Director, Strategic & Creative Comms

Responsibilities
Guided by the overarching Athletics strategic plan, the employee will create and lead the planning and execution of digital content and communications specific to the Department’s Olympic Sports portfolio and the sports they are assigned to either execute or oversee.

This employee will exhibit proficiency in graphic design and video editing platforms. A specific output created, managed and updated by the employee is the Olympic Sports media plan - an overarching strategy that highlights how each sport will communicate to the variety of audiences. The Director will also supervise 1-2 staff members performing similar work and will provide direction, oversight, and guidance to them.

The Director will leverage his or her content creation skills specific to the medium of choice, intended audience to drive social media strategy and output for assigned sports in conjunction with the overarching media plan. This position will demonstrate competency in establishing relationships with key stakeholders involved with the sports they are assigned, including, but not limited to, media members, governing body heads, conference resources, NCAA employees, and sport-specific influencers and content strategists. These relationships will be critical in ensuring optimal coverage, attention, brand recognition, and publicization for external audiences.

This role requires collaborative work and sport-specific media plan leadership across the department, including with coaches, senior leaders and campus entities. Internally, there is an emphasis on integrating with other content creators, Athletics digital ecosystems directors, Cal Athletics fundraisers and game day entertainment. Other duties may include arranging and conducting interviews, maintaining and compiling records and statistics, and serving as a team historian for assigned sports.

Team and Employee Management

Supervise and manage 1–2 Assistant Directors, Strategic & Creative Communications, through directing and providing leadership to achieve the goals of the unit. Ensure that direct reports are meeting the demands of the unit and the department’s mission, and executing their job tasks expertly and efficiently. Responsible for human resources oversight of direct reports, such as recruitment, hiring, training, evaluations, etc.

Staff Integration within Olympic Sports

As a manager of staff, engage with all direct reports and critical members of the assigned Olympic Sports teams to assist the immersion of the unit into the team, its student-athletes, and coaches, all for the goal of sharing a consistent and exciting message for public consumption.

As a contributor, engage with all members of the assigned Olympic Sports teams to learn the student-athletes’ personalities, talents, and abilities, exploit coaches’ strengths for public consumption, identify sport influencers, and engage to broaden the message and identify and target critical audiences that can amplify the strategies of elevating the sport publicly.

Capture and Create Content Organization

As a supervisor, manage, organize, and track the content in support and in alignment with the Media plan.

As a contributor, extension, and critical player with the Olympic Sports team makeup, capture content (as needed) in support and in alignment with the Media plan. Content can be in all forms – video, visual, graphic, written, spoken, etc. Platforms include, but are not limited to, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premier, iMovie, etc.

Olympic Sport Media Plan Creation

For all supported Olympic sports by the staff, create, manage, communicate, and continue to revise a Media Plan template for staff to use. The media plan will highlight on a scheduled basis the flow of information, how communication will occur, cadence of messaging, types of required content, intended audiences and other key factors in publicizing the team.

Storytelling Integrator

Collaboratively work with the management group that oversees content creators, Athletics digital ecosystems directors, Cal Athletics fundraisers and game day entertainment employees to ensure strategy is being followed and the unit is in sync with others.

Keep a firm working knowledge of the overall strategy shared by these groups that in totality make up the external engine of Cal Athletics.

Strategic Communications Project Manager

Serve as the main trouble‑shooter, problem solver and the public’s management face for the unit and the Olympic sports in regards to all storytelling aspects.

Project manage requests, coverage, and alterations or additions to the media plan and maintain historical knowledge of each sport.

Required Qualifications

Strong background in managing staff members in a team environment promoting an established vision, direction and goals.

Ability to teach and train staff and create mechanisms for quick learning of key facets of college sports programs – including personnel, trends, participants, national landscape and critical audiences – and use that information to perform job responsibilities.

Creation and execution of sport‑specific storytelling strategies.

Creation and execution of a sport‑specific media plan that includes cadence of messaging, audiences, mediums, types of content, and schedules and support in its execution.

Ability to thrive in a flexible, fast‑paced and dynamic work environment.

Strong collaborator who is flexible in adjusting schedules, timelines, content, messaging, mediums, etc. to best fit the immediate and impactful needs of a sports program.

Strong digital media and content creation knowledge including strategies to use.

Proficient user of social media related to promoting teams and Athletics.

Previous experience using Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and other social media channels to tell stories on behalf of a sports team.

Knowledge of NCAA/Power 4 landscape, including recruiting cycles, NIL trends and student‑athlete retention drivers.

Working knowledge of concepts and principles of news and media communications.

Must maintain current knowledge of applicable rules and standards of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as well as other associations and agencies to which the Berkeley campus of the University of California adheres, and at all times avoid any and all violations of these rules and standards.

Strong time and project management skills.

Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously from concept through completion.

Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work effectively with a diverse client group.

Ability to multi‑task effectively; demonstrates sound judgment and decision‑making; is an effective problem solver and effectively communicates verbally and in writing.

Functional knowledge of the intercollegiate athletics function.

Bachelor’s degree in a related area and/or equivalent experience or training.

Salary & Benefits
For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website.

Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions, including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience.

The budgeted salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $75,000.00 – $105,000.00.

This is a full‑time (40 hours/week) career position eligible for UC Benefits.

This is an exempt, monthly‑paid position.

Equal Employment Opportunity
The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

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