ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICATIONS

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley; Edinburg (TX); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is seeking an Associate Athletic Director for Communications in Edinburg, TX. You will lead all athletic media relations, branding, and broadcasting efforts across ESPN+, regional networks, and Vaqueros Sports Network.

The role requires strong leadership, strategic planning, and collaboration with marketing and revenue units. You will supervise staff, manage budgets, and ensure consistency with university messaging across platforms.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.
• Four (4) years of professional experience in media relations and/or marketing, including supervisory experience.
• Experience in NCAA Division I or II institution preferred.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Basic HTML knowledge and familiarity with sports web and digital media tools.

Responsibilities

• Leads, plans, and executes all communication programs including media relations, creative services, athletic web page, radio, internet, and television broadcasts.
• Manages communications including media relations, sports information, print and electronic design and website development.
• Oversees broadcasts on ESPN+, NCAA networks and Vaqueros Sports Network; ensures sponsorship fulfillment.
• Develops athletics public relations plans for local, regional, and national exposure.
• Plans operating budget for sports information and communications activities.
• Hires, trains, and supervises staff; coordinates with University Marketing and Communications.

Skills

Media relations

Marketing

Supervisory experience

Budgeting

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

NCAA Live Stats

Adobe Creative Cloud

InDesign

Sidearm

Job description

ASSOCIATE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR FOR COMMUNICATIONS

Posting Number

SRGV9158

Number of Vacancies

1

Location

Edinburg, Texas

Department

Athletics

FLSA

Exempt

Scope of Job

Provides leadership, management, and oversight of all areas ofathletic media relations and broadcasting. Provides leadership andguidance for brand management, communications and media relations,and special events for the department. Responsible for thedevelopment of integrated creative strategies, planning, andexecution of all athletics communication programs.

Description of Duties

• Leads, plans, and executes all communication programs,including media relations, creative services, athletic web page,radio, internet, and television broadcasts.
• Manages communications including media relations, sportsinformation, print and electronic publication designs and websitedevelopment and management.
• Oversees all broadcasts, including ESPN+, SouthlandInternational, and English and Spanish radio broadcasts alongVaqueros Sports Network.
• Serves as part of a department's leadership team for theplanning, creation and execution of athletic communicationprograms. Ensures broadcast formats and game start times meet ESPNrequirements and collaborates with corporate sponsorships team toensure broadcast sponsorship fulfillment.
• Directs proper use of halftime shows to promote university andathletics objectives.
• Works closely with marketing and revenue generating units aspart of ExCom Executive Team.
• Directs postgame press conferences.
• Collaborates with athletics marketing on social mediausage.
• Coordinates with University Marketing and Communications onathletics communications with university-wide or broaderinstitutional impact to ensure consistency with universitymessaging and communication strategies.
• Assists in establishing overall athletics goals, objectives,and strategies as member of department senior staff.
• Ensures the image of the University's Athletics program isaligned with University goals.
• Regularly evaluates programs, assesses progress toward goals,and reports on results to the Sr. VP and Director ofAthletics.
• Acts as direct liaison to University's creative servicesdepartment, National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) andWestern Athletic Conference (WAC) communication and creativeservices areas, including the WAC Digital Network.
• Develops athletics public relations plan that focuses on local,regional, and national exposure opportunities through interactionwith local, regional, and national media to place/pitch stories andideas.
• Develops, monitors, and manages the operating budget for sportsinformation and communications activities to promoteathletics.
• Plans, implements, and supervises all media relation activitiesfor all athletic programs.
• Creates publications and promotions for athletic programs(i.e., media guides, game programs, etc.)
• Hires, trains and supervises all assigned staff.
• Develops, cultivates, and maintains working relationships withinternal/external departments/agencies and otherorganizations.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervision Received

General supervision from assigned supervisor.

Supervision Given

Specific supervision of assigned staff.

Required Education

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university.

Preferred Education

None.

Licenses/Certifications

None.

Required Experience

Four (4) years of professional experience in media relations and/ormarketing including previous administrative and supervisoryexperience.

Preferred Experience

Experience obtained in a NCAA Division I or Division IIinstitution.

Equipment

Use of standard office equipment.

Preferred: Experience with statistical software,including NCAA Live Stats, and Adobe Creative Cloud productsincluding InDesign, Photoshop, Premiere, and Audition. Basicknowledge of HTML code. Familiarity with Sidearm Sports webproducts.

Working Conditions

Needs to be able to successfully perform all required duties. Workis performed primarily in a general office environment. Some traveland constant weekend work is required. UTRGV is a distributedinstitution, which may require presence at multiple locationsthroughout the Rio Grande Valley.

As part of their essential duties, employees in these roles areexpected to maintain a consistent, in-person presence on campus attheir assigned locations. Limited exceptions may apply forpositions that are approved as hybrid or fully remote in accordancewith UTRGV policies.

Other

Must be a person of integrity with high educational standards whileexhibiting a strict adherence to NCAA, Conference, university andDepartment rules and regulations as well as a solid commitment toacademic integrity, student-athlete welfare, and any applicableNCAA standards. Excellent verbal and written communication skills.Strong writing, editing, computer and oral communicationskills.

Physical Capabilities

N/A

Employment Category

Full-Time

Minimum Salary

Commensurate with Experience

Posted Salary

Commensurate with Experience

Position Available Date

09/22/2026

Grant Funded Position

No

EEO Statement

It is the policy of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley to promote and ensure equal employment opportunities for all individuals without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information or protected veteran status. In accordance with the requirements of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended, our University is committed to comply with all government requirements and ensuresnon-discrimination in its education programs and activities, including employment. We encourage women, minorities and differently abled persons to apply for employment positions of interest.

Additional Information

UTRGV is a distributed location institution and working location is subject to change based on need.

All UTRGV employees are required to have a criminal background check (CBC). Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Substitutions to the above requirements must have prior approval from the VP of Human Resources.