Assistant Director of External Communications

NCAA; Indianapolis (IN); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A collegiate sports organization is seeking an Assistant Director of External Communications to manage media outreach strategies and assist with issues management. The role involves writing press releases, planning media pitches, and collaborating on stories. The ideal candidate has a Bachelor's degree and at least 3 years of experience in communications or public relations. This position is hybrid with a mix of on-site and remote work.

Qualifications

• High school diploma or equivalent; Bachelor's strongly preferred.
• 3+ years of experience in communications or public relations.
• Proven ability to work with media and manage multiple tasks.
• Excellent writing and ability to produce materials targeted to specific audiences.
• Proven collaboration in a high-pressure environment.
• Understanding of social media and media relations.
• Ability to work with members of the media.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Knowledge of higher education and collegiate athletics.
• Willingness to travel up to 20%.
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana; Hybrid work schedule (3 days in office, 2 remote).

Responsibilities

• Plan media pitches on important NCAA news and issues.
• Collaborate with staff on potential storylines.
• Write press releases and maintain communication plans.
• Write press releases, news stories and talking points.
• Support development and maintenance of strategic communications plans.
• Serve as the primary contact for daily media clip service and oversee reporting/contract management.
• Support NCAA executives' media engagements at events.
• Prepare NCAA executives and staff as they interact with media.
• Provide governance support as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Skills

Excellent writing skills

Strong organizational skills

Strong communication skills

Demonstrated understanding of media relations

Ability to collaborate in high-pressure environments

Knowledge of higher education and collegiate athletics

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Knowledge of higher education

Branding & messaging

Education

Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, or related field

High school diploma or equivalent

Tools

Asana

Job description

Assistant Director of External Communications

Join to apply for the Assistant Director of External Communications role at NCAA.

This position is responsible for managing various media outreach strategies of the Association, assisting in the Association’s issues management and content generation efforts. The candidate will be proactively pitching storylines to media, tracking work in our Asana project management system, and collaborating with championships staff on potential stories and issues.

Job Responsibilities

• Proactively plan media pitches on news and issues that are important to the NCAA.
• Collaborate with championships staff, including media coordination and statistics, on potential storylines and issues on site at championships.
• Facilitate responses to media inquiries on issues from across college sports and maintain an organized catalog of responses to help with cross-team collaboration.
• Write press releases, news stories and talking points.
• Support the development and maintenance of strategic communications plans.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for daily media clip service, including overseeing the reporting and contract management.
• Support NCAA executive engagements with media at events including championships and other appearances.
• Prepare NCAA executives and staff as they interact with media.
• Provide governance support as needed.
• Other duties as assigned.

Job Requirements

• Education Requirement: High school diploma or equivalent. Bachelor’s degree strongly preferred in communications, journalism, English, public relations or related field.
• At least 3 years of experience.
• Excellent writing skills and proven ability to produce materials targeted toward specific audiences.
• Demonstrated ability/willingness to collaborate in a high-pressure environment.
• Demonstrated understanding of social media.
• Demonstrated understanding of media relations.
• Proven ability to work with members of the media.
• Proven ability to manage multiple tasks and tight deadlines.
• Strong organizational skills.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Knowledge of higher education and collegiate athletics, including current issues.
• Understanding of the overall branding and messaging goals of the NCAA.
• Estimated Travel Required: < 20%.
• Location: Indianapolis, Indiana. Hybrid work environment: 3 days in the office and 2 days remote.

Seniority level

Not Applicable

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Administrative

Key Competencies

• Teamwork | Can effectively work together with other people and collaborate to achieve a common goal or to complete a task in the most effective and efficient way.
• Attention to Detail | Allocates cognitive resources to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing tasks, no matter how small or large.
• Effective Communication | Can exchange ideas, thoughts, opinions, knowledge, and data so that the message is understood with clarity and purpose.
• Stakeholder Focus | Is dedicated to meeting the expectations and requirements of internal and external stakeholders, gets first-hand stakeholder information and uses it for improvements in products and services, acts with stakeholders in mind, establishes and maintains effective relationships with stakeholders and gains their trust and respect through honesty, integrity, authenticity, and inclusivity.
• Flexibility | Is open to change and new information; rapidly adapts to new information, changing conditions, or unexpected obstacles.

Core Values

• LEADERSHIP | We actively listen and continually strive to provide vital solutions, counsel and advocacy for student-athletes and intercollegiate athletics.
• INCLUSION | We seek and incorporate different perspectives and experiences to drive innovation and impact.
• COMMUNICATION | We commit to an environment of openness to build trust and make timely decisions.
• COLLABORATION | We work together, based on mutual respect, to lead and serve our stakeholders.
• ACCOUNTABILITY | We take ownership for our actions and results to add value every day.

Equal Opportunity Employer

This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.