Director of IMC Athletics External Operations and Engagement

Posting Details

Come and join the Bearkat community!

Named after Texas' legendary hero, General Sam Houston, the university boasts a rich historical legacy that resonates with the spirit of Texas, which provides a balance between a peaceful, natural setting and proximity to urban amenities. With a student population of over 21,000, SHSU offers a vibrant and dynamic community. SHSU has a small town feel with large scale opportunities. Located in the Piney Woods region of East Texas and just an hour drive north of Houston, Huntsville provides area residents with a sense of community and belonging.

SHSU offers compelling options for individuals seeking a fulfilling and impactful career including a superior benefit package, competitive salaries and a flexible work environment fostering work/life balance. SHSU offers programs that support a healthy work-life balance, contributing to employee well-being and job satisfaction, as well as, professional development opportunities with our educational assistance and dependent assistance programs.

Posting Information

This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information.

| Requisition | 202500036ES | | Title | Director of IMC Athletics External Operations and Engagement | | FLSA status | Exempt | | Hiring Salary |
Commensurate with education and experience. |

Posting Details

Come and join the Bearkat community!

Named after Texas' legendary hero, General Sam Houston, the university boasts a rich historical legacy that resonates with the spirit of Texas, which provides a balance between a peaceful, natural setting and proximity to urban amenities. With a student population of over 21,000, SHSU offers a vibrant and dynamic community. SHSU has a small town feel with large scale opportunities. Located in the Piney Woods region of East Texas and just an hour drive north of Houston, Huntsville provides area residents with a sense of community and belonging.

SHSU offers compelling options for individuals seeking a fulfilling and impactful career including a superior benefit package, competitive salaries and a flexible work environment fostering work/life balance. SHSU offers programs that support a healthy work-life balance, contributing to employee well-being and job satisfaction, as well as, professional development opportunities with our educational assistance and dependent assistance programs.

Posting Information

This position is security-sensitive and thereby subject to the provisions of the Texas Education Code §51.215, which authorizes the employer to obtain criminal history record information.

| Requisition | 202500036ES | | Title | Director of IMC Athletics External Operations and Engagement | | FLSA status | Exempt | | Hiring Salary |
Commensurate with education and experience. | | Department | IMC Athletics External Engagement | | Division | Integrated Marketing Communications | | Open Date | 07/18/2025 | | Open Until Filled | Yes | | Educational and Experience Requirement |
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, sports management, communications or related field. Minimum of 5 years of demonstrated, progressive experience in athletics marketing, fan engagement, sports management or related areas. Experience preferably at the collegiate (NCAA Division I) or professional level. Proven track record of developing and executing successful marketing campaigns and fan engagement strategies. Experience in a state institution of higher education is desirable. Strong leadership, communication, organizational, and analytical skills. Proficiency in digital marketing tools, social media platforms, and data analytics. Knowledge of NCAA rules and demonstrated commitment to compliance.

Experience in NCAA Division I athletics is strongly preferred. | | Nature & Purpose of Position |
The Director of IMC Athletics External Operations and Engagement provides strategic leadership over marketing, ticket operations, and sports information and communications for the Department of Athletics. Working in close coordination with the university’s Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) team, this position is responsible for the development and execution of comprehensive strategies that drive fan engagement, increase revenue, and elevate the visibility of all athletic programs.

This position plays a key role in enhancing the game-day experience, managing brand identity, and expanding digital outreach, while ensuring full compliance with NCAA, conference, and institutional standards. | | Primary Responsibilities |
Strategic Marketing & Communications: Provides leadership over all external functions, including athletics marketing, ticketing, and sports information and communications. Leads the development and execution of integrated marketing and communications strategies for all varsity sports in coordination with the university’s IMC team. Establishes and manages annual goals related to fan engagement, game attendance, ticket sales, digital and broadcast growth, and brand visibility.

