Director of Athletics

Description

The Director of Athletics is responsible for providing vision, leadership, strategic planning and advocacy for the intercollegiate athletic programs.  This is an administrative faculty position, which reports to the Vice President for Student Life. The Director of Athletics is a highly visible position within the College, and must be able to articulate a clear vision of the educational role and mission of athletics at a private, residential, liberal arts college. The Director of Athletics is also responsible for creating an environment that prioritizes sportsmanship and civility. 

Earlham seeks an energetic leader who will work with students, faculty, staff, and alumni to manage all aspects of the men’s and women’s intercollegiate athletic programs and maintain compliance with NCAA, Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC), and North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC). 

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

• Recruit, mentor, supervise, retain and evaluate all coaches, administrators and support staff.
• Commits to the principle of diversity, promoting an atmosphere of respect for and sensitivity to the dignity of every person. Initiates a leadership role on campus in this area, and, through diverse hiring pools, strives for gender and ethnic diversity in the institution’s administrative and coaching positions.
• Provide leadership and vision to create diverse athletic teams.
• Creates an environment that prioritizes sportsmanship and civility and provides staff members with professional development opportunities, including informing departmental members of policies, procedures, rules and regulations of the NCAA, HCAC, NCAC, Title IX and Earlham College.
• Provide leadership and active involvement in the review and revision of College policies and procedures governing intercollegiate athletics.
• Work collaboratively and closely with the Vice President for Enrollment Management to develop strategies to recruit and enroll student athletes in each incoming class.  Ensure that the appropriate number of first year students enroll to meet optimal roster size. 
• Develop and maintain an athletics program that works in harmony with the educational mission of Earlham College, in conjunction with the College’s Principals and Practices with an emphasis on mentoring students in an intellectually challenging academic environment.
• Prepare and manage operating budgets for intercollegiate teams and supporting areas including athletic training, sports information and general athletics.
• Work closely with the Director of Wellness to schedule team practices and events.
• Provide leadership and guidance to athletic fundraising projects and the use of funds in consultation with the Institutional Advancement office.
• Create and maintain relations with alumni and other support groups that support the college and intercollegiate athletics, particularly the E-Club.
• Manage and supervise the staffing and scheduling of coaching staff in the area of Athletics, Wellness and Physical Education (AWPE) in conjunction with the Director of Wellness.
• Work with coaches to create game schedules that are within the guidelines of the Athletic Scheduling Principles document.
• Manage game official assignments for all sports, including coordinating game management for all athletic events.
• Manage and coordinate team transportation needs.
• Provide leadership and vision in working with students, coaches, faculty, and other members of the Earlham community to successfully integrate and promote the appreciation of athletic events into the overall life of the College. 
• Positively represent Earlham at regional and national athletic associations and conferences and all off-campus constituency groups.
• Work with the Athletics Advisory Committee to establish its yearly agenda.
• Create and maintain cooperative relations with College departments, offices, and programs including representing Athletics as a member of College committees.
• In collaboration with Alumni Relations, assist with the coordination of the annual Alumni Awards Banquet.
• Produce internal and NCAA reports about athletic recruiting, student/athlete retention and ethnicity, NCAA Sports Sponsorship and Demographics (August), Department of Education Equity in Athletics (October) and the NCAA Financial report (January) and other required reports.
• All other duties as assigned.

Experience & Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is required with a minimum of 5 years of direct experience with Athletic Director responsibilities in a collegiate setting. 
• Possesses skills in supervision, budget projections, trend analysis, and personnel practices.
• Demonstrates dynamic, creative leadership and excellent management skills.
• Has the ability to partner effectively with faculty, staff, alumni and parents.
• Is imaginative, highly motivated and well-organized.
• Has the ability to work in a community that values consensus and teamwork.
• Demonstrates personal and professional commitment to diversity.
• Is committed to the NCAA Division III Philosophy and the role of Athletics within a private, liberal arts college. 
• Possesses excellent community building and strong human relations skills including a deep appreciation of diversity are valuable assets as well as a commitment to the mission, values, and goals of Earlham College. 

Application Instructions

Please submit the following application materials in a single electronic file:

• Cover letter;
• Resume;
• Statement on Diversity: The Statement on Diversity should describe how your values and leadership frame or center Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) in your work. 
• Contact information for three references.

All materials should be submitted to the Earlham College Human Resources Office at: [email protected].