Coordinator, Communications

San Jose Earthquakes Soccer; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The San Jose Earthquakes seek a Coordinator of Communications to join the Communications team, work with the Director and Manager to develop strategic plans, and manage day-to-day media operations for Earthquakes and PayPal Park, while expanding earned media coverage locally, nationally and internationally.

You will draft press releases, media advisories and game notes, pitch storylines to outlets, maintain archives, grow media relationships, and support PR for Earthquakes II and community

Qualifications

• 3-5 years of experience in sports communications, preferably in soccer.
• Strong writing with AP style; proven ability to craft press releases and game notes.
• Excellent media relationships and pitching skills.
• Collaborative team player capable of working across departments.
• Detail-oriented with strong organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and execute media relations strategies for Earthquakes and PayPal Park events.
• Draft and distribute press releases in English, media advisories, and game notes; proactively pitch storylines to outlets; manage media requests.
• Maintain and organize media and statistical archives, including photo archive and press materials like the Media Guide.
• Strengthen existing media relationships while expanding outreach to local, national and international contacts across outlets.
• Serve as communications support for all Earthquakes home and away matches, including travel to select road games.
• Manage matchday and weekly media operations—from press box setup and media availability coordination to postgame press conferences and credentialing.
• Lead PR initiatives for Earthquakes II MLS NEXT Pro, from press releases to match recaps to garnering earned media.
• Support PR initiatives for the Quakes Foundation and community relations activities.
• Track communications KPIs and provide regular reporting to leadership.
• Ability to work and travel non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays.

Skills

Media relations

Storytelling

Pitching

Relationship building

Team collaboration

Detail oriented

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Adobe InDesign

Adobe Photoshop

Canva

Google Docs

Job description

About The San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes have a mission to establish our home as the epicenter of American soccer by uniting Northern California with big dreams, big hustle and big impact.

About The San Jose Earthquakes

The San Jose Earthquakes have a mission to establish our home as the epicenter of American soccer by uniting Northern California with big dreams, big hustle and big impact.

About The Position

The Communications department serves as a key bridge for all departments in the front office—including Sporting, Marketing, Sponsorship, Creative and Social—to ensure communications are integrated into major initiatives, generate meaningful earned media coverage and shape unified stories that spotlight our club, players and coaches for fans, partners and the wider cultural landscape.

We are searching for a Coordinator of Communications who will work closely with the Director and Manager of Communications to help develop strategic plans and identify new media opportunities related to the San Jose Earthquakes and PayPal Park, manage day-to-day media operations and support the club’s objectives of a positive reputation, increased brand awareness and greater relevance in the local, national and international markets.

Who You Are

We are looking for people that want to hustle big.

• Hustle: Having the desire to authentically connect people, willing to always show up for our fans and having an innate pride in their work
• Big: Devoted to quality in execution, don’t be afraid to swing big and owning the result

Successful Candidates

The successful candidate will be a creative, organized, and resourceful person who will immerse themselves in our club culture to best comprehend how we want to be perceived and deemed relevant locally, nationally, and internationally. This person will be an excellent listener who understands the value of service and is just as proficient in taking orders as they are in giving them.

The ideal candidate thrives in both short-term pressure-packed deadlines as well as in long-term planning and execution of big ideas. This person takes initiative and anticipates/acts on tasks and issues before they materialize. If Plan A does not work, this candidate will have the resourcefulness to have Plan B and Plan C waiting in the wings. Collaborative and malleable, this candidate is a team player with a relentless work ethic adept at building relationships both externally with the media and internally with players, coaches and our front office.

Finally, the ideal candidate will have a deep understanding of how media ecosystems, mailing lists and credentialing work, as well as have an SID-like mind/approach when it comes to stats and game notes (with experience in broadcast or print/digital media a plus). Finally, this person loves the minutiae of grammar and syntax, has a breadth of writing skills with experience ranging from press releases and media advisories to features and club statements, and most of all, is not afraid to accept a challenge.

Job Competencies Include

• Detail-Oriented
• Emotional Intelligence and Interpersonal Awareness
• Building Collaborative Relationships
• Sense of Urgency
• Thoroughness
• Initiative
• Passionate
• Work Ethic
• Persistent

Responsibilities

• Work closely with the Director and Manager of Communications to build and execute robust media relations strategies for the San Jose Earthquakes and PayPal Park events.
• Draft and distribute press releases in English, media advisories, and game notes; proactively pitch storylines to targeted outlets; and help manage incoming media requests for players, coaches and staff.
• Maintain and organize media and statistical archives, including our photo archive and certain press materials like our annual Media Guide.
• Strengthen existing media relationships while expanding outreach to new local, national and international contacts across sports and non-sports outlets.
• Serve as communications support for all Earthquakes home and away matches, including potential travel to select road games.
• Manage matchday and weekly media operations—from press box setup and media availability coordination to postgame press conferences, the credentialing process for home matches and information distribution.
• Lead PR initiatives for our Earthquakes II MLS NEXT Pro team, from press releases and match recaps to garnering earned media when opportunities arise.
• Support PR initiatives for the Quakes Foundation and oversee communications needs tied to community relations activities.
• Track communications KPIs and performance results, providing regular reporting to leadership to guide strategic planning.
• Ability to work and travel non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends and holidays (this position will require working Earthquakes and PayPal Park events)

Qualifications

A proactive communications professional with at least 3-5 years of experience in sports, preferably within professional soccer. Additional experience in broadcast or print/digital media outlets is welcomed.

• Preexisting relationships with reporters across sports and entertainment media, with a knowledge of how the media ecosystem works.
• Skilled in developing compelling storylines for media, pitching to reporters, preparing spokespeople and managing inbound media requests.
• Strong relationship-builder and collaborative team player capable of working seamlessly with players, coaches, staff and departments across the Earthquakes’ front office.
• Relentless work ethic and initiative/resourcefulness to ensure tasks are completed and the ability to solve problems before they begin materializing.
• Demonstrated writing expertise, supported by samples such as press releases (AP Style), comprehensive game notes, articles, biographies and media guides.
• Meticulously attentive to detail and organized, as evidenced by labeling/sorting photos and other media assets.
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Canva and Google Docs.
• Spanish fluency preferred but not required.

This position is open only to candidates who are legally authorized to work in the United States. Employment eligibility documentation will be required at the time of hire.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.