Assistant Director of Digital Marketing - Tennessee Athletics - UTK

Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at University of Tennessee
Anderson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation at University of Tennessee

Marketing & Communications

Knoxville, TN, USA

Posted on Jul 21, 2026
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The Assistant Director of Digital Marketing serves as a strategic member of the Tennessee Athletics Digital Marketing and Web team within the Marketing and Fan Experience Department, reporting to the Associate Director of Digital Marketing and Web. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating integrated digital marketing strategies that support departmental priorities, drive fan engagement, and advance revenue-generating initiatives for Tennessee Athletics Hospitality, Tennessee Athletics facility rental events, and Food City Center events, including concerts and special events. Working collaboratively with Fan Experience, Ticket Sales, Tennessee Fund, Communications, Strategy & Analytics, and external partners, the Assistant Director exercises independent judgment in planning audience engagement strategies, marketing automation initiatives, digital advertising campaigns, and performance optimization to achieve measurable business objectives. This position analyzes campaign performance, identifies opportunities for continuous improvement, ensures digital communications align with Tennessee Athletics brand standards, provides guidance to student interns, and performs other duties as assigned.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices to attract and retain top-tier talent, fostering a strong staff community and supporting a culture of involvement and engagement for everyone.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!
The Assistant Director of Digital Marketing serves as a strategic member of the Tennessee Athletics Digital Marketing and Web team within the Marketing and Fan Experience Department, reporting to the Associate Director of Digital Marketing and Web. This position is responsible for developing, implementing, and evaluating integrated digital marketing strategies that support departmental priorities, drive fan engagement, and advance revenue-generating initiatives for Tennessee Athletics Hospitality, Tennessee Athletics facility rental events, and Food City Center events, including concerts and special events.

Required Qualifications

  • Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, Digital Communications, Sport Management or related field.
  • Experience: 1-2 years of experience in digital marketing, email marketing, email automation, digital advertising, content management system.
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:

    • Experience developing and implementing digital marketing strategies, email marketing programs, marketing automation workflows, and digital advertising campaigns.

    • Experience interpreting campaign analytics and applying data to improve marketing performance and business outcomes.

    • Working knowledge of Salesforce Marketing Cloud or comparable enterprise marketing automation platforms.

    • Working knowledge of content management systems and website administration.

    • Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, prioritize competing initiatives, and independently manage multiple projects in a fast-paced environment.

    • Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to collaborate across departments.

    • Strong organizational and project management skills with exceptional attention to detail.

    • Working knowledge of Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment-based visa status.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Experience: Previous experience in live events, college athletics or digital marketing agency.
  • Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
    • Knowledge of integrated digital marketing strategies within collegiate athletics, entertainment, or sports marketing.
    • Knowledge of digital marketing best practices, customer journey development, audience segmentation, and performance optimization.
    • Ability to lead projects independently while collaborating with cross-functional teams.
    • Ability to work evenings and weekends as required by athletic and special event schedules.

Work Location

  • Knoxville, TN
  • Onsite

Compensation and Benefits

  • UT market range: 09
  • Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
  • Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions

To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments.

  • Resume

  • Cover Letter

About Tennessee Athletics

Tennessee Athletics Mission, Vision & Core Values

Mission: To lead the way forward in all aspects of college sports

Vision: Deliver an unparalleled student-athlete experience fueled by the relentless pursuit of comprehensive excellence; be bold and innovative in our approach to recruiting and developing well-rounded graduates, championship-driven competitors and world-changing leaders.

Core Values: Vols lead through…
» Academic Success
» Inclusive Preeminence
» Honesty and Integrity
» Competitive Excellence
» Holistic Health and Well-Being
» The Power of Vol Nation

  • Develop, implement, and optimize comprehensive digital marketing strategies, campaigns, and automation initiatives supporting:

    • Tennessee Athletics Hospitality, including premium seating and hospitality communications.

    • Tennessee Athletics facility rental events.

    • Food City Center events, including concerts, shows, premium experiences, ticket sales, and fan engagement initiatives.

  • Exercise independent judgment in developing audience segmentation strategies, customer journeys, campaign calendars, and marketing automation workflows designed to increase engagement, revenue generation, and customer retention.

  • Evaluate campaign performance using marketing analytics and reporting tools, interpret results, and recommend strategic adjustments to improve key performance indicators, lead generation, and return on investment.

  • Lead digital communication planning by collaborating with Communications, Fan Experience, Ticket Sales and Operations, Tennessee Fund, Strategy & Analytics, The Vol Network, VFL Films, and 151 Creative to ensure integrated messaging across platforms.

  • Develop digital advertising and lead generation strategies utilizing email marketing, paid social media, display advertising, and retargeting campaigns to grow constituent databases and support organizational objectives.

  • Maintain responsibility for execution and optimization of marketing automation programs within the email marketing platform while identifying opportunities to improve efficiency, audience engagement, and campaign effectiveness.

  • Provide strategic oversight for digital content published across Tennessee Athletics websites using the SIDEARM content management system and related web platforms.

  • Evaluate website content and user experience, recommend enhancements that improve engagement and accessibility, and ensure digital assets support marketing priorities and institutional branding.

  • Coordinate digital signage content strategy and scheduling for Food City Center to support athletics and special event programming.

  • Provide direction, training, and ongoing guidance to student interns supporting digital marketing and web initiatives.

  • Establish priorities, review work products, and promote adherence to departmental standards, timelines, and best practices while fostering professional development.

Apply now
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