Director Football Development Jobs in Union, NJ (NOW HIRING)

The NFL is seeking a Director, Communications - Flag Football to lead strategic communications for one of the fastest growing areas of the sport. This role will help grow awareness, credibility, and participation in flag football in the U.S. and internationally, while supporting the NFL's leadership through NFL FLAG and the broader flag football ecosystem.

The Director will shape the narrative for flag football by elevating stories around access, inclusion, athlete pathways, youth and scholastic participation, community impact, and elite competition. This leader will develop integrated media, content, executive visibility, and thought-leadership strategies tied to major growth moments, including NFL tentpole events, flag-specific events, international activations, and the LA28 Olympic Games.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a multi-year communications strategy that advances flag football growth across youth, scholastic, community, elite, and international levels.
• Lead storytelling, media relations, executive visibility, and issues preparedness tied to LA28, Brisbane 2032, and long-term Olympic inclusion.
• Create communications and advocacy materials that support NFHS and state association sanctioning efforts, including stakeholder messaging, announcement plans, and media materials.
• Drive proactive press strategy across national, local, youth/scholastic, community, lifestyle, sports business, and international media.
• Partner with Football Operations, International, Marketing, Social, Player Engagement, Legends, Clubs, and external partners across the flag football ecosystem.
• Lead communications planning and on-site media operations for flag-specific showcases, championships, clinics, activations, and relevant NFL tentpole events.
• Develop message guides, press materials, briefing documents, FAQs, social/content inputs, and partner-facing assets aligned with league style and terminology.
• Establish communications KPIs, track performance, report progress, and maintain talking points, holding statements, Q&As, and response plans for flag-related issues.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in communications, Public Relations, Journalism, Marketing, or a related field.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in communications, public relations, media relations, corporate communications, brand communications, or sports communications.
• Proven success in developing communications strategies that drive awareness, engagement, participation, reputation, or business outcomes.
• Strong media relationships and experience with narrative development, message development, executive communications, and spokesperson preparation.
• Experience leading communications planning, press operations, and on-site media execution at major events.
• Ability to translate research, participation trends, insights, and performance metrics into clear, compelling stories.
• Sound judgment, discretion, and composure in fast-paced, high-visibility environments.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Experience in sports, youth/scholastic programming, community impact, grassroots participation, international communications, or major events.
• Familiarity with schools, state associations, community organizations, clubs, leagues, federations, or governing bodies.
• Passion for growing youth sports participation and expanding access, inclusion, and pathways for athletes.

Other Key Attributes / Talent Characteristics:

• Builds trusted relationships and collaborates effectively across teams, partners, and senior stakeholders.
• Communicates with clarity, confidence, and composure in high-pressure situations.
• Solves problems, removes barriers, and keeps workstreams moving.
• Motivates teams and partners to innovate and deliver measurable impact.
• Supports the growth and development of colleagues, agencies, and partners.

Travel:

• On-site presence and travel as needed for NFL tentpole events, flag-specific events, and activations throughout the season.

Terms / Expected Hours of Work:

• NFL employees are required to work a minimum of 40 hours per week onsite, five days per week in our League office in NYC.

Salary / Pay Range

This posting contains a pay range, which represents the range of salaries or hourly rates that the NFL believes, in good faith, at the time of this posting that it might be willing to pay for the posted job in the location(s) specified. The NFL expects to hire for this position near the middle of the range. Only in truly rare and exceptional circumstances, where an external candidate has experience, credentials, or expertise that far exceed those required or expected for the position, would the NFL consider paying a salary or rate near the higher end of the range.