Associate Director of Athletics, Communications at Brown University | Providence, RI

Brown University

Associate Director of Athletics, Communications

Providence, RI (On-site)

Salary Not AvailableSenior Level4+ years expFull time

Posted 6 weeks ago

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Job Summary

Own the athletics communications function with end-to-end ownership of strategy, media relations, and cross‑platform storytelling that protect reputation and engage campus, media, and fans.

Strategic Communications: Shape brand positioning, messaging, and multi‑platform storytelling across traditional media, digital channels, and campus audiences.
Media Relations and Public Presence: Build and maintain relationships with local and national media, coaches, student‑athletes, staff, and alumni to surface compelling stories.
Operations and Leadership: Oversee communications, production, content creation, and broadcasting with direct reports and cross‑functional collaboration, aligning with institutional priorities.

Job Description

Responsibilities

Lead strategic communications planning, including brand positioning, public messaging, issues management, and crisis communications.
Partner closely with the Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Chief of Staff and Athletics senior leadership to anticipate multiple scenarios, manage complex issues, and protect institutional reputation.
Ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment across all communications platforms and public-facing content.
Serve as a key ambassador for the Division, cultivating strong relationships with local and national media, campus leadership, coaches, student-athletes, staff, alumni, and external organizations.
Direct all internal and external communications activities, including media outreach, press releases, feature storytelling, executive messaging, talking points, and fact sheets.
Identify and amplify compelling stories and achievements through coordinated, multi-platform content strategies leveraging traditional media, digital communications, social media, broadcast, and emerging platforms.
Provide leadership and strategic oversight for the communications, production, content creation, and broadcasting functions within Athletics, including direct supervision of staff and related personnel.
Develop long-term operational and staffing strategies, including professional development, workflow management, and cross-functional collaboration.
Collaborate with the internal marketing team, Brown Sports Properties (Learfield), the Brown University Sports Foundation, and other campus partners to ensure cohesive branding and audience engagement.
Serve as the primary liaison with Brown’s central Office of University Communications to align with broader institutional priorities.

Requirements

Education and Experience
Bachelor’s degree in Communications, Marketing, or related field
4+ years of progressive experience in media relations or strategic communications.
Documented track record of managing high-stakes social media and national press campaigns.
Proven track record of leadership in sports information, athletic communications, public relations, or a related field (experience in a collegiate athletics environment preferred).
Extensive experience navigating intellectual property, copyright, and marketing permissions.

Benefits

Please review additional information on the Benefits of Working at Brown.

Brown University

Located in historic Providence, Rhode Island and founded in 1764, Brown University is the seventh-oldest college in the United States. Brown is an independent, coeducational Ivy League institution comprising undergraduate and graduate programs, plus the Alpert Medical School, School of Public Health, School of Engineering, and the School of Professional Studies.With its talented and motivated student body and accomplished faculty, Brown is a leading research university that maintains a particular commitment to exceptional undergraduate instruction. Brown’s vibrant, diverse community consists of about 6,200 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, 490 medical school students, more than 5,000 summer, visiting, and online students, and over 700 faculty members.Brown students come from all 50 states and more than 115 countries. Undergraduates pursue bachelor’s degrees in more than 70 concentrations, ranging from Egyptology to cognitive neuroscience. Anything’s possible at Brown—the university’s commitment to undergraduate freedom means students must take responsibility as architects of their courses of study.Brown University has 51 doctoral programs and 28 master’s programs. The broad scope of options vary from interdisciplinary opportunities in molecular pharmacology and physiology to a master’s program in acting and directing through the Brown/Trinity Repertory Consortium.Around the world, nearly 90,000 Brown alumni are - in the words of Brown’s charter - leading lives of “usefulness and reputation” in every imaginable field of endeavor. Through events around the globe, reunions on campus, career resources, a host of online connections, and other services, the Brown Alumni Association fosters and supports a vibrant alumni community, wherever its members may be.

Providence, Rhode Island, USA

11K employees (603 in marketing)

www.brown.edu