Senior Associate Athletics, Chief Marketing Officer

About the role

Syracuse University Athletics is seeking a bold, innovative, and fan-centric leader to serve as Senior Associate Athletics Director, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership & Brand Development
• Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise-wide marketing, branding, fan engagement, and storytelling strategy aligned with the vision and goals of Syracuse Athletics.
• Serve as the department’s lead strategist for audience growth, fan experience innovation, and brand positioning.
• Elevate the Syracuse Athletics brand nationally through innovative campaigns, digital storytelling, live entertainment concepts, and content strategy.
• Build a modern, experience-driven approach to college athletics marketing focused on atmosphere, emotion, culture, and authentic fan connection.
• Collaborate with athletics leadership, campus partners, and external stakeholders to align messaging and maximize institutional impact.
• Fan Experience, Atmosphere & Game Presentation
• Lead the strategic vision for all in-venue entertainment, game presentation, and fan experience initiatives across all athletic venues, with an emphasis on football and basketball.
• Reimagine the JMA Wireless Dome experience & atmosphere through cutting-edge entertainment concepts, technology integration, lighting, audio, video, traditions, student engagement, and crowd activation.
• Create immersive, high-energy game environments that redefine the standard for college athletics entertainment and home-field advantage.
• Oversee game presentation strategy including music direction, scripting, pacing, promotions, halftime entertainment, crowd engagement, and in-game activations.
• Develop initiatives designed to create one of the premier student sections and home-field advantages in college athletics.
• Build fan-first experiences that increase attendance, loyalty, student participation, retention, and game-day energy.
• Marketing, Revenue Generation & Audience Growth
• Oversee all athletics marketing strategies designed to increase ticket sales, attendance, premium experiences, sponsorship value, and revenue generation.
• Collaborate with ticket sales, development, NIL, sponsorship, and premium seating units to drive integrated revenue initiatives.
• Utilize CRM, analytics, fan insights, and consumer behavior trends to inform strategic decision-making.
• Lead advertising strategy, media buying, promotional planning, and audience acquisition efforts across digital, broadcast, print, and experiential channels.
• Collaborate with merchandise, licensing, and brand management partners to ensure consistency, alignment, and strategic growth of the Syracuse Athletics brand across all consumer touchpoints.
• Develop measurable KPIs and performance metrics for marketing effectiveness, fan engagement, and audience growth.
• Digital Media, Creative Services & Communications
• Oversee digital media, social media, creative services, branding, photography, videography, athletics communications, and content strategy.
• Establish a unified and innovative storytelling strategy across all Syracuse Athletics platforms.
• Drive innovation in behind-the-scenes content, athlete storytelling, digital engagement, and emerging media platforms.
• Ensure consistency in visual identity, messaging, and brand standards across all sports and units.
• Collaborate with broadcast partners, the ACC, and external media partners to maximize visibility and exposure.
• Leadership & Personnel Management
• Provide leadership, supervision, and strategic direction for marketing, fan experience, creative services, communications, digital media, and related external units.
• Recruit, mentor, and develop high-performing, creative, and collaborative teams.
• Foster a culture of innovation, urgency, accountability, and fan-centric thinking.
• Manage departmental budgets and staffing plans for assigned units.
• External Relations & Collaboration
• Represent Syracuse Athletics with campus leadership, media partners, conference offices, sponsors, vendors, and community stakeholders.
• Collaborate with campus units including Newhouse, Falk, Whitman, and Enrollment Marketing to develop innovative partnerships and experiential learning opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, sports management, business, entertainment management, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7+ years of progressive experience in sports marketing, branding, fan experience, communications, live event production, entertainment, digital media, or related industries.
• Preferred qualifications - master’s degree in related field.
• Experience in Power Four athletics, professional sports, live entertainment, media, agency, or major event production environments.
• Experience driving measurable revenue growth through marketing, fan engagement, and audience development initiatives.
• Knowledge of emerging trends in sports entertainment, digital media, fan behavior, content monetization, and live event presentation.
• Experience working collaboratively across ticketing, sponsorship, NIL, fundraising, premium seating, and revenue generation functions.
• Demonstrated ability to create innovative student engagement and atmosphere-building initiatives.

Skills and Knowledge

• Demonstrated success leading innovative fan engagement, branding, content, or live entertainment strategies.
• Experience leading teams and managing complex, high-profile projects or initiatives.
• Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to think creatively, execute with urgency, and thrive in a fast-paced, high-expectation environment.

Benefits

Not specified.

Pay

$118,000 - $150,000

Schedule

Standard University business hours 8:30am – 5:00pm (academic year) 8:00am – 4:30pm (summer)