Senior Director, Marketing (Basketball & LAX)

Named one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies in 2023, Athletes Unlimited is a new model of pro sports, where athletes are decision-makers and individual players are champions of team sports. Athletes Unlimited owns and operates professional women’s softball, lacrosse, volleyball and basketball leagues featuring world-class competition and fan experience and stands out as an organization driven by the athletes that play in the leagues.  Athletes Unlimited is the first professional sports league to be organized as a Public Benefit Corporation.

We change the game with faster play, and new team rosters every week, delivering thrilling entertainment in which every moment counts. We provide our team of enthusiastic, collaborative innovators with a next-generation workplace with unlimited PTO, competitive health insurance, professional development opportunities, and more so that we can build the future of professional sports. Are you Unlimited?

Athletes Unlimited is looking for a Sr. Director, Marketing (Basketball & LAX), who will be responsible for the planning, execution and support of marketing activities for Athletes Unlimited, with a primary focus on AU Pro Basketball and AU Pro Lacrosse. This includes the coordination of external messaging with marketing partners, digital asset creation, promo copywriting, development of game day marketing promotional plans, execution of marketing-related events, managing all aspects of our grassroots marketing events and staff, and general upkeep of internal marketing communication documents. This role is full-time, remote, and reports to the Vice President, Marketing.

Responsibilities

Strategy

• Develop overall marketing plans and strategies to promote AU Pro Basketball and AU Pro Lacrosse in and out of season, both on a local and national level in conjunction with VP, Marketing
• Collaborate with VP, Marketing on the development of messaging, campaigns, marketing, and creative direction for basketball and lacrosse
• Lead the development of promotional activities to include giveaways, theme nights, Impact Weeks, ticket promotions, postgame fan activities, and other activities for basketball and lacrosse seasons
• Lead events and marketing activations related to basketball and lacrosse both in and out of market
• Develop and execute grassroots marketing strategies in-market and nationally for basketball and lacrosse to enhance brand awareness and fan development
• Produce marketing calendars, plans, execution tracking, marketing decks, and other internal marketing documents 

Marketing Assets & Materials

• Work collaboratively with the AU creative teams to create marketing collateral, digital assets, giveaway items, banners, and other assets
• Coordinate distribution of content assets through Athletes Unlimited, partners, and players’ digital channels including emails, social media, websites, etc. 
• Work with game presentation producers on in-venue PA reads and video board assets
• Write promotional and informational copy for internal and external marketing communications channels
• Schedule, write copy, and collect visual assets for internal and marketing-related partners’ live reads and TV spots for in-game linear and streaming game broadcasts

Relationships and Management

• Hire and manage multiple grassroots marketing staff members including outlining duties and schedules and serving as the point of contact
• Build relationships and engage in regular communication with marketing partners, media partnerships, and others to facilitate the execution of external messaging through partner channels including emails, social media, websites, etc. 
• Work collaboratively with our media buying agency and internal design team to provide copy, creative direction, specs, and delivery, and coordinate any necessary updates or changes for paid digital ads 
• Work with the greater team on the planning, coordination, and execution of marketing-related events and promotions across all AU sports
• Serve as the on-site representative for Marketing during select times during the seasons and off-season to assist with the execution of marketing-related activities in-market for games, events, and grassroots activities (travel required)
• General marketing support duties as assigned    

Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in marketing, sales, events, or related field
• Prior experience in sports at the pro or college level is required, with a demonstrated passion for women’s basketball preferred
• Deep knowledge, understanding and experience using digital platforms and social media including creating and editing content, copy, graphics, and video
• Proficiency in GSuite required and Adobe Creative Cloud preferred
• Collaborative and flexible working style with the ability to work autonomously in a remote environment
• Ability to manage partner relationships in an attentive and professional manner
• Strong managerial skills
• Ability to interact and communicate with customers in a face-to-face environment
• Ability to travel to season and event locations as needed (select game weekends, events, etc.). Approximately 20% travel per year.
• Legal authorization to work in the United States

Benefits

This role is full-time, remote, and is compensated at a range of $119,000 to $129,000 annually. While this is the intended range, the actual compensation may vary based on several factors including but not limited to qualifications, skills, and geographic location of the position. We anticipate the highest end of the range will be reserved for those who exceed the hiring committee’s expectations on all measures of the evaluation process. For full-time only: In addition, Athletes Unlimited is proud to offer comprehensive benefits and perks to all of our full-time employees, including:

• Competitive health, dental, and vision insurance plans
• 401(k) plan with generous company match
• Paid parental leave
• Wellness and Development benefit
• Caregiving benefit
• Unlimited paid time off alongside company holidays

OUR DEI STATEMENT

As a company, we share a vision to change the world for the better and believe in the power of sports to tear down barriers. We will Be Unlimited in our pursuit to intentionally create an environment where every individual can be their authentic self.

Research shows that women, trans, non-binary folks, and BIPOC are less likely to apply for a job unless they believe they meet every single one of the qualifications. We strongly encourage you to apply even if your background is non-traditional or you might not meet every one of the qualifications described.

Athletes Unlimited is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in its hiring process based on race, religion, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, pregnancy status, parental status, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.