Director, Social Media & Narrative Strategy (6403C) Intercollegiate Athletics #86764

Director, Social Media & Narrative Strategy

The University of California, Berkeley’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is seeking a Director, Social Media & Narrative Strategy to lead the department’s digital evolution. The role transforms fan data into narratives that advance the Cal brand, drive fan engagement, ticket sales, donations, sponsorship value, and student‑athlete recruitment and retention.

Departmental Overview

The Department of Intercollegiate Athletics consists of more than 275 staff members and coaches, sponsors 30 varsity sports programs, and hosts 850 student‑athletes who compete annually in the NCAA.

Position Summary

The Director leads strategy, planning, and organizational alignment of all Cal Athletics social media accounts. The primary goal is to enhance the program’s national reputation, attract elite recruits and brands, and engage fans through authentic storytelling. The role collaborates with internal units to integrate digital platforms, maintains external contacts, and oversees a workforce of students and interns, providing a digital training program.

Responsibilities

Data-Driven Creation and Decision Making

• Build and oversee an integrated analytics framework to track the full fan and recruit lifecycle.
• Leverage analytics and develop dashboards for data-driven content decisions that increase conversion rates, optimize engagement, and maximize ROI.
• Translate complex datasets into executive-level insight stories and dashboards that guide departmental strategy and create reporting mechanisms.

Strategic Brand Narrative

• Direct a multi-channel content strategy to authentically tell the Cal brand story through athlete-driven narratives and exclusive access.
• Collaborate with creative and athletic teams to ensure each piece of digital content drives a specific call to action and consistent brand narrative.
• Leverage NIL opportunities within the overall marketing strategy to integrate student‑athlete stories into the commercial ecosystem.

Revenue Generation

• Own the digital sales funnel for traditional and new revenue streams, including season tickets, premium seating, key donation tent poles, auctions, loyalty programs, and other digital workstreams.
• Optimize Cal’s tech stack—Sidearm Sports, Paciolin, Google Analytics—to take advantage of key revenue-generating moments throughout the year.
• Partner with external sponsorship agencies—Learfield, TheLinkU—to monetize digital inventory through data-backed partner activations.

Budgeting & Strategy

• Manage digital ecosystem budgets, track expenses, and evaluate fan engagement via feedback and data to improve future stories.

Influencer Network

• Own the Cal Athletics digital influencer network for collaborations and brand‑advancing initiatives.

Quality Control & Post-Campaign Analysis

• Govern the post-campaign review process by analyzing fan engagement and digital performance; implement continuous improvements.

Other responsibilities as assigned, including professional development.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced knowledge of program activity and best practices.
• Problem-solving skills; ability to multi-task, work with frequent interruptions, and be an effective listener.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in computer applications relevant to job duties and/or ability to learn new tools.
• Mastery of tracking the fan/recruit lifecycle using tools and dashboards.
• Ability to build executive-level dashboards that translate complex raw data into actionable insight stories.
• Expert knowledge of integrating disparate digital tools to create a seamless user journey.
• Deep understanding of A/B testing and digital sales funnels to maximize ticket sales and donation ROI.
• Skill in directing cohesive narratives across social media, web, and email that drive specific calls to action.
• Knowledge of integrating Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities into the broader college athletics commercial ecosystem.
• Experience building and managing a network of digital influencers to amplify brand reach and student‑athlete recruitment.
• Familiarity with emerging AI tools for content personalization, automated fan engagement, and workflow efficiency.
• Proven ability to partner with agencies to value and sell digital inventory through data-backed activations.
• Skill in managing complex digital budgets while providing post-campaign analysis to justify spend.
• Ability to design a digital training program that scales professional-level storytelling through a student and intern workforce.
• Capability to align Creative, Development (donations), and Ticket Office units under one unified digital framework.
• Strong skills in coaching and mentoring lower-level staff, students, and interns.
• Time and project management skills to prioritize and meet competing deadlines for self and team.
• Interpersonal communication and people‑management skills to interact effectively with a variety of clients, staff, and vendors.
• Strong fiscal responsibility to plan and manage the Digital Ecosystems budget.
• Maintain current knowledge of applicable rules and standards of the Pac-12, NCAA, and other associations; avoid violations of these rules.

Preferred Qualifications

• None listed.

Education / Training

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent experience and training.

Salary & Benefits

Salary range: $105,000 - $115,000. This is a exempt, monthly-paid, full-time (40 hours per week) career position eligible for UC benefits.

How to Apply

Submit resume and cover letter.

Driving Required

Required to hold a valid driver’s license and comply with local policies or enroll in the California Employer Pull Notice Program.

Other Information

• No visa sponsorship; the position does not include sponsorship of a new consular H-1B visa petition.
• The position will be governed by the terms and conditions in the agreement for the Communications, Marketing, and Sales Professionals, represented by the UAW.

Conviction History Background

Background check required due to nature of responsibilities. Hiring decisions may be contingent on successful completion of the check.

Mandated Reporter

Position identified as a mandated reporter required to report observed or suspected abuse or neglect of children, dependent adults, or elders to designated agencies.

Misconduct

Final candidate must disclose any misconduct related to administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years. The employer reserves the right to require signed statements acknowledging reporter responsibilities.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.