Job Details

Assistant Strategic Communications & Marketing Specialist
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Position Number: 1611406
Location: Rohnert Park, CA
Position Type: Public Relations, Marketing and Communications

Assistant Strategic Communications & Marketing Specialist
Sonoma State University

Job Title: Assistant Strategic Communications & Marketing Specialist (Public Affairs/Communications Specialist II)
Job ID: 104882
Location: Sonoma State University (Rohnert Park, CA)
Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

Department Name:
Athletics

Salary and Benefits:
Starting salary placement depends on qualifications, experience and salary budget and is anticipated to be in the range of $3,515 to $4,796 a month.

This position is eligible for a broad range of benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurances, retirement (CalPERS), tuition waiver, vacation and sick leave. In addition, 14 paid holidays are offered each year; 13 scheduled on specific days and a Personal Holiday that may be taken any time during the year.

A comprehensive benefits summary for this position is available online by clicking the View Benefits Summary link or by request from SSU Human Resources.

Application Deadline
This position is open until filled. For full consideration, please submit application, along with cover letter and resume, by 8am on September 20, 2019. Please refer to the Application Process section of this posting for additional details.

Conditions of Employment
This is a full time, exempt position, which will lead toward permanent status following the successful completion of a probationary period.

Responsibilities
Sonoma State University is committed to achieving excellence through teaching, scholarship, learning and inclusion. In line with our Strategic Plan and our Seawolf Commitment, our values include diversity, sustainability, community engagement, respect, responsibility, excellence and integrity. We strive to cultivate a community in which a diverse population can learn and work in an atmosphere of civility and respect. We encourage innovation, experimentation and creativity, as well as contributions to equity and inclusion, in the pursuit of excellence for all members of our university community.

Reporting to the Senior Associate Director of Athletics, with additional lead work direction from the Athletics senior staff, the Assistant Strategic Communications & Marketing Specialist is responsible for working with the Senior Strategic Communications & Operations Specialist to support a broad range of projects involving media relations, in-game event management, maintaining historical records and NCAA-mandated statistics for assigned intercollegiate teams.

Working fairly autonomously under general supervision, the major duties of the position include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Generate game statistics using computer-based programs (The Automated Scorebook, State Crew, etc.); assume duties as official scorer, PA announcer, scoreboard operator, as needed.
- Work with the Senior Strategic Communications & Operations Specialist to ensure a comprehensive marketing and communications program is delivered to cover weekly sports updates which includes developing content for the department website and other core media outlets, as well as coordinating media needs before, during, and after events.
- Support video production of sporting events through the Seawolf Sports Network.
- Produce weekly sports update newsletters and distribute electronically.
- Contribute to and support the production of media guides/record books, including research, writing, editing, layout and design; game-day programs, scorecards, and inserts; as well as monitoring, maintaining and updating all-time statistical record database.
- Write press releases, including post-game stories, student-athlete signings, awards, new hires, rankings for
assigned sports; maintain photo files of coaches, staff, and student-athletes for use in brochures on the web, and in the media; pitch feature story ideas to local, regional, and national media; update student- athlete hometown media outlets.
- Provide reports of weekly and yearly statistics to CCAA and NCAA.
- Support award programs and represent Sonoma State at CoSIDA and national post-season events.
- Serve as play-by-play announcer, as needed, on Seawolf Sports Network.
- Produce marketing content for media guides, game programs, news releases, websites, ticket brochures,
fundraising flyers, camp brochures, print advertising, and other campus publications hat promote intercollegiate athletics; designs brochures and flyers for camps, clinics, and other department fundraisers.
- Provide on-site work direction to student event staff at home contests, which includes event management, and coordination duties to ensure event staff take scheduled meal breaks and record times worked.
- Produce weekly sports update newsletters and distribute them electronically to opponents, media, fans, and staff;
- Work with the Senior Strategic Communications & Operations Specialist to support a comprehensive marketing and promotions plan to maximize exposure, and attendance for all programs.
- Solicit outside parties to arrange for group ticket sales to Athletics department events.
- Support the distribution of marketing materials to sponsors, local vendors and University departments
Develop and implement in-game promotions.
- Support game operation functions as they pertain to marketing including writing game day scripts, PA content, sponsor fulfillment, music/band coordination, and spirit squads.
- Assists the Senior Associate Directors and Senior Strategic Communications & Operations Specialist with
sales of a full menu of group ticket packages to corporations and the general public.

Perform other secondary duties as assigned.

Duties take place in an office setting at Sonoma State University, with additional duties performed both indoors and outdoors in various locations on and off campus as it relates to coordinating and supporting events and programs. The position also requires frequent night and weekend hours, and will be specified only to meet operational needs. Incumbent will travel (by air, bus, automobiles) to conference, regional, and national post-season events with teams, which includes overnight stays away from campus. As an exempt employee you have some flexibility in your schedule however must be available during the regular campus hours Monday through Friday to meet the operational needs of the campus and department. You must maintain regular and acceptable attendance at such levels as is determined by your Appropriate Administrator.

