Sports Information Graduate Assistant | Northwestern State University

Natchitoches, Louisiana, Northwestern State University’s Athletics Department seeks a candidate for a graduate assistant position with the Sports Information Office. The graduate assistants aid the overall operation of the sports information department, assisting the SID and Assistant SIDs in the promotion of all 14 NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletic programs at NSU. Northwestern State, an NCAA Division I (FCS) institution located in Natchitoches, La., is a member of the Southland Conference and has an enrollment of more than 10,000 students. Natchitoches, which has a population of almost 30,000 people, is located along Interstate 49 about 60 miles south of Shreveport and 50 miles north of Alexandria. The candidate must be successfully admitted to and enrolled in a graduate program at Northwestern State, preferably Sport Administration, prior to beginning employment. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position or positions are filled. Employment is to begin in August 2020. Graduate degree programs at Northwestern State generally take four semesters to complete. Former NSU sports information staffers include Kenny Lannou, Executive Associate AD for Communications at Kansas State; Bruce Ludlow, associate commissioner of the Southland Conference; Andrew Pate, assistant director of athletic communications at Vanderbilt and Bill Magrath, media relations manager for the Sports Business Daily. Adam Jonson, Athletic Director at LSU-Alexandria, was a student and graduate assistant in the NSU SID office. Additional graduate assistants and interns in the office have moved on to LSU, Penn State, Georgia Southern and SIDEARM Sports. Responsibilities: The selected candidates will spend a majority of his or her time working with the assigned sports, which will come from a pool of soccer, cross country, track and field and tennis. The candidate’s background and abilities will determine sport assignments. The candidate will write releases, edit and design media guides, game notes, maintain historical records, assist on other sport media guides, compile statistics, assist with the maintenance and upkeep of the Athletics Department website (NSUDemons.com), assist with video interviews for the website, TV stations and social media. Gameday responsibilities across different sports include inputting statistics, social media development and streaming video. Some occasional travel with teams will be required, as well as working events on nights and weekends. Regular office hours will be maintained. A bachelor's degree in journalism, communication, sports administration or a related field or an equivalent combination of education and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired, is required. Knowledge and understanding of college sports, familiarity with social media trends and the ability to work non-traditional hours are expected. Candidates need strong written and oral communication skills. Ideal but not required: proficiency in desktop publishing (InDesign), Adobe Creative Suite, website management, social media applications and basic computer applications along with experience with in-game statistical software (Genius, Stat Crew). Experience shooting broadcast-caliber interviews and footage, and with live streaming technology, will be a significant plus. Additionally, the candidate must be able to meet deadlines and work independently. The applicant must adhere to the requirements of the NCAA, The Southland Conference, and the mission of Northwestern State.   Position is for 10 months with a semester stipend of $6,000 for a total of $12,000 (prior to taxes) for the year. Applicant is required to pay for his/her own tuition, with out-of-state fees waived.