Assistant Athletic Director For Marketing

Position Title Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing About the University Western Washington University, with over 16,000 students in seven colleges and the graduate school, is nationally recognized for its educational programs, students and faculty. The campus is located in Bellingham, Washington, a coastal community of 90,000 overlooking Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades Mountain range. The city lies 90 miles north of Seattle and 60 miles south of Vancouver, British Columbia. Western is the highest-ranking public, master's-granting university in the Pacific Northwest, according to the 2022 U.S. News & World Report rankings. Western Washington University is committed to achieving excellence through advancing inclusive success, increasing our Washington impact, and focusing on transformational education grounded in the liberal arts and sciences and based on innovative scholarship, research, and creative activity. Western's greatest strength is the outstanding students, faculty, staff, and alumni/ae who make up its community. Western supports an inclusive governance structure for all and provides a learning and working environment in which everyone can thrive. In pursuit of this excellence, individual employees are expected to establish and maintain productive and effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, student, and external constituents. Further, individual employees are expected to have the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economic, societal, environmental) into all aspects of performing their job duties. About the Department

Western Washington University offers a premier Division II intercollegiate athletic program, emphasizing the scholastic and competitive success of over 300 student-athletes.  WWU is a member of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), fielding 15 teams. WWU Athletics has experienced tremendous success both on and off the field.  The Women's soccer team captured the NCAA II national championship in 2022, and 2016, the Women's basketball team was a finalist in the NCAA II national championship game in 2021, and the Women's volleyball team was in the final eight of the NCAA II championship in 2021.  Women's Rowing won the NCAA II championship in 2005-2011, and 2017, and competed in the national championships in all but one of the last 20 years.  WWU Athletics has finished in the top 50 in the NCAA II Learfield Directors' Cup standings in 16 of the past 17 years, and in the top 20 in eight of the last 13 years (no award in 2019-20 or 2020-21). WWU's programs have won 12 team national championships.

The 2022-23 athletic season was another banner year for the Vikings, earning the GNAC All-Sports Trophy for the 14th time while capturing six conference titles. Women's Soccer led the way with a national championship and a total of 10 programs advanced to the NCAA postseason.  The academic performance of Western's student athletes is equally impressive.  The NCAA Overall Academic Success Rate was 91% and WWU has been the recipient of the NCAA President's Award for academic performance for the past 5 years.

WWU is committed to an athletics program that is nationally recognized for its success in NCAA II sports, and to Athletics culture that values integrity, transparency, and excellence, promotes accessibility, diversity, equity and inclusion in its policies and practices, and advances wellness and holistic development of student athletes.

The Athletics Department supports Western's mission, which states that together with our students, staff, and faculty, we are committed to making a positive impact in the state and the world with a shared focus on academic excellence and inclusive achievement. We encourage applications from women, people of color, people with disabilities, veterans, and other candidates from underrepresented backgrounds and with diverse experiences interested in this opportunity.

About the Position This position plays a critical role in developing, evaluating, and implementing the overall strategic plan of the Department of Athletics, and contributes to the management and financial stability of the program by emphasizing extensive and robust community engagement programs, revenue generating opportunities, and other external functions.

Responsibilities include marketing and promotions, branding strategies, social media and other communications, special event support, ticket sales/strategies, athletic event advertising, corporate sponsorship fulfillment, community engagement and oversight of the WWU Athletics Internship program and WWU Cheer Program.

The position will play an integral role and is responsible for the oversight, development and implementation of comprehensive marketing and promotion plans for the Western Athletic Department in order to market, promote, brand and enhance all facets of the athletic department while fostering innovative and collaborative efforts to engage the students, staff, alumni, supporters and prospective fans of WWU. The successful candidate will develop strategies to grow the WWU Viking brand, amplify community engagement events, and broaden outreach to all constituents (students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community) in support of athletics. The position is also responsible for the supervision of the WWU Cheer Advisor and WWU Cheer Team, and 10-15 student interns. This role will work closely with athletic department staff, coaches, University Advancement and Alumni Association staff.

Position Duties and Responsibilities:

Marketing/Promotions/In-Game Fan Experience (30%)

Accountable for Marketing and fan development strategies through the coordination of advertising, promotions, and extended game-day events including management of timelines and activities affiliated with the various sports. Contact organizations and groups to schedule appearances and market to the community. Coordinate with student leadership and on-campus entities to enhance student attendance and involvement. Develop PA scripts and oversee in-game promotions, fulfilling all sponsorship obligations. Assist with social media such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and work closely with the Director of Athletic Communications to market programs on social media. 

Schedule and staff events on campus to promote WWU Athletics, such as Fall AS Info Fair, Paint Bellingham Blue, Move-In and Welcome Week.  Coordinate with the Viking Pep Band and Cheer team for game days and special requests.  Work with coaches, staff and student-athletes on community engagement opportunities to enhance overall support.