This position requires, with or without reasonable accommodations, the ability to effectively communicate, frequently sit, move or stand to work in office and/or game facilities, be at a computer for 6-8 hours/day, occasionally reach with hands and arms, climb or balance, stoop and kneel and lift objects of up to 50 lbs in weight.

Qualifications
This position requires knowledge of the fundamentals of public affairs and/or media relations, and/or some exposure to marketing and marketing research. This background normally is obtained through a college degree, which includes relevant coursework in the field, and up to two years of related professional or technical experience. Two to three years of collegiate athletic media relations experience strongly preferred. In addition, strong written and verbal communication skills with a solid foundation in grammar, spelling, and the composition of various communication vehicles, along with experience providing customer service in a diverse, at times demanding, work environment. This position requires solid computer skills including, but not limited to, advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and using the internet as a research tool. Thorough knowledge of and ability to effectively use media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, SnapChat, YouTube, HootSuite) required, as well as experience with Stat Crew scoring software, Google Suite, desktop publishing software (lnDesign and Photoshop) and video editing software (iMovie, Adobe Premier and Adobe After Effects) highly preferred.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily and possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities indicated below:
- Working knowledge of and ability to apply standard marketing principles;
- Ability to analyze and select pertinent facts and integrate them into communication vehicles;
- Ability to apply appropriate statistical techniques and methods to research and sports information;
- Strong story development and journalistic writing skills, as well as advanced editorial skills;
- Knowledge of interview techniques and the ability to define and deliver media messages;
- Working knowledge of marketing and research techniques and methods. Ability to apply market research to identify communication needs and target audiences;
- Thorough extensive knowledge of and the ability to apply expertise to support the sports programs sponsored by Sonoma State University;
- Ability to prioritize and perform multiple tasks;
- Ability to perform detailed work with accuracy under time pressures;
- Demonstrated familiarity with, or the ability to attain familiarity with intercollegiate athletics culture;
- Ability to learn, interpret, and apply a wide variety of policies and procedures relating to and impacting the program;
- Strong interpersonal skills, including strong public speaking, listening and interpretive skills;
- Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective inclusive working relationships amongst diverse populations including staff, faculty, administration, students, and other internal and external constituents
and serve as a liaison for the department to the media, conference and other institutions;
- Must be able to accept constructive feedback and work cooperatively in group situations;
- Must also possess the ability to operationalize sustainability concepts (economy, society, and environment) into all aspects of performing job duties.

Qualification Note
Evidence of degree(s) or certificate(s) and/or license(s) required at time of hire.

Physical Requirements
Requires successful completion of a pre-placement physical exam.

Application Process
Click the "Apply Now" to apply to this position, materials submitted with your application will not be returned. For questions related to the application process, please reach out to Human Resources (hr@sonoma.edu | 707.664.3100).

Qualified candidates must submit the following to be considered:
1. Cover Letter and Resume - application system only allows one document to be uploaded, so cover letter
and resume must be included in the same MS Word or PDF file (file name should not contain any spaces
or special characters)
2. Online Employment Application (complete entire application, resume/cover letter will not substitute for
any part of the application)

A background check (including a criminal records check) must be completed satisfactorily before any candidate can be offered a position. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect
the application status of applicants or continued employment of current employees who apply for this position.

The ADA Coordinator is available at 707.664.2664, to assist individuals with disabilities in need of accommodation during the hiring process.

Other Information
Equal Employment Opportunity: The University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, genetic information, medical condition, disability, marital status, or protected veteran status.

Mandated Reporting: This position may be considered a "mandated reporter" under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.

About Sonoma State University
Sonoma State University, located 48 miles north of San Francisco, is one of the 23 campuses of the California State University. Sonoma State University is a liberal arts institution with an enrollment of approximately 10,000 students and 530 full-time and part-time faculty. Our beautiful campus is located in Rohnert Park, at the foot of the Sonoma hills in the Wine Country.

Sonoma State University is proud to be a smoke-free campus, where smoking and other uses of tobacco products, such as smokeless tobacco, the use of e-cigarettes and similar devices, are prohibited.

Sonoma State University's Jeanne Clery Act Annual Security Report is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/ps/about/jeanneclery.html; Annual Campus Housing Fire Safety Report is available at http://www.sonoma.edu/housing/general-info/emergency-prep/fire-safety.html.

Contact Information
Sonoma State University
Human Resources
Main (707) 664-3100
Fax (707) 664-3196
1801 East Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
hr@sonoma.edu