Director, Athletics Consumer Marketing

USF Athletics is seeking a strategic and data-driven Director, Consumer Marketing to lead all fan-facing, revenue-generating marketing efforts across paid media, digital platforms, and owned communication channels. This role is responsible for developing and executing integrated consumer marketing strategies that drive ticket sales, attendance, fan acquisition, engagement, and retention.

The Director, Consumer Marketing will oversee paid advertising, the USF Athletics website, email marketing, and the mobile app, while directly managing and developing two managers responsible for these functional areas. This position plays a critical role in shaping the fan journey and ensuring cohesive, measurable, and high-performing marketing efforts across all touchpoints.

Core competencies for this role include strategic thinking, strong business acumen, and a data‑driven, results‑oriented mindset. The ideal candidate brings exceptional leadership and people‑management skills, along with strong communication and presentation abilities, and the ability to thrive in a fast‑paced, deadline‑driven environment. The position operates within a high‑energy, collaborative athletics setting and requires evening and weekend work to support athletic events and key campaigns. Success in this role requires a strong commitment to the mission, values, and brand of USF Athletics.

Consumer Marketing Strategy & Leadership
· Develop and execute comprehensive consumer marketing strategies that support ticket sales, revenue growth, and brand engagement across all sports and major initiatives.
· Lead annual and seasonal marketing planning tied to sport calendars, ticketing priorities, and departmental goals.
· Serve as a strategic partner to ticket sales, communications, creative services, community/on‑campus relations, and external stakeholders to align marketing efforts with broader business objectives.

Paid Advertising Oversight
· Oversee all paid advertising efforts, including digital, social, search, display, video, and traditional media as appropriate.
· Set strategy, budgets, targeting, creative alignment, and performance benchmarks for paid campaigns.
· Ensure campaigns are optimized based on performance data, ROI, and fan acquisition metrics.
· Collaborate closely with creative services to develop compelling, conversion‑focused creative assets.
Digital Platforms: Website & Mobile App
· Provide strategic oversight for the USF Athletics website and mobile app, ensuring they are fan‑centric, intuitive, and optimized for conversion.
· Guide content strategy, UX, navigation, and platform enhancements that improve the fan experience and support revenue goals.
· Partner with IT, vendors, and internal teams to manage updates, integrations, and new feature launches.
Email Marketing & CRM
· Oversee email marketing strategy, segmentation, automation, and lifecycle campaigns to drive ticket sales, engagement, and retention.
· Ensure best practices in list growth, personalization, deliverability, and compliance.
· Leverage CRM data to inform targeting, messaging, and campaign optimization across channels.
People Leadership & Team Development
· Directly manage and mentor two managers responsible for paid advertising and digital/CRM platforms.
· Set clear goals, performance expectations, and professional development plans for direct reports.
· Foster a collaborative, results‑oriented team culture focused on innovation and accountability.
Analytics, Reporting & Optimization
· Establish KPIs and dashboards to measure performance across paid media, digital platforms, email, and mobile app usage.
· Use data and insights to continuously optimize campaigns, fan journeys, and channel strategies.
· Present performance updates and strategic recommendations to senior leadership.
Budget & Vendor Management
· Manage consumer marketing budgets, ensuring efficient allocation of resources and strong ROI.
· Oversee relationships with media agencies, platform partners, and technology vendors.
· Evaluate and recommend new tools, platforms, or partnerships to enhance consumer marketing efforts and metric reporting.

 

Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, or a related field and 7+ years of experience in consumer marketing, digital marketing, or performance marketing, with increasing leadership responsibility.

Degree Equivalency Clause: Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree.
• Senate Bill 1310- The Florida Senate (https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2023/1310) is conditional upon meeting all employment eligibility requirements in the U.S.
• SB 1310: Substitution of Work Experience for Postsecondary Education Requirements
• A public employer may include a postsecondary degree as a baseline requirement only as an alternative to the number of years of direct experience required, not to exceed:
• (a) Two years of direct experience for an associate degree;
• (b) Four years of direct experience for a bachelor’s degree;
• (c) Six years of direct experience for a master’s degree;
• (d) Seven years of direct experience for a professional degree; or
• (e) Nine years of direct experience for a doctoral degree
• Related work experience may not substitute for any required licensure, certification, or registration required for the position of employment as established by the public employer and indicated in the advertised description of the position of employment.
• Minimum Qualifications that require a high school diploma are exempt from SB 1310.

Preferred qualifications include experience in collegiate or professional sports, entertainment, or live‑event marketing, along with familiarity with ticketing systems, CRM platforms, and marketing automation tools. Ideal candidates will also have experience managing mobile apps and high‑traffic websites, as well as knowledge of fan‑engagement strategies, loyalty programs, and membership marketing.”

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF‘s rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida’s best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state’s 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF’s Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: 

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.  This job description does not constitute an employment contract.