Director of Community Engagement

Department: Intercollegiate Athletics

Classification: Public Relations & Mktg Spec 3

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: On Site Required

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience

Background Check: Yes

Motor Vehicle Records Check: Yes

About the Department:

To unite communities by developing champions with a mission to inspire and transform lives through the power of sports. Intercollegiate Athletics (ICA) serves 500 student-athletes in 22 NCAA Division I sports. We are a proud member of the Atlantic 10 Conference with 17 Conference Championships, NCAA Championships in Women’s Soccer and Men’s Indoor Track, an NCAA Final Four appearance with Men’s Basketball, and over 30 individual National Champions. We are student-focused, education-centered, and committed to providing transformational experiences for our student-athletes and staff. Our five priorities are Student-Athlete Experience, Competition, Resources, Storytelling & Engagement, and Championship Culture.

About the Position:

The Director of Community Engagement will lead and execute the year-round community activation strategy for George Mason Athletics, serving as the primary operational driver of NOVA’s Team and the Starting 5 corporate partnership platform. This role is responsible for developing and managing programs that connect George Mason University student-athletes, campus stakeholders, and corporate partners with K–12 schools, youth sports organizations, military communities, and international populations throughout Northern Virginia.

The position plays a critical role in converting community engagement into long-term fan development, partnership value, and philanthropic impact.

Responsibilities:

Community Programming Leaderships:

• Design and execute a 12-month NOVA’s Team community activation calendar;


• Develop and manage community outreach programs that drive attendance and coordinate service opportunities for Mason student-athletes, staff, and spirit teams. Coordinate with campus partners to organize the events, with head and assistant coaches to obtain volunteer participants, and with community stakeholders for program participation and execution for the following types of events:
  
  
  
  • Patriots Play; Patriot Game Changes (Stars of Honor); Reading Programs; Seats for Service/Patriots of Honor; and Food Insecurity/Health & Wellness Initiatives;
  
  
  
  


• Connect organizations with opportunities to support tournaments, games, and clinics on Mason’s campus by outreach with local affiliates which have need for Athletic facilities as well as community and/or campus student volunteers;


• Develop international community engagement initiatives with teams and organizations with international affiliations by collaborating with the university's international office to discover opportunities for connection; and


• Manage department donation request and collection process for contributions to all community outreach centered events.

Grassroots Marketing & Street Team Leadership:

• Develop, launch, and manage the George Mason University Street Team (student hourly brand ambassadors) to support year-round community engagement efforts;


• Recruit, hire, and train student representatives to serve as grassroots marketers at K–12 school visits; youth sports tournaments; community festivals; military events; international student programming; and corporate partner activations;


• Build structured activation kits (signage, giveaway materials, QR codes, ticket offers, NIL storytelling materials);


• Ensure all Street Team members are trained in brand messaging for NOVA’s Team; ticket promotion and group sales lead capture; sponsor visibility expectations; and community engagement professionalism;


• Coordinate event staffing schedules and manage hourly payroll budgets;


• Track lead generation, impressions, and ticket conversion tied to Street Team appearances; and


• Collaborate with Marketing and George Mason Sports Properties to ensure sponsor activation compliance at grassroots events, ensuring the business sponsorship requirements are accurately contracted, sponsorship agreement stipulations are fulfilled and executed at each event, and ensure sponsor entitlements are fulfilled.

Patriot Pathways, NIL Coordination & Starting 5 Corporate Activation Support:

• Serve as Athletics liaison for community-facing components of Starting 5 partnerships;


• Ensure delivery of guaranteed community activation assets in partnership with George Mason Sports Properties within five program event types;


• Track and report community impact metrics for annual impact reports;


• Work closely with Playfly to align sponsor expectations and execution;


• Support Patriot Pathways events and student-athlete development programming;


• Coordinate with NIL representatives to align athlete ambassador activities with community programming; and


• Track NIL-related community engagements for compliance and reporting.

Revenue & Group Sales Integration:

• Identify community programming opportunities that convert into ticket sales;


• Partner with Ticket Sales to build school and youth sports ticket pipelines;


• Assist in the programming and execution of community-themed game nights; and


• Develop community ambassador relationships that drive repeat attendance;

Data, Reporting & Measurement:

• Develop measurable KPIs for all community initiatives;


• Track schools reached; students engaged; youth clinic participation; military family participation; ticket conversion rates; and NIL ambassador engagement;


• Contribute to the annual NOVA’s Team Impact Report; and


• Complete other related duties as assigned by the supervisor or Athletic Director.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience;


• Typically, 3–5+ years’ experience in community relations, group sales, partnership activation, or athletics administration;


• Experience working with K–12, youth sports, or nonprofit organizations;


• Event planning and project management experience;


• Demonstrated knowledge of and ability to adhere to NCAA, Conference, and Commonwealth rules and regulations;


• Strong relationship-building skills across corporate and community stakeholders;


• Ability to work with and manage relationships with a diverse population;


• Ability to manage key relationships with internal and external campus public, and to work collaboratively with internal departments and external partners;


• Ability to work in a deadline-driven, high-pressure environment;


• Ability to multitask and manage a series of projects in multiple external areas at once;


• Ability to plan, prioritize, and manage multiple projects and events simultaneously;


• Ability to set priorities and organize schedules to manage a complex and varied workload;


• High emotional intelligence;


• Willingness to work nights, weekends, and events as needed; and


• Must currently possess an appropriate, active, valid motor vehicle operator’s license that meets all of GMU’s requirements for operating state vehicles and equipment under Mason’s Vehicle Use Policy 1411 https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/vehicle-use/. The Office of Risk Management reserves the right to review the driver’s licenses and Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) of all candidates selected with employment contingent upon a favorable review.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in related field;


• Experience in building and executing community led programs;


• Knowledge of NIL landscape and student-athlete engagement;


• Demonstrated ability to build relationships with community stakeholders; and


• Familiarity with CRM systems (TicketMaster/Paciolian/Salesforce).

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Director of Community Engagement at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a resume for review.

Posting Open Date:  June 22, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by:  June 29, 2026

Open Until Filled:  Yes