About the position
The director of athletics is responsible for leading Stevenson's 29 NCAA Division III teams and extensive club sports program. The director is broadly responsible for the executive leadership, strategic positioning, competitive excellence, and daily operations of athletics programs, including directly or indirectly supervising athletics teams, athletics communications, athletics training, compliance, and game day operations. In all of these efforts, the director must be committed to Stevenson's career-focused, student-centered mission, as well as to the NCAA Division III ethos of integrating competitive excellence, fair play, and students' academic and personal development. The director will represent Stevenson within the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) leadership to ensure the mission and goals of the conference are attained, and they will be responsible for compliance with all policies, rules, and regulations of the NCAA, MAC, and Stevenson University. The director is responsible for a department comprising 29 varsity sports, over 100 full-time and part-time coaches and staff, over 700 student-athletes, a robust and highly engaged club sport and intramurals program, and a comprehensive overall budget of approximately $8 million.
Responsibilities
- Provide leadership and sound decision-making with regard to all athletics department matters, including budgeting, fundraising, personnel, strategic planning, facilities, public relations, and general operations.
- Foster a culture within the athletic department that supports student-athlete retention, academic success, and graduation.
- Recruit, hire, and manage qualified coaching, athletic training, and administrative staff including but not limited to performance assessments, goal and objective results and achievements, and personal and professional development.
- Create a collaborative environment with enrollment and the coaching staff to recruit and yield student-athletes who are prepared to succeed at Stevenson.
- Work with the leadership of academic and student affairs to support the well-being, retention, career development, and graduation of all students.
- Partner with the office of advancement, including the alumni office, to implement a fundraising plan to increase annual giving. Work closely with donors, sponsors, and parents interested in supporting the intercollegiate, club sports, and intramural programs.
- Oversee facilities and an athletic department budget of $8 million, which includes all NCAA athletics, club sports, and intramural activities and the salaries/benefits of employees. This budget is supported by annual fundraising contributions of approximately $400,000.
- Ensure compliance with NCAA, MAC, Title IX, and all applicable institutional, local, and national regulations.
- Oversee a robust intramural and club sport programs that support campus engagement and wellness.
- Maintain strong collaborations across the university community.
- Recruit, manage, supervise, train, mentor, and evaluate all athletic department personnel.
- Contribute to the university's long-term strategic plan by increasing academic and athletic achievement, financial stability and enrollment success.
- Collaborate with conference services to generate external revenue through facility rentals.
Requirements
- A Bachelor's Degree and significant, progressive leadership experience in collegiate athletics administration, including staff supervision, budget and facilities management, and sport program oversight.
- Coaching experience is strongly preferred.
- A comprehensive understanding of intercollegiate athletics administration, student-athlete development, facilities management and resourcing, NCAA compliance within a Division III environment, and the role of fundraising in supporting strategic and operational objectives.
- A collaborative management approach, coupled with superior communication and relationship-building skills.
- Strong planning and fiscal competencies.
- An understanding of the role of enrollment facing tuition-driven independent institutions.
- A familiarity with program development and assessment including risk management.
- Excellent problem-solving abilities.
- A high degree of cultural competence demonstrating respect for diversity of identities and experiences.
Nice-to-haves
- Commits to the highest standards of ethics, integrity, and behavior.
- Commits to Stevenson's career-focused, student-centered mission.
- Champions the NCAA Division III ethos centered on scholar-athlete achievement and holistic student development.
- Possesses strong strategic planning skills and an ability to build consensus, gain support, and lead change to achieve short- and long-term goals.
- Supports recreational and club sports programs as essential to the overall student experience.
- Facilitates and supports the professional development of staff to enhance skills, growth, and team performance.
- Maintains a proactive, visible, and responsive presence to anticipate needs and effectively address challenges.
- Demonstrates a significant understanding of fundraising and revenue development demonstrating collaboration with university relations to enhance fiscal strategic priorities.
- Is a visible champion and advocate for the coaching staff and athletic programs.
- Inspires confidence, models relationship cultivation, and brings a sense of professionalism and passion to the work.
- Demonstrates a significant understanding of NCAA Division III athletics in terms of program needs, compliance requirements, university rules and regulations, and Title IX regulations.
