Provide senior counsel to Athletics and university leaders on communications strategies, issues management, and brand positioning

• Create and manage a thought-leadership platform for the Athletic Director, including strategic messaging, national speaking opportunities, opinion pieces, and media engagement that reinforce Vanderbilt’s differentiated position

• Develop and sustain strong, collaborative relationships with the head coaches of all 17 varsity sports to ensure alignment and elevation of individual team differentiators, success, identity, and recruiting priorities

• Collaborate closely with the leadership and staff of the National Commodore Club and Development and Alumni Relations staff to develop storytelling and content strategies that advance fundraising priorities

• Lead the strategy and submission process for national awards recognizing Vanderbilt student-athletes, coaches, and programs, elevating the university’s visibility and competitive profile

• Collaborate closely with Athletics’ NIL function and sponsorship partners to align storytelling related to individual student athletes when appropriate

   

Team Leadership and Talent Development

• Lead, inspire, and manage a team of athletics communications professionals, fostering a collaborative, creative, and high-performance culture

• Establish clear goals and performance expectations, ensuring alignment with both Athletics and university priorities

• Provide mentorship, coaching, and growth opportunities for staff, preparing them for leadership roles in collegiate and professional sports communications

• Build systems for professional development, performance feedback, and recognition
   

Communications Strategy and Execution

• Develop and oversee integrated communications strategies for Athletics that strengthen Vanderbilt’s reputation, deepen and expand fan and donor engagement, and support key revenue-generating initiatives while highlighting the holistic student-athlete experience

• Drive proactive national media positioning, securing high-impact coverage around program milestones, coaching leadership, institutional differentiators, and student-athlete success in partnership with MarComm’s public relations and content teams

• Guide content planning and storytelling across Athletics owned, earned, and social media platforms, ensuring alignment with the Vanderbilt brand framework

• Partner with MarComm’s creative and digital teams, and MarComm’s and Athletics’ marketing teams to deliver integrated campaigns that elevate Athletics and university storytelling for surge opportunities
   

Program and Operations Management

• Set strategic priorities and measurable goals for the Athletics Communications team; track and analyze performance data to inform ongoing improvements

• Strengthen Vanderbilt Athletics’ digital presence by leveraging analytics, emerging platforms, and influencer engagement, and by partnering with Athletics Marketing to lead a phased overhaul of the Athletics website that enhances usability, storytelling, and fan engagement

• Lead a creative and editorial operation that functions as Athletics’ in-house agency, providing strategic communications, content development, and marketing support for both Athletics Marketing and Athletics Development and Alumni Relations

• Oversee core sport-by-sport communications operations, including statistics and records management, game notes and recaps, historical documentation, game-day media coordination, and pre- and post-game press operations for all varsity programs

• Manage budget, resources, and staffing for the Athletics Communications function

• Partner with colleagues across Athletics, Development and Alumni Relations, and MarComm to ensure cross-unit collaboration, resource sharing, and alignment with institutional campaigns

• Stay current on best practices and emerging trends in collegiate athletics, media, and digital communications
   

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree is necessary; degree in communications, journalism, marketing, or a related field preferred

• Master’s degree or advanced professional credential preferred

• 10+ years of relevant experience in communications, journalism, or sports media is necessary

• Minimum 5 years leading and managing communications teams required; experience developing early-career professionals preferred

• Demonstrated success in athletics communications at the collegiate or professional level strongly preferred

• Proven track record building and executing integrated communications strategies that drive visibility and engagement

• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with the ability to motivate teams and foster cross-functional collaboration

• Excellent writing, editing, and storytelling skills; sound judgment and discretion in high-stakes environments

• Demonstrated ability to lead through change, balance multiple priorities, and deliver results under pressure