Edtech.com's Summary

James Madison University Athletics is hiring an Assistant Director of Fan Engagement. The role involves developing and executing marketing and promotional efforts for Olympic sports, overseeing fan engagement internship programs, coordinating special programs and community outreach, supporting football marketing, and ensuring compliance with NCAA and institutional regulations.

Highlights

Develop and execute promotional and marketing strategies for assigned Olympic sports programs.
Manage JMU Athletics Fan Engagement Internship program, including recruiting, supervising, and scheduling interns.
Oversee special programs such as the Puppy Pound Kids Club and community/campus outreach events.
Assist in marketing and game day operations for the Football program, including Fan Zone promotion.
Collaborate with JMU Sports Properties to fulfill sponsorship obligations.
Create emails and graphics for athletics fan engagement events and programs.
Ensure adherence to institutional, Sun Belt Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.
Required skills include sports marketing experience, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and preferably Adobe Creative Suite.
Preferred qualifications include collegiate athletics experience, proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, a bachelor's degree, and prior athletics marketing experience.
Full-time administrative position offering a comprehensive benefits package with pay commensurate with experience.

Assistant Director of Fan Engagement Full Description

Working Title:Assistant Director of Fan Engagement

State Role Title: Administrative and Professional Faculty

Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)

Position Status: Full-Time

FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime

College/Division: Intercollegiate Athletics

Department:300024 - Marketing/Promotions

Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience

Specify Range or Amount:

Is this a JMU only position? No

Is this a grant-funded position? No

Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No

Beginning Review Date: 08/07/2025

About JMU:

Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.

Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.

Who We Are
Located in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA. With a population of just over 53,000, Harrisonburg is one of the most diverse communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia. JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and inclusive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 20,000 undergraduate and 1,900 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. The university is committed to expanding diversity, fostering equity and inclusion, and supporting superlative teaching and scholarship. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

General Information:

James Madison University Athletics is seeking applications for an Assistant Director of Fan Engagement. This is a full-time position with a comprehensive benefits package.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Responsible for the development and execution of promotional and marketing efforts for assigned Olympic sports programs. Including development of all collateral, promotional elements, in-game atmosphere, and attendance.
Oversight of the JMU Athletics Fan Engagement Internship/Practicum program. Includes recruiting, interviewing and hiring qualified candidates, managing scheduling, day to day operations and activities, and supervision of staff. Utilize student interns to develop and execute marketing plans for assigned Olympic sports programs.
Responsible for the oversight, development, operations and promotion of specials programs, including but not limited to the Puppy Pound Kids Club. Also responsible for coordination and staff for all community and campus outreach events.
Responsible for assisting with the marketing efforts for the Football program. Football responsibilities include promotion and operations of the game day Fan Zone as well as in-game production responsibilities.
Collaborate with JMU Sports Properties to assist in coordination and fulfillment of sponsorship obligations as they relate to contractual obligations.
Create and send emails for programming relevant to JMU Athletics Fan Engagement, to include emails for the Puppy Pound kids club as well as other events and programs as needed such as promotional events and group outreach. Responsible for creating graphics for all programming.
Ensure compliance with all relevant institutional, Sun Belt Conference and NCAA rules and regulations.

Qualifications:

Required:

Possess experience in sports marketing, preferably in a campus setting
Working knowledge of Microsoft Office is required with preference given to candidates with Adobe suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premier) experience
The ability to communicate effectively and work well with all JMU constituents – internal and external to better enhance relationships
Possess excellent interpersonal, organizational and communication skills
Ability to perform detail-oriented, creative work
Experience working in a team environment and must be able to work a flexible schedule including nights and weekends

Preferred:

Experience in Collegiate Athletics
Proficiency in Adobe Photoshop
Bachelors Degree
Previous athletics marketing and promotions experience

Additional Posting Information:

JMU’s Dual Career and Community Resources Program is available for candidates that will be relocating to the area. For more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2OTF1NG.

Conditions of Employment:

Employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a criminal background check.

E-Verify Notice: After accepting employment, new hires are required to complete an I-9 form and present documentation of their identity and eligibility to work in the United States. James Madison University uses the E-Verify system to confirm identity and work authorization.

EEO Statement:

James Madison University is committed to creating and supporting a diverse and inclusive work and educational community that is free of all forms of discrimination. This institution does not tolerate discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, parental status, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or veteran status.

We promote access, inclusion and diversity for all students, faculty, staff, constituents and programs, believing that these qualities are foundational components of an outstanding education in keeping with our mission. The university is interested in candidates whose experience and qualifications support an ongoing commitment to this core quality.

Anyone having questions concerning discrimination should contact the Office for Equal Opportunity: (540) 568-6991.

Reasonable Accommodation:

If you are an individual with a disability and need assistance searching or applying for jobs please contact us at (540) 568-3597 or jobs@jmu.edu. You may also visit the JMU Human Resource Office, located at 752 Ott Street, Harrisonburg, VA 22807 and we will be happy to assist you.

Original Job Description