Director, Social Media & Narrative Strategy; Intercollegiate Athletics

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.

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.

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.

• 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.

• 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.

• 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 work streams.
• 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.

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

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

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

• 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…