Vice President/Senior Vice President, Football Communications

AMB Group, LLC•Flowery Branch, GA

About The Position

The Atlanta Falcons Vice President of Football Communications is the senior leader responsible for shaping, protecting, and advancing the team’s football narrative and serves as a key piece of the Falcons integrated marketing leadership team. This role oversees all football-related media strategy, day-to-day communications operations, and proactive storytelling across traditional media, owned channels, league platforms, and community touchpoints. This leader will also work closely with the Falcons CMO, VP of digital, and other departments charged with fan and community engagement to ensure all external and internal relations are strategic, integrated, and efficient. Reporting to the president and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons, this role plays a wider importance as a part of team senior leadership. The leader will also interact regularly with the Blank Family of Businesses chief brand and communications officer on proactive and crisis communications matters. When necessary, this leader will also engage communications leads in the other BFOB businesses to ensure Falcons messaging is correct at all touchpoints and to ensure the Falcons platforms are aligned when necessary with BFOB messaging, especially when it comes to Chairman and Owner, Arthur M. Blank. This leader will be the primary communications lead for the president of football, head coach, general manager, the team’s executive leadership, and our players. The VP will ensure thorough media preparation of all media-facing personnel and will foster accuracy, consistency, and alignment in how the team communicates with fans, media, league partners, and internal/external stakeholders. Managing a team of four full-time and one seasonal associate, this leader will be responsible for organizing and coordinating their work to support all football activities throughout the calendar year, creating and executing plans for their development, and ensuring their compliance with all team and league rules, including confidentiality of information. Note: This position will be filled at the VP or SVP level, depending on candidate experience and qualifications.

Requirements

12+ years of progressive experience in sports or corporate communications, preferably in the NFL, or at the professional or collegiate level
Proven success managing high-pressure media environments, issues management, and executive communications
Deep understanding of NFL operations, culture, and media landscape
Exceptional writing, messaging, strategic counseling, and relationship building skills
Ability to influence at the executive level and collaborate across football and business units
Track record of being a positive culture builder, collaborator, and teammate
Documented success operating in complex environments and representing high-profile people and brands in a very fast-paced setting

Responsibilities

Develop and execute an annual comprehensive football communications strategy that is aligned with organizational goals
Serve as the primary advisor to the CEO, president of football, head coach, general manager, and football leadership on media strategy, crisis communication, and competitive communication positioning
Lead messaging and execution within all NFL and team guidelines around roster moves, injuries, game narratives, culture, and long-term team direction
Oversee all football media availability, including weekly press conferences, practice access, and gameday media operations; orchestrate credentialing of local and national media in coordination with NFL regulations and AMBSE and Mercedes-Benz Stadium security
Create, manage and maintain positive working relationships with national and local media, ensuring fair access and fostering trust
Manage editorial relationships with the team’s local TV and Radio rights holders
Prepare coaches, players, and executives for interviews through briefing documents, coaching, and rapid-response messaging; coordinate media training for all football personnel and specialized training for our most high-profile people
Work closely with AMBSE media operations on all gameday needs, hosting media in a first-class manner to include all field, press box, and broadcast booths, trucks, remotes, etc.
Collaborate with internal content, social, and brand teams to elevate football storytelling, creating narratives that strengthen the team’s reputation and fan engagement
Ensure all football-related content is accurate, deliberate, and aligned with league guidelines and rules
Drive longform content opportunities, including behind-the-scenes shows and documentaries, with all local and national partner media, as well as NFL Films collaborations
Engage counterparts across the Blank Family of Businesses to leverage the platforms and media contacts of all entities to maximize communication with internal and external audiences, when appropriate
Work in close collaboration with Falcons CEO and BFOB CBCO, coordinating the team’s response to emerging issues, including player controversies, injuries, operational challenges, and community matters
Create scenario plans and maintain readiness for rapid communications deployment; review annually with football leadership, Falcons communications and BFOB communications leadership, and key AMBSE communicators
Serve as point of contact for league officials on communicating team or player disciplinary matters; manage narratives around controversial topics
Manage, develop, and mentor a team of football communications staffers, including coordinators, managers, directors, and seasonal associates
Oversee all operational elements of the communications department, including budgeting, staffing, media guidelines, and gameday execution
Ensure compliance with NFL policies on media access and league communications protocols