The Assistant Athletic Director - Marketing, Community & Spirit leads efforts to strengthen the visibility, energy, and community connection of the Menlo athletics program. Reporting to the Director of Athletics, with a dotted line to the Director of Communications, this role serves as the strategic lead and steward for Menlo Athletics’ communications, marketing, brand identity, fan experience, and community presence. The position builds excitement around events, increases attendance, enhances school spirit, and shapes a digital presence that reflects the excellence and character of Menlo Athletics.

This is a full-time, in-person role that requires some evening and weekend attendance at various athletic competitions and school events throughout the year.

Responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Developing and overseeing the implementation of a comprehensive strategy for athletics marketing, storytelling, school spirit, and community engagement that strengthens the visibility and identity of Menlo Athletics.
• Building sustainable systems, structures, and processes that strengthen Menlo’s athletics marketing and communications efforts, including developing and delivering on a comprehensive athletics marketing and engagement playbook.
• Partnering with the Director of Athletics to help shape and amplify the vision, voice, and public presence of Menlo Athletics through executive communications, thought leadership, presentations, and strategic messaging.
• Creating and supporting initiatives that increase attendance, cultivate school spirit, elevate the student fan experience, and strengthen community engagement, including close collaboration with student spirit leaders, the Sea of Gold student section, student council, and Student Life department.
• Providing strategic leadership for athletics communications, digital engagement, social media strategy, brand visibility, and community storytelling across platforms and audiences.
• Collaborating closely with coaches and athletics staff to strengthen systems, consistency, and communication workflows across Menlo Athletics.
• Partnering with internal colleagues, student leaders, and external stakeholders to promote athletics events and foster enthusiasm around school spirit and rivalry traditions.
• Helping ensure that athletic contests and community events feel welcoming, well-promoted, and aligned with department goals.
• Collaboratively overseeing the design and production of athletic uniforms and spirit gear, and serve as a liaison with coaches and team and campus stores in the coordination of spirit merchandise and promotions.
• Serving as a strategic bridge between the Athletics, Communications, and Admissions departments, helping align athletics storytelling, marketing, and community engagement efforts with Menlo’s broader institutional voice and brand.
• Partnering with Admissions and coaches to share the Menlo student-athlete experience with prospective families in ways that reflect the School’s values and uphold all undue influence guidelines.
• Collaborating across the School with student leaders as well as the Student Life, EDIB, Communications, Admissions, Alumni, and Development departments on shared initiatives and community-building efforts. 
• Supervising athletics communications-related staff or contractors, including the Athletics Communications Specialist and Sports Videographer, as applicable.

Minimum Requirements:

• Minimum education is a Bachelor’s degree.
• Five or more years of relevant experience with increasing levels of responsibility in marketing, communications, athletics administration, community engagement, or a related field.
• Strong strategic thinking, writing, storytelling, executive communications, and project management skills, with the ability to shape compelling messaging for multiple audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategies to build school spirit, promote events, and strengthen audience engagement in a school or athletics setting.
• A keen eye for graphic design, visual storytelling, and experience with digital media campaign planning, brand management, and audience development strategies.
• Strong collaboration and project management skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments.
• Commitment to representing Menlo Athletics in a way that reflects excellence, inclusivity, and community pride.
• Genuine enthusiasm for working with students and contributing to the energy and life of a vibrant school community.
• Technically savvy, with working familiarity of Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, Lightroom), website CMS platforms, Google Workspace, Asana, social media strategy and content development, massaging platforms such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact, TeamSnap, and WhatsApp, and growing capacity with AI-powered communications and marketing workflows.

MENLO SCHOOL ATHLETICS VALUES: LIFE LESSONS THROUGH SPORT

Pursue Excellence

• Embrace and celebrate competitive excellence while taking responsibility for meeting the highest standards in both academics and athletics.
• Develop a growth mindset, build resiliency, and commit to continual improvement.
• Find joy in the process.

Celebrate Team

• Develop a sense of commitment to purposes larger than yourself.
• Cherish the legacy you’re inheriting and recognize that it is a privilege to play sport at Menlo School.
• Recognize that everyone on the team is valuable, and treat them accordingly.

Honor the Game

• Perform as ethical, responsible, and engaged members of ever-wider communities.
• Celebrate and honor your team, officials, opponents, school, fans and sport.
• Strive to compete at your highest level possible.

Uphold Strong Values

• Exhibit courage, appreciate inclusiveness and diversity, and commit to moral behavior.
• Act with integrity.
• Lead responsibly, with humility, honor, fairness, honesty, virtue, and character.

We offer:

• An exceptional work environment and caring community
• Highly competitive salary
• A comprehensive benefits package, including generous contributions to a retirement plan for eligible employees and their families. Learn more here.

To be considered for this position, please submit your resume and a brief cover letter outlining your interest and relevant experience through our application portal.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest and will reach out only to those most closely aligned with the position's needs.

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for this position.

We look forward to hearing from you!

About us:

Menlo School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school for students in grades six through twelve. Located in the heart of Silicon Valley and founded in 1915, the School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and is a member of the National and California Associations of Independent Schools.

Menlo is dedicated to providing a joyful, transformative education that empowers students to explore broadly, think critically, act responsibly, and navigate the complexities of an evolving world. Our relevant and engaging academic program—complemented by outstanding arts and athletics—sparks wonder, fosters a love of learning, and inspires students to reach their full potential as they grow in competence, confidence, and curiosity. Student care and the supportive relationships students build with teachers, coaches, and peers are at the heart of all we do as we uphold the highest ethical standards, develop character, and pursue a shared commitment to purposes larger than ourselves.

At Menlo, belonging is essential to who we are as a school. We embrace the growth and well-being of every member of our community by cultivating a culture rooted in kindness, trust, and belonging—one where everyone feels welcomed, included, and valued, and where our diverse backgrounds, identities, and ideas are honored with curiosity, care, and compassion.

Learn more about the Menlo School here.

Our equal opportunity employment policy:

Menlo School is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and equal opportunity for all employees and qualified applicants. We administer all personnel practices without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status or domestic partnership status, disability, protected veteran status or military status, genetic information, or any other category protected under applicable law.

Pay range:

In the spirit of pay transparency, we share the base salary range for this position for the 2026-2027 academic year. The full pay range, which encompasses all experience levels, is $100,000 - $140,000. Within this broad range, we pay in accordance with what is reasonably expected given an individual's experience level. Base salary is exclusive of fringe benefits, employer contributions to retirement plans, and potential stipends (for eligible employees). Pay ranges at Menlo are reasonable estimates of what the School anticipates paying for a role, but are not guaranteed. If hired at Menlo School, your final base salary will be determined by factors such as skills, education, experience, job level, part-time status, and the number of months worked per academic year. In addition to those factors, we believe in the importance of pay equity and consider internal equity with our current employees as a part of any final offer. Please note that the generous range mentioned above is the full base salary range for the role. Hiring at the top of the range is not typical at Menlo School to allow for future and continued salary growth.

Job ID: 388 

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