Assistant Director, Strategic & Creative Communications (5372C) Intercollegiate Athletics #86717

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. 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

The Strategic and Creative Comms assists with the storytelling and digital communication efforts for 2-3 assigned Olympic Sports. Under the direction of the strategic lead, this position helps execute content strategies that reach fans, recruits, and the community. The Strategic and Creative Comms takes direction on which platforms and mediums to use to best share the team's message. This position supports the department's goals of brand awareness and student-athlete retention by creating consistent, engaging content. By focusing on specific sports, the Strategic and Creative Comms provides the necessary support to help those programs succeed within the existing athletics digital ecosystem.

Application Review Date

The First Review Date for this job is: June 19, 2026. For full consideration, please apply on or before the first review date.

Responsibilities

Content Creation & Capture

• Supports the Olympic Sports teams by capturing and producing content in various forms, including video, photos, and social media graphics.
• Utilizes tools like Adobe Photoshop and Premiere to execute assets that align with the team's media plan.

Media Plan Execution

• Assists with the daily implementation of the sport-specific media plan.
• Helps maintain the schedule of information flow, ensures messaging cadence is met, and updates content based on direction from leadership.

Team Engagement, Research & Immersion

• Spends time with assigned teams to identify storytelling opportunities.
• Assists in gathering information on student-athlete personalities and coaches' strengths to help broaden the teams public message.
• Identify sport influencers and engage to broaden the messages.

Communication Coordination

• Collaborates with the digital, fundraising, and gameday entertainment teams to help synchronize publicity efforts.
• Acts as a liaison for routine media requests and assists with coordinating storytelling tasks.

Strategic Communications Project Supporter

• Serve as the main point of contact for the assigned sports specific to storytelling aspects of the position.
• Triage, assign and communicate requests, coverage, and alterations or additions to the media plan and maintain historical knowledge of each sport.

Other

• Facilitate required statistical submissions, written notes, historical records or releases specific to the assigned sports.
• And other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

• Knowledge to create and deliver targeted content in efforts to promote sports/athletes, assist in recruiting and retaining athletes for the sports represented.
• Ability to execute a sport-specific, storytelling strategy - using existing mediums and content.
• Follow a sport-specific media plan that includes cadence of messaging, audiences, mediums, types of content, and schedules.
• Ability to learn all facets of an Olympic sports program - including personnel, trends, participants, national landscape and audiences.
• A collaborator that is flexible in adjusting schedules, timelines, content, messaging, mediums, etc. in order to best fit the immediate and impactful needs of a sports program.
• Knowledge of digital media assets and other communication content and how they are used to communicate.
• Knowledge of social media platforms and how to use them to promote sports teams.
• Previous experience using Facebook, X, TikTok, Instagram and other other social media channels to storytell.
• Knowledge of NCAA/Power 4 landscape, including recruiting cycles, NIL trends, and student-athlete retention drivers.
• Working knowledge of concepts and principles of news and media communications.
• Must maintain current knowledge of applicable rules and standards of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), as well as other associations and agencies to which the Berkeley campus of the University of California adheres, and, at all times avoid any and all violations of these rules and standards and/or the ability to learn.
• Time and project management skills.
• Knowledge on how to develop and implement original ideas and correctly identify and effectively solve problems.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously.
• Thorough knowledge of the fundamentals of design and user experience, including skill to design in an appealing, lively and relevant way.
• Thorough understanding of technical language and requirements of the assigned work.
• Thorough knowledge of content management systems and / or relevant web applications used for web production and organization-specific computer application programs and/or the ability to learn.
• Thorough skills to create clear, easy-to-navigate, informative, accurate, well-designed, and functional web sites that provide web content consistent with the organization's message and in keeping with management directives and client objectives.
• Thorough understanding of organization's processes, procedures, and applicable rules and regulations for web communications and/or the ability to learn.
• Thorough technical skills in computer applications for web production, image handling, publishing and design, illustration, presentation preparation, animation, web interaction, and / or other state-of-the-art web communication capabilities.
• Thorough interpersonal communication skills.
• Thorough skills to develop and implement original ideas and correctly identify and effectively solve problems.

Education / Training

• 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.

The budgeted annual salary range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position is $83,000 - $90,000.

• This is an exempt, monthly-paid position.
• This is a full-time (40 hours/week) Staff: Career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter.

Driving Required

Required to hold a valid driver's license, have a driving record that is in accordance with local policies/procedures, and/or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program.

Other Information

• This position is covered by the collective bargaining agreement between UAW (United Auto Workers) and the University of California Regents for CM.
• This is not a visa opportunity. This position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition that would require payment of the $100,000 supplemental fee.
• There are 4 openings for this role

Conviction History Background

This is a designated position requiring fingerprinting and a background check due to the nature of the job responsibilities. Berkeley does hire people with conviction histories and reviews information received in the context of the job responsibilities. The University reserves the right to make employment contingent upon successful completion of the background check.

Mandated Reporter

This position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter required to report the observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated law enforcement or social service agencies. We reserve the right to make employment contingent upon completion of signed statements acknowledging the responsibilities of a Mandated Reporter.

Misconduct

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

"Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy

UC Anti-Discrimination Policy

Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California 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, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.