Director, Strategic Communications - Mens Basketball (5032U), Intercollegiate Athletics - 85604

Director, Strategic Communications

• Men's Basketball (5032U), Intercollegiate Athletics
• 85604 Berkeley, CA Job Details Full-time 1 day ago Qualifications Stakeholder engagement Influencer partnership campaigns Project planning Writing skills Social media marketing strategy development English X (Twitter) Schedule management Bachelor's degree Team management Media plan development Interviewing TikTok Facebook Strategic communications Media relations Brand awareness campaigns Content strategy Senior level Cross-functional collaboration Project leadership Instagram Leadership Communication skills Technical Proficiency Stakeholder relationship building Time management Stakeholder management Full Job Description Director, Strategic Communications•Men's Basketball (5032U), Intercollegiate Athletics•85604 About Berkeley At the University of California, Berkeley, we are dedicated to fostering a community where everyone feels welcome and can thrive.

Our culture of openness, freedom and belonging make it a special place for students, faculty and staff. As a world-leading institution, Berkeley is known for its academic and research excellence, public mission, diverse student body, and commitment to equity and social justice. Since our founding in 1868, we have driven innovation, creating global intellectual, economic and social value. We are looking for applicants who reflect California's diversity and want to be part of an inclusive, equity-focused community that views education as a matter of social justice. Please consider whether your values align with our Guiding Values and Principles , Principles of Community , and Strategic Plan . At UC Berkeley, we believe that learning is a fundamental part of working, and provide space for supportive colleague communities via numerous employee resource groups (staff organizations). Our goal is for everyone on the Berkeley campus to feel supported and equipped to realize their full potential. We actively support this by providing all of our full-time staff employees with at least 80 hours (10 days) of paid time per year to engage in professional development activities. Find out more about how you can grow your career at UC Berkeley. Departmental Overview The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics consists of more than 275 staff members and coaches and sponsors 30 varsity sports programs. These 30 programs include more than 850 student-athletes who participate in the various sports programs annually within the National Collegiate Athletics Association. Position Summary This position will lead strategic communications efforts for the Cal men's basketball program. Will utilize existing knowledge to craft strategy around storytelling efforts and immerse themselves in the ethos of the sport both on a conference, community, college, national and international level. While this role will decide which mediums and content are necessary, there will be a strong focus on digital content and communication utilizing various digital platforms

• with the proper channel(s) chosen by the employee based on the message created.

With a strong emphasis on brand awareness, broad-reaching messaging, recruiting and retaining student-athletes and providing entertainment to all consumers of Cal Athletics, this position is critical in supporting the storytelling for these areas. This position allows a narrowed focus of communication excellence needed for men's basketball to thrive in the existing college athletics ecosystem. This position will also manage 1-2 Associate Directors, Strategic & Creative Communications. Guided by the overarching Athletics strategic plan, the employee will create and lead the planning and execution of communications specific to men's basketball. This position will demonstrate competency in establishing relationships with key stakeholders involved with the sports they are assigned

• including, but not limited to media members, governing body heads, conference resources, NCAA employees, and sport-specific influencers and content strategists.

These relationships will be critical in ensuring optimal coverage, attention, brand recognition, and publicization for external audiences. This role requires collaborative work and sport-specific media plan leadership across the department, including with coaches, senior leaders and campus entities. Internally, there is an emphasis on integrating with other content creators, Athletics digital ecosystems directors, Cal Athletics fundraisers and game day entertainment. Other duties include arranging and conducting interviews, maintaining and compiling records and statistics and serving as a team historian for assigned sports. Application Review Date The First Review Date for this job is: April 28, 2026

Responsibilities Men's Basketball Team Immersion:

Engage with all members of the men's basketball team to understand student-athletes' personalities, talents, and strengths. Translate these insights into compelling narratives for public consumption. Identify key sport influencers and target audiences to expand reach and amplify visibility strategies.

Men's Basketball Media Plan Creation:

Develop, manage, and continuously refine a comprehensive media plan. Define messaging cadence, communication channels, content types, audience targeting, and timing. Ensure consistent and strategic promotion of teams.

Storytelling Integrator:

Collaborate across Athletics digital teams, content creators, fundraisers, and game day staff. Ensure aligned messaging and cohesive storytelling. Maintain a strong understanding of overarching strategies that drive external engagement.

Strategic Communications Project Management:

Act as the primary public-facing contact. Manage incoming requests, coordinate coverage, and oversee updates to media plans. Maintain institutional knowledge of each program.

Additional Responsibilities:

Facilitate required statistical reporting, written materials, and sport-specific releases. Perform other duties as assigned in support of Athletics communications and engagement efforts. Required Qualifications Advanced knowledge of program activity and best practices. Demonstrated problem-solving skills. Ability to multi-task and work effectively with frequent interruptions. Strong active listening skills. Excellent verbal communication skills in the English language. Excellent written communication skills in the English language. Proficiency in the use of computer applications relevant to job duties. Ability to create and execute a sport-specific storytelling strategy. Ability to create and follow a sport-specific media plan. Ability to define cadence of messaging. Ability to identify target audiences. Ability to select appropriate communication mediums. Ability to determine types of content. Ability to establish and manage schedules. Ability to quickly learn all facets of a sports program. Ability to understand personnel, trends, participants, and the national landscape. Ability to identify and engage critical audiences. Ability to thrive in a flexible, fast-paced, and dynamic work environment. Strong ability to create targeted content to support recruitment and retention. Proficiency in using social media to promote teams and Athletics. Experience using Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram, and other social media platforms for storytelling. Strong collaboration skills. Ability to adjust schedules, timelines, content, messaging, and mediums as needed. Ability to respond to immediate and high-impact needs of a sports program. Knowledge of the NCAA and Power 4 landscape. Understanding of recruiting cycles, NIL trends, and student-athlete retention drivers. Working knowledge of concepts and principles of news and media communications. Ability to maintain current knowledge of applicable rules and standards of the Atlantic Coast Conference and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Ability to comply with all rules and standards applicable to the Berkeley campus of the University of California and affiliated organizations. Demonstrated leadership skills to guide the strategic direction of storytelling across multiple platforms. Strong time management skills. Strong project management skills. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously from concept through completion. Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training. Salary & Benefits For information on the comprehensive benefits package offered by the University, please visit the University of California's Compensation & Benefits website. Under California law, the University of California, Berkeley is required to provide a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role and should not offer a salary outside of the range posted in this job announcement. This range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, analysis of internal equity, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be offered a salary at or near the top of the range for a position. Salary offers are determined based on final candidate qualifications and experience. This is an exempt, monthly-paid position. This is a full-time, Career position that is eligible for full UC benefits.