Assistant Director of Sports Brands & Communications

The University of Southern California (USC) is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles and a global center for arts, technology, and international business, USC is also one of the largest private employers in the City of Los Angeles.  We are searching for exceptional individuals to help us fulfill our mission: developing individuals and society as a whole through the cultivation and enrichment of the human mind and spirit. As an employee of USC, you will be part of a world-class research university and a member of the “Trojan Family,” which is comprised of the faculty, students, and staff that make the university what it is.

USC Athletics aims to inspire champions in competition and in the classroom. We exist to enrich the lives of students to positively impact our community and world for generations to come. Operating with the four core values of Competitive Spirit, Togetherness, Passionate Pride for USC, and Our Courage to Blaze the Trail, the Trojans choose to lead by example. With over 600 student-athletes competing throughout USC’s 23 sports programs, USC Athletics is committed to serving as the unmatched, unquestioned top destination for talented student-athletes to reach their fullest potential in all that they do and offering student-athletes the ability to compete for NCAA and Big Ten championships while working toward a degree from one of the world’s leading universities.

JOB DESCRIPTION

USC Athletics is looking to hire an Assistant Director of Sports Brands & Communications to join our staff and student community of 600+ individuals.  This role is responsible for all content related to designated sports to elevate and promote the USC Athletics brand. This person will serve as the primary point of contact with the local and national media for their designated sports, handling the public relations and sports information efforts. The position will also be responsible for brainstorming, pitching and creating content for USC Athletics website and social media accounts in collaboration with various external units.

Reporting directly to the Associate Athletic Director for Sports Brands & Communications, the Assistant Director of Sports Brands & Communications will work in collaboration with various offices in the athletics department, including creative, marketing, game operations, academics, etc. The ideal candidate will be proficient in Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign and Photoshop. This person must have excellent communication and organization skills. They must also have strong attention to detail.  Knowledge of and experience working in higher education preferred. Understanding of the unique culture and needs of college athletes is preferred.

This position serves a large student and staff population, must demonstrate a commitment to improving outcomes for a variety of populations, and is expected to contribute to the program’s demonstrated commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all. USC Athletics is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunity.

This is a non-exempt position with work expected to work in the office with some opportunities to work remotely as agreed upon with supervisor. This position is also expected to work nights and weekends as needed for designated sports. Travel may also be required.

Roles and responsibilities to include:

• Handling all public relations efforts for designated sports, including but not limited to:

  • Managing social media channels for designated sports, which includes content creation, implementing a social media strategy, making decisions based on analytics and team input, etc.

  • Taking care of the website for the designated sports, which includes maintaining rosters, bios and schedules for designated sports, and writing press releases, game recaps and feature stories

• Schedule and execute weekly meetings for necessary staff members across all departments to ensure strategic communication needs are met for designated sports

• Create content that can be viewed across numerous platforms with the help of creative staff

• Keep statistics at home events for designated sports

• Cover events at home and on the road for designated sports

• Maintain accurate records for designated sports

• Performs other related duties as assigned or requested. The University reserves the right to add or change duties at any time.

Qualifications

• The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree and one year of work experience (two years preferred).

• Proficient with Microsoft Office, Adobe Creative Suite, NLS Stats Software and other sport-specific stats software

• Experience working in higher education and/or a sports related field is ideal.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values.

Hourly Range

The hourly rate range for this position is $34.08-$40.00. When extending an offer of employment, the University of Southern California considers factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the candidate’s work experience, education/training, key skills, internal peer alignment, federal, state, and local laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, as well as external market and organizational considerations.

To Apply

All candidates must submit a resume and cover letter with their application. Additional materials may be requested at a later date. All USC employees will undergo reference checking and background screening prior to hire.

USC 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, protected veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or USC policy.

We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact USC Human Resources by phone at (213) 821-8100, or by email at uschr@usc.edu. Inquiries will be treated as confidential to the extent permitted by law.

USC will consider for employment all qualified applicants with criminal histories in a manner consistent with the requirements of the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring ordinance. 

Minimum Education: Bachelor's degree, Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education Minimum Experience: 1 year Minimum Field of Expertise: Experience with writing, editing, proofreading, and the preparation of materials for publication. Working knowledge of desktop publishing, word processing, graphics, design, and printing.