Pro Volleyball Federation (www.ProVolleyball.com) is REAL pro volleyball and the premier women’s professional volleyball league in North America. Pro Volleyball Federation will begin play in February 2024 with world class players and coaches, including some of America’s greatest volleyball players and great players from around the world. Pro Volleyball Federation is making history by becoming the first professional volleyball league in the United States that provides opportunities for players to stay home and play professionally while making a real living wage.
Pro Volleyball Federation is will start in eight markets throughout the United States, with its inaugural season launching in February 2024. We are hiring League and team staff interested in applying their skills within an exciting new environment where they can help build what will become the preeminent women's professional sports league in North America.
Position Overview:
Pro Volleyball Federation is seeking a Vice President, Marketing & Communications who understands the unique intersection of sports and business and can bring experience to oversee, guide, and direct the League's marketing and communications operations and strategies. The Vice President, Marketing & Communications will be the senior leader of the League's marketing and communications initiatives, establishing the vision, voice, and key messaging for the organization while protecting and growing the League’s brand and reputation. This individual will provide key counsel to the League's senior staff and all key decision-makers of the League and will oversee the planning and execution of all marketing and communications plans, utilizing all distribution channels to ensure effective outreach of the League's organizational messaging.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
- Make people care about Pro volleyball Federation and its players, coaches, teams, and team owners, both nationally and in local team markets
- Establish clear strategic objectives for marketing and communications, inclusive of a wide array of marketing and communications channels and utilizing multiple types of content
- Serve as an advisor and resource for League's senior leadership
- Develop extremely proactive strategic approach to market and publicize the League
- Actively create and develop unique storylines and generate coverage by outlets and platforms to establish new audiences, fans, and potential partners, all while growing the game of women's volleyball overall
- Develop trusted relationships with those who can help further the mission of the League and execute internal and external communications strategies and media/content opportunities
- Oversee the marketing and communications department staff, including managing and developing talent within the department
- Develop trusted relationships with team marketing and communications staff and develop a systematic and effective approach to help teams with their media responsibilities, with thinking through unique stories, and with leveraging media relationships to better tell those stories
- Develop strong, trusted relationships with significant national and local media influencers who communicate not only mainstream stories but also creative unique stories - humanistic, business, philanthropic, etc. in order to effectively pitch and influence these opportunities
- Lead the League crisis communications team, organizing a response team, meeting process, and communications plan on all crisis situations, both internal and external, and then replicating that plan at the team level with each team
- Follow volleyball-related news stories across the country, North America, and the world's sports and key global volleyball markets to understand the sporting and volleyball landscape and communicate stories and trends internally as appropriate
- Work with social media team to create maximization of League's voice while also ensuring consistency of identity and League narrative in execution
- Work with League’s community relations team to maximize League’s efforts and ensure they align with League's strategic plan
- Oversee all off-the-court (lifestyle, community, etc.) storylines and opportunities related to the League and its Players, Coaches, Team Owners, and Teams
- Develop a systematic approach to understand the needs and initiatives of individual departments and help with communications of those initiatives externally and internally across departments
- Oversee and develop process to edit, coordinate, and distribute written League communications and content (press releases, weekly game notes packages, stat packages, broadcast notes, event advisories, match recaps/previews, player announcements, League events, social media content, digital marketing and advertising assets, business collateral, marketing collateral, video content, etc.)
- Work with marketing, corporate partnerships, and other departments to ensure consistent messaging
- Lead and strengthen the League internal communications plans and programs
- Build relationships and work closely with league-wide communications personnel, broadcast partners and local, national and international media across the volleyball landscape.
- Work with individual members of the marketing staff and communications staff on professional development to expand their roles, enhance their performance, and empower these individuals
- Anticipate league-wide and other external issues that impact the organization and may result in a need for an organizational stance and public comment
- Serve as key member of senior leadership team and provide counsel on issues that may arise and create public relations issues
- Develop monthly and annual calendar of media and public speaking opportunities for executives and help craft speeches and talking points for such opportunities
- Oversee the annual rewards process for the League’s recognition programs including All-Star and MVP voting, and other League award opportunities nationally and within local team markets
- Serve as organization spokesperson as appropriate
The ideal candidate will be dynamic and energetic with a creative and innovative mind who understands how to integrate positioned messaging through various channels using many types of content. Candidate should be a strong collaborator that takes pride in being a great teammate. Candidate should be a strategic thinker who can not only develop successful plans and campaigns, but also lead a team in the execution of said plans and campaigns. To be highly considered, please make sure resume and other application materials demonstrate success in these areas.
Background, Skills and Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in public relations, journalism, communications, or related field preferred
- At least seven years of previous communications experience in leadership position in sports, preferably in a professional sports environment
- Strategic thinker and high-level strategist who can create and execute a League-wide vision
Passion for sports, with knowledge of the sport of volleyball preferred but not mandatory
- Creative storyteller with the ability to guide daily and weekly storyline ideas with both internal and external media and broadcast teams
- Deep understanding of the modern media landscape and passion for emerging technology
- Versatility in modern communications, including heavy emphasis on digital content and consumer engagement strategies
- Executive presence that demonstrates self-awareness and leads with class and energy
- Collaborative teammate who understands the critical need to hear different opinions in order to create the most effective outcomes
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to successfully manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously
- Ability to work through problems at hand quickly and deliver effective, concise work product while under pressure and tight deadlines
- Ability to work in a professional, team-oriented environment
- Ability to work with cross-functional teams (multiple subject areas, different expertise) in complex projects
- Ability to establish and foster effective working relationships with a variety of media and community contacts (such as newspapers, TV, radio, podcasts, social media, etc.)
- Exceptional project management skills with ability to manage people/projects, delegate responsibility, and provide follow-through on multiple projects
- Detail-oriented with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines
- Highly organized with excellent project coordination and project management skills
- Ability to work independently and complete duties and projects with minimal direct supervision
- Ability to motivate, lead and bring diverse groups together to work on and complete projects
- Self-starter and entrepreneurial spirit with hands-on approach towards business
- Due to the nature of this industry, the candidate must be available to work a flexible schedule, including weeknights, select weekends, and holidays
This is a full-time and is eligible for our competitive benefit offerings.
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.