Special Events (20%)

Work collaboratively (as the lead or support role depending on event) with coaches, staff, Alumni Relations and University Advancement in support of special events throughout the year including basketball tip off dinners, Hall of Fame induction ceremony, student-athlete awards, alumni gatherings, sport banquets and Viking Golf Classic.

Management and supervision (15%)

Hire, train, assign work/task responsibilities, and evaluate marketing intern personnel (10-15) in support of overall marketing and promotional efforts.   Supervise the WWU Cheer Advisor and coordinate with WWU Cheer Team for in-game promotions.  Oversee the band schedule in coordination of game days and special events, working directly with the Viking Band Director.

Corporate Sponsorships (10%)

Communicate on a regular basis with corporate partners in effort to fulfill sponsorship agreements and enhance relationships.  Ensure all elements of the sponsorship agreements are carried out in detail.  Work creatively with each sponsor to activate partnerships.  Assist the Advancement Office corporate sponsorship sales staff with any support needed during the sales process.

Ticket Sales (10%)

Write, edit and send annual season ticket renewal letter.  Coordinate with the WWU Box Office to organize and distribute season tickets.  Communicate with season ticket holders on a regular basis.  Provide essential customer service to season ticket holders as issues arise.  Oversee the marketing and sales of Junior Viking passes to community members.  Promote group ticket sales.  Identify new target markets of potential ticket buyers and execute outreach strategies to these groups. 

Design & Design Development (5%)

Oversee the branding, strategy, design, production and distribution of all marketing collateral (posters, schedule cards, magnets, etc.), working collaboratively with the Director of Athletic Communications. 

Licensing (10%)

Oversee artwork approvals and licensing requests via the Collegiate Licensing Company portal.  Work with CLC to develop and implement strategies to grow licensing program revenues.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree
• Experience in marketing, promotions, event planning or community outreach
• Demonstrated ability to work well under pressure and meet tight deadlines
• Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong customer service skills with the ability to communicate effectively with students, parents, staff, administrators, officials, news media, fans and the public
• Experience supervising student employees or volunteers
• Demonstrated effectiveness in dealing with a variety of administrative levels and diverse groups of people
• Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and design applications such as Canva or Photoshop
• Proficiency in Social Media applications like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

Conditions of Employment All employees must comply with our Immunization policies, including Proof of Rubeola Measles Immunity within 60-days of hire. Please reach out to HR@wwu.edu if you need information regarding medical or religious exemption and applicable accommodations. Salary 

Hiring range for position is $75,673 - $87,024/year.  Through longevity position tops out at $98,375/year.

Benefits Information

Benefits Overview for Administrative Professional Position.

Application Instructions & Closing Date Notes A cover letter and resume are required and should address your experience related to the position responsibilities and the required and preferred qualifications. Please include the names and contact information of three professional references. References will only be contacted if necessary, with notice provided beforehand.

For priority consideration, please apply by December 10, 2023; applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Applicants should submit a letter of application, resume, and contact information for three references in one PDF file to opportunity@MammothConsulted.com.  For questions, nominations, or inquiries contact Dr. Kurt Patberg, Vice President, Mammoth Sports Consulting at kurt.patberg@mammothconsulted.com.  

Western Washington University (WWU) is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to assembling a diverse, broadly trained faculty and staff. Women, minorities, people with disabilities and veterans are strongly encouraged to apply. In compliance with applicable laws and in furtherance of its commitment to fostering an environment that welcomes and embraces diversity, WWU does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex (including pregnancy and parenting status), disability, age, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or genetic information in its programs or activities, including employment, admissions, and educational programs. See WWU's Policy on Ensuring Equal Opportunity and Prohibiting Discrimination and Retaliation. Inquiries may be directed to the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance, Title IX and ADA Coordinator, Western Washington University, Old Main 126 (MS 9021), 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225; 360.650.3307 (voice) or 711 (Washington Relay); crtc@wwu.edu

WWU is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request. To request this document in an alternate format or to request an accommodation, please contact Human Resources Disability Services, 360.650.3303 or 711 (Washington Relay).

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report: This report is provided pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act ("The Clery Act"). It includes statistics for the previous three calendar years concerning reported crimes that occurred on Western's campus; in certain off-campus buildings or property owned or controlled by Western; and on public property within, or immediately adjacent to and accessible from, the campus. The report also includes institutional policies concerning campus security, such as policies concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. You can obtain a copy of this report in printed or alternate formats by contacting the Office of the Vice President for Enrollment and Student Services at vpsa.office@wwu.edu. The report can be found at: Annual Security and Fire Safety Report.

All new employees must comply with the immunization policy and show employment eligibility verification as required by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Service before beginning work at WWU. A thorough background check will be conducted on all new hires which includes a sexual misconduct background check.