Associate Director of Athletics, Communications

Key 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.

Qualifications & Requirements

• 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