Associate AD for Sports Brands and 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.

World-renowned for its unparalleled combination of academic and athletic prowess, USC has a storied history of collegiate and Olympic success. The vision of the USC Department of Athletics is to be the most student-athlete centered athletics program in the country. USC Athletics is committed to serving and empowering its student-athletes by providing the support, resources, and environment for student-athletes to pursue a world-class education; engage in a meaningful and fulfilling college experience; transform into the best versions of themselves; compete for championships; and prepare to thrive after USC. A member of the Big Ten Conference and Mountain Pacific Sports Federation, USC is proud to support 10 men's (baseball, basketball, football, golf, swimming, diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo) and 13 women's (basketball, beach volleyball, cross country, golf, lacrosse, rowing, soccer, swimming, diving, tennis, track & field, volleyball, water polo) teams across 12 athletics venues.

Job Description:

USC Athletics is seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to join our team as the Associate Athletic Director, Sports Brands & Communications. This role will be responsible for serving as the Sports Information Director (SID) for men’s basketball and overseeing the Sports Brands & Communications department. The successful candidate will manage media relations, branding, and communications strategies for the men's basketball program and the Athletics department as a whole.

This position serves a diverse student and staff population, must demonstrate a commitment to improving outcomes for historically under-served populations, and is expected to contribute to the program’s diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. USC Athletics is committed to increasing diversity in its staff and welcomes applications from persons of all backgrounds, ethnicities, races, genders, and sexual orientations.

This is an exempt position with a non-traditional work schedule that will include nights and weekends.

Roles and responsibilities:

• Men’s Basketball Sports Information Director: Oversee all media relations, branding, and communication strategies for the men’s basketball program. Develop and implement media plans, collaborate with Creative Content unit to effectively run team-specific social media accounts, and serve as the primary contact for media inquiries.

• Oversight of Sports Brands & Communications Department: Lead the department’s efforts in creative content development, digital strategies, and brand advancement for all athletic programs. Manage a team of professionals to ensure effective communication and branding initiatives across various platforms.

• Media Relations & Communications: Create and distribute press releases, feature stories, and other media materials. Develop and maintain strong relationships with local and national media, arrange interviews, and coordinate media coverage for games and events.

• Digital & Social Media Management: Develop and execute digital and social media strategies to enhance the visibility and reputation of USC Athletics. Manage content creation for social media platforms and track analytics to measure the effectiveness of digital campaigns.

• Game Day Operations: Provide game day coverage for men’s basketball and other assigned sports as needed. Ensure high-quality media experiences for fans, media, and other stakeholders.

• Collaboration & Coordination: Work closely with the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Strategic Communications and Brand Advancement, the Chief Marketing Officer, and other key stakeholders to align communication strategies with departmental goals.

• Strategic Planning: Develop and implement strategic communication plans that align with the mission and objectives of USC Athletics. Support initiatives for increasing fan engagement, ticket sales, and overall revenue generation.

• Historical Record-Keeping: Maintain and research historical records, statistics, and achievements for assigned sports. Act as the team historian and provide comprehensive historical data for media and public relations purposes.

• Promotes an environment that fosters inclusive relationships and creates unbiased opportunities for contributions through ideas, words, and actions that uphold principles of the USC Code of Ethics.

• 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 (master’s degree preferred) and a minimum of five years of experience in athletic communications or media relations, preferably at the NCAA Division I level. Combined experience/education as substitute for minimum education.

• Proven experience in media relations, digital strategy, and content creation for athletic programs.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to produce high-quality content for various media platforms.

• Familiarity with social media management and analytics tools.

• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and handle multiple tasks simultaneously.

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

• Understanding of the unique culture and needs of college athletes preferred.

• Experience working as an SID for a major NCAA athletic program preferred.

• Knowledge of NCAA regulations and media relations best practices preferred.

In addition, the successful candidate must also demonstrate, through ideas, words and actions, a strong commitment to USC’s Unifying Values of integrity, excellence, diversity, equity and inclusion, well-being, open communication and accountability.

Salary Range:

The annual base salary range for this position is $125,000 - $150,000. 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 equity, 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 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, affirmative action 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.