Digital, Media & Content Strategy: Oversees strategy and execution for digital, social, print, and paid media campaigns that promote athletics programs and events. Guides the production of creative content—photography, video, and graphic design—to support marketing initiatives while aligning with established institutional and athletic department brand standards. Ensures consistent and effective brand messaging across all channels and platforms. Provides oversight of the athletics website account, including functionality and content.

Fan Experience & Community Engagement: Develops and implements engaging fan experience strategies for home events, including in-game promotions, student outreach, and community involvement initiatives. Leads efforts to build stronger campus and community relationships through athletics programming.

Ticketing & Revenue Development: Coordinates with ticket operations and third-party partners (e.g., Learfield Amplify) to implement strategic ticketing campaigns and drive sales. Supports pricing strategies, group sales plans, and promotional ticket offers to maximize attendance and revenue.

Sponsorship & Corporate Relations: Partners with external entities (e.g., Van Wagner College) to grow corporate sponsorships and branded promotional opportunities. Identifies new business development initiatives that align with department goals and expand brand reach.

Budget Management & Performance Analysis: Manages the IMC Athletics external operations budget and ensures responsible and efficient use of marketing resources. Tracks, reports, and evaluates campaign performance using analytics to optimize future efforts.

Institutional Alignment & Compliance: Maintains strong collaboration with athletics leadership and campus partners to support university-wide initiatives. Ensures marketing and communication efforts are compliant with all NCAA, conference, and institutional policies and procedures.

Other Duties: Performs other responsibilities as assigned by the AVP for Marketing and Branding.

Work Environment & Schedule: Evening and weekend work is required to support athletic events. Occasional travel for meetings, conferences, or team events. Office and athletics facility environments, including some physically active event setup responsibilities. | | Other Specifications |
Provides leadership and oversight to a department. Must exhibit a high level of professionalism and maturity, executive ability, and a keen understanding of protocol. Ability to organize work effectively and prioritizes objectives. Ability to exercise discretion, excellent reasoning, and independent judgment. Assists in the development of policies and operational procedures for the overall department. Skilled in directing multiple tasks, setting priorities, and organizing operations. Asset and fiscal resources management skills preferred. Ability to establish and maintain effective work relationships with administration, faculty, staff, and the public. Strong communication skills, both orally and written. Requires critical judgment for the department, in which very serious consequences on decision-making can occur. Interprets and applies complex directives, policies, regulations, statues, and procedures, and/or written guidelines for a department or major work group.

This position may be designated as a Campus Security Authority (CSA).

Up to 20% of this position, over the fiscal year during off-peak periods, may be performed remotely as determined by the supervisor. | | Full Time Part Time | Full Time | | Position Number | | | Quicklink | https://shsu.peopleadmin.com/postings... |

EEO Statement

| EEO Statement |
Sam Houston State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and Smoke/Drug-Free Workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, ancestry, marital status, citizenship, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, or protected veteran status. The University takes seriously the initiative to ensure equal opportunity in the workforce and to comply with Title VII as interpreted by the U.S. Supreme Court. Sam Houston State University is an “at will” employer. Employees with a contract will have additional terms and conditions. Security-sensitive positions at SHSU require background checks in accordance with Education Code §51.215.

Annual Security and Fire Safety Report |

Applicant Documents

Required Documents 1. Resume 2. Cover Letter 3. Letter of Recommendation 1 4. Reference Contact Information

Optional Documents 1. Letter of Recommendation 2 2. Letter of Recommendation 3

Screening Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * How did you learn about this position?

   • The Chronicle of Higher Education
   • Diverse Issues in Higher Education
   • HBCU Connect - Historically Black Colleges and Universities
   • HACU - Hispanic Association of Colleges & Universities
   • The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education
   • Association for Women in Science
   • TWC - Work in Texas
   • Inside Higher Ed
   • Higher Ed Jobs
   • HERC - Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
   • SHSU Website
   • SHSU Employee
   • SHSU Recruiter
   • Other

2. (Open Ended Question)

3. (Open Ended Question)

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