Assistant Director of Strategic Communications

Position Overview

Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics, a Division I Big Ten Conference member, invites applications for the role of Assistant Director of Strategic Communications. This full-time role, based at University Park, Pennsylvania, requires overseeing strategic communications primarily for the women's soccer and softball teams and secondarily for men's basketball, with assignments potentially changing.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead communications, public relations, media relations, and creative content strategies for assigned teams.
• Collaborate to develop and implement student-athlete branding initiatives.
• Create engaging storytelling through features, photos, videos, and other content for team social media and websites.
• Maintain team online record books and generate news releases and feature articles.
• Manage media requests strategically to support department goals.
• Coordinate social media activities aligned with organizational objectives.
• Provide staffing support at home and selected away events.
• Supervise student assistants, statistician crews, and additional event support personnel.

Qualifications

• Experience in communications or public relations relevant to the role.
• Strong organizational and communication capabilities.
• Understanding of NCAA regulations and compliance.
• Highly motivated, creative, and able to work independently.
• Proficient in Adobe Creative Cloud Suite, including InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere, and Spark.
• Familiarity with website content management systems.
• Experienced with social media platforms and Statcrew/NCAA Live Stats.
• Skilled in photography, video capture, and editing techniques.

Educational Requirements

A bachelor’s degree, preferably in journalism, public relations, or a related field, with at least one year of experience or an equivalent education-experience combination.

Additional Information

• Background checks are mandatory following University protocols.
• The grade-based salary range spans $49,188 to $71,340 annually.
• Penn State offers comprehensive benefits including medical, dental, vision, retirement plans, paid leave, holidays, and a 75% tuition discount for employees and their families.
• The University adheres to equal opportunity employment policies and values diversity, inclusion, and community belonging.
• Applicants requiring accommodation in the application process should contact the designated phone number.