Assistant Director of Athletics Marketing

Athletics Marketing

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Department Summary:

Drake University's Athletics Department competes in the Missouri Valley Conference at the NCAA Division I level. Bulldog student-athletes thrive in the classroom and their respective field of play. Drake Athletics sport programs are considered Des Moines’ Hometown Team.

The department culture is predicated on a common value statement known as The Bulldog Way written by coaches, staff, and student-athletes. This intentional commitment to a championship culture is led by integrity, excellence, wanting the best for and best from one another, and aspiring to greatness provides a foundation for student-athletes, coaches, and athletics staff to study, work, and play.

Job Summary:

Drake Athletics is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the opening of Assistant Director of Athletics Marketing. Reporting to the Director of Athletics Marketing, the Assistant Director will be responsible for developing, implementing and executing a comprehensive marketing and ticket sales plan for sports as assigned. The Assistant Director also utilizes official social media platforms and assists in overseeing email marketing campaigns to engage fans by delivering entertaining and informative content and is charged with administering a campus marketing strategy to increase student engagement.

This position will work nights, weekends, and possibly holidays. Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, sports management, business, public relations or a related field (Required.)

• At least one (1) year of relevant experience in collegiate athletics, professional sports, event marketing, sports marketing or a comparable environment. Graduate assistant, internship and significant student-worker experience may count toward this requirement.

• Demonstrated experience assisting with or executing athletics marketing, fan engagement, promotions or game presentation.

• Ability to develop and execute marketing and promotional plans designed to increase attendance, enhance the fan experience and support ticket revenue goals.

• Experience coordinating game-day elements such as promotions, scripts, music, in-venue entertainment, student engagement, spirit groups, giveaways and special presentations.

• Ability to manage multiple projects, events and deadlines simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.

• Strong written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with coaches, student-athletes, staff, students, vendors and external partners.

• Demonstrated organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Ability to supervise, schedule and provide direction to student workers and game-day personnel.

• Working knowledge of digital and social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, and X) and their application to sports marketing and fan engagement.

• Proficiency with standard workplace productivity tools, including Microsoft Office and/or Google Workspace.

• Ability and willingness to work nights, weekends and holidays as required by the intercollegiate athletics schedule.

• Commitment to the standards and values of Drake University, the Missouri Valley Conference, Pioneer Football League and NCAA.

• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel locally as required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two (2) or more years of progressively responsible experience in collegiate athletics, professional sports or a comparable sports/event marketing environment.

• Previous experience serving as the primary marketing or game-presentation contact for one or more sports, teams or major events.

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing comprehensive marketing plans that support attendance, ticket sales, fan engagement, brand awareness and revenue-generation goals.

• Previous experience with email marketing, including development of targeted campaigns, audience segmentation, content creation, data analytics, scheduling and evaluation of campaign performance.

• Experience with digital advertising platforms, including paid social media, search, display or other audience-targeted advertising campaigns.

• Experience developing and executing promotions, theme nights, giveaways, community-engagement initiatives and other strategies designed to enhance the fan experience.

• Experience writing and coordinating game scripts, run-of-show documents, in-venue promotions and other game-presentation elements.

• Previous experience managing special events, including coordination of vendors, contractors, permits, budgets, event logistics and promotional plans.

• Experience recruiting, scheduling, training and supervising student employees, interns, volunteers or game-day staff.

• Experience working collaboratively with ticket sales, athletics communications, video production, corporate partnerships, development and other external-facing units within an athletics organization.

• Experience working directly with coaches and sport administrators to establish marketing priorities to develop and execute sport-specific promotional plans.

• Experience coordinating spirit squads, bands, mascots, student organizations or other groups that contribute to game atmosphere and fan engagement.

• Working knowledge of ticketing and customer relationship management systems and the use of audience data to support marketing and ticket-sales strategies.

• Experience using analytics and performance metrics to evaluate marketing campaigns, attendance initiatives and fan-engagement efforts.

• Familiarity with graphic design, content-creation or project-management platforms such as Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, Asana or comparable tools.

• Demonstrated ability to build productive relationships with campus organizations, community partners, vendors and other external stakeholders.

• Experience managing budgets, processing invoices and purchase orders, negotiating with vendors and tracking expenditures.

• Knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations and previous experience working within an NCAA Division I athletics department preferred.

• Demonstrated creativity, initiative and ability to independently identify opportunities to grow attendance, improve the fan experience and strengthen the connection between an athletics program and its campus and community.

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Special Instructions to Applicants:

Applicants will be asked to complete the online application through Drake's job board and provide: a resume/cv, a cover, and contact information for three references.

Have Questions?

Question about the application process, working at Drake, reasonable accommodations, benefits, or additional information about Drake or Des Moines, Iowa may be directed to Drake Human Resources. You can best reach us at [email protected].

All job offers are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check, satisfactory reference checks, and proof of work authorization.

A review of applications will begin immediately. This position will remain open until filled.

Salary is competitive with peer schools and will be commensurate with qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

At Drake, we are proud to offer our employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents a comprehensive benefits package, which includes a wide range of core benefits, perks, and discounts. If you are exploring a job with Drake University, we invite you to spend a little time with our digital benefits guide: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

One of our very popular policies provides a tuition waiver for Drake employees, their spouses, and eligible dependents. Drake also participates in not one, but two tuition exchange programs available to dependent children. You can learn about both the tuition waiver policy and tuition exchange programs here: Benefits Overview | Drake University.

For faculty positions, selection will depend on the receipt of recommendation confirming the candidate's scholarly achievements and teaching abilities and/or on the candidate's satisfactory passing of a teaching demonstration if selected for an on-campus interview. For staff positions, selection will depend upon careful review of each applicant’s references, education, and, if applicable, experience.

About Drake:

Drake University is recognized as a top private university in the Midwest. Drake is a midsize university in Des Moines, Iowa, with an increasingly diverse student body. We are deeply committed to equity and inclusion and creating a sense of belonging for all members of the campus community—faculty, staff, and students alike. More than 900 faculty and staff are part of the Bulldog pack, a close-knit group of colleagues enthusiastic about preparing students to be global citizens and leaders, challenging assumptions. Drake University is not only an outstanding institution of higher learning, it is also a wonderful place to work. We are enthusiastically committed to welcoming new ideas and people into the fold, and to retaining and rewarding stellar employees.

All positions at Drake provide opportunities to contribute to Drake University’s core mission of creating of creating an exceptional learning environment that prepares students of all backgrounds for meaningful lives and professional accomplishments.

STRONG COMMITMENT TO A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY

At Drake University, we don’t just accept differences—we celebrate them, we support them, and we thrive on them for the benefit of our students, our employees, and our community. Drake University is proud to support an equal opportunity, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming workplace. Learn more about why Drake is an exceptional place to work: An Exceptional Working Environment | Drake University

Drake University is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations in its services, programs, activities, education, and employment for individuals with disabilities. If you would benefit from an accommodation at any point in the recruitment process (including using our online application process), please contact Drake Human Resources (ph: 515.271.3133; email: [email protected]) and let us know how we can assist you.

At Drake University, we highly value a diverse, inclusive workforce. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We stand firmly against discrimination including on the basis of race, color, national origin, creed, religion, age, disability, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, veteran status, or any characteristic protected by law.