Associate Athletic Director for External Relations

About Rice:

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary:
The Associate Athletic Director of External Relations will play an integral role in driving revenue and attendance for the Department of Athletics, as well as overseeing all aspects of the fan experience. Under the guidance of the Deputy Athletics Director for External Relations, this role is responsible for creating a Rice Athletics marketing (including creative, video, and digital media) and communications strategy and plan, and leading a team to execute against this plan.

This position has lead responsibility for communications and marketing, including game presentation, special events and promotions, digital media, graphic design, and branded creative video. It also involves leading other marketing and communications team members who support additional sports. Along with the marketing, creative, ticket sales, sponsorship, and communication staff, this individual will be responsible for increasing attendance and revenue, creating a positive and exciting game day atmosphere, increasing fan engagement, and furthering the brand of Rice Athletics.

Additionally, the Associate Athletic Director of External Relations will oversee the video services team to develop new ways to entertain fans and promote brand consistency through video and other mediums. This role also oversees the Athletic Department’s licensing program and acts as a liaison for the Athletic Department with the Marching Owls Band (MOB) and spirit squads. Lastly, this position will serve as an on-campus and community partner to ensure that Rice Athletics is a highly visible asset to our local community.

Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree
• 3+ years of experience in the sports marketing field with experience developing marketing plans to drive attendance

Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presentation skills
• Good organizational and creativity skills
• Good analytical and problem-solving skills
• Video creation and editing capabilities

Essential Functions:

• Develops and manages the communication and brand strategy for Rice Athletics
• Recommends, manages, and executes integrated marketing plans/programs and strategies to meet business objectives
• Guides event planning and execution
• Manages vendors on specific projects
• Manages program budget, goals, and objectives in alignment with organizational goals
• Manages market research and analysis used to make informed decisions regarding strategic marketing direction, product segmentation, and customer targeting
• Assesses market opportunities and tracks market trends
• Recommends marketing improvements based on findings
• Writes, designs, and coordinates the production of communication and marketing materials
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions:

• Manages game day marketing operations and promotions at Rice sports
• Develops and executes marketing plans, including advertising and promotion, designed to meet the department’s goals for revenue and attendance
• Generates new revenue through the sale of tickets as the liaison for specific athletic events tied to home games (e.g., youth clinics, educational groups, additional pre/post-game events, etc.). This may include direct solicitation of contacts for these specific groups via phone, meetings, and electronic messaging
• Develops and executes creative strategy, including graphics and video, to be used for various purposes including marketing flyers, email campaigns, and social media campaigns
• Develops and executes video broadcast strategy, including ESPN and other digital productions
• Develops and executes digital media strategy

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

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Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University’s Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.