Senior Manager of Basketball Communications

Position Overview

Hornets Sports & Entertainment are seeking a forward-thinking communications professional for the Senior Manager of Basketball Communications role. This position focuses on basketball-related communication, including player/coach interviews, player messaging/branding, and team-related events.

Core Values

HSE Embodies The Following Core Values: Integrity, Teamwork, Competitiveness, Candor, Accountability, Resilience.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

• Ability to consistently incorporate team’s messaging into various communications tactics
• Utilize strategies that develop a proactive and aggressive public relations department
• Generate story ideas involving team personnel and proactively pitch to both internal content and broadcast teams as well as external media members
• Absorb media requests (local, regional and national) for players, coaches and basketball executives
• Absorb media availability: practices, games, press conferences, etc.
• Travel with the team in a public relations capacity for select road games
• Work with the Hornets Studios to create, plan and advocate content ideas and opportunities for the team’s distribution channels
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with media members and have the ability to respond quickly to all media requests
• Develop outstate media coverage plan and execute on a year-round basis
• Lead and execute new media and non-sports media coverage of basketball personnel
• Oversee Game Night/Media Event hospitality
• Manage team publicity surrounding annual basketball events: NBA Draft, NBA Summer League, Training Camp, regional preseason games, etc.
• Secondary contact to write and edit press releases
• Work with league communications department as necessary in regards to storylines, statistics, national media requests, etc.
• Other duties as assigned by Basketball Communications leadership

Required Skills, Experience, And Abilities

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in public relations, journalism or related field
• Minimum of 3-5 years public relations/media relations experience/player relations
• Able to work with a wide variety of people and develop strong relationships
• Able to multi-task under time constraints, meet deadlines and work within a fast-paced industry/environment; must be very detail oriented
• Presents self in professional manner and have ability to interact with all levels of organization and outside contacts
• Previous experience working with athletes required
• Strong teamwork skills and ability to manage your own individual projects
• Excellent communication skills including written and verbal; ability to present ideas clearly and concisely
• Ability to work irregular hours, including nights, weekends, holidays
• Ability to travel with team to games, training camps, summer league, etc. is required