Director, Athletic Communications

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Director, Athletic Communications

Job Profile Title

Manager B, Business and Finance, Communications and Marketing

Job Description Summary

Reporting to the head of External Operations for the Division of Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics (DRIA), the Director, Athletic Communications leads all communications, multimedia, and digital strategy efforts for the University of Pennsylvania's 33 varsity programs. The Director manages the Athletic Communications team, guiding media relations, social media, statistics, and storytelling in collaboration with coaches and sport administrators.

Job Description

Job Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary communications lead for assigned varsity sports, overseeing all aspects of media relations, game notes, statistics, and press coverage. Coordinate with head coaches and sport administrators to develop and execute sport-specific communications plans that align with departmental, Ivy League, and NCAA messaging standards. Manage press operations for home events and Ivy League or NCAA postseason competitions, ensuring high-quality and consistent coverage. Travel with select programs to away competitions to provide on-site communications support and maintain consistent representation of Penn Athletics.

• Lead the Athletic Communications team responsible for public relations, social media, statistics, digital publications, game previews and recaps for all 33 varsity programs. Provide strategic direction, mentorship, and professional development to staff, ensuring consistent messaging and brand alignment across all platforms. Collaborate closely with head coaches and sport administrators to identify and promote compelling program stories that elevate the profile of Penn Athletics. Oversee workflow management, content planning, and quality control to maintain timely, accurate, and engaging coverage of all athletic programs.

• Contribute to the Division's overarching communications, content, and brand strategy in alignment with Penn Athletics’ mission, values, and strategic priorities. Collaborate closely with marketing, creative services, and digital media teams to ensure consistent, integrated storytelling across all visual, written, and digital platforms. Represent DRIA on Ivy League and institutional working groups related to communications, branding, and multimedia initiatives.

• Serve as the Division’s primary web manager, overseeing all content, updates, and quality control for the Penn Athletics website (PennAthletics.com) in coordination with SIDEARM Sports and the Ivy League. Ensure the website reflects Penn Athletics’ brand standards and provides timely, accurate, and engaging information for fans, media, and recruits. Collaborate with internal units to support the integration of multimedia content, schedules, and feature stories. Partner with the ticketing office to enhance website visibility and functionality, driving increased traffic and revenue generation.

• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and 2 to 3 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required; 3 to 5 years experience strongly preferred.

• Experience working in intercollegiate athletics, professional sports, or similarly complex, high-visibility organizations, with knowledge of NCAA and/or conference (e.g., Ivy League) communications standards preferred.

• Demonstrated success developing and executing comprehensive communications strategies in a fast-paced environment, including media relations, storytelling, and brand positioning.

• Experience establishing workflows, ensuring quality control, and driving consistent messaging across organizational units.

• Demonstrated experience managing digital platforms and content ecosystems (e.g., athletics websites, CMS platforms such as SIDEARM, social media, Adobe creative suite and multimedia integration).

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Division of Recreation & Intercollegiate Athletics

Pay Range

$65,628.00 - $76,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

Special Requirements
Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay