Job Title:

Athletic Director

Posting Number:

20110408

Position Type:

Administration

Key Responsibilities :

Sponsoring 24 varsity sports at the NCAA Division III level, a competitive esports program, and strong intramural and recreational programs, Juniata College’s commitment to athletics is explicitly linked to the educational mission of the institution. Juniata athletics emphasizes fair play and sportsmanship working in union with a high degree of competitiveness in all varsity programs. Such competitiveness applies mutually to the academic efforts of Juniata student-athletes. The AD’s leadership emphasizes the overall health and well-being of students in and outside of training and competitive arenas. The Athletics Director also works collaboratively across the institution to develop and support programs that achieve student success and align with institutional recruitment, retention and graduation goals. Reporting to the Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students, the Director of Athletics is charged with providing inspiring and visionary leadership for the Athletics Department and ensuring that the College’s values are translated through Athletics staff and programs, both on and off the field.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support and promote the College’s commitment to the full intellectual growth, personal development, health, and wellbeing of student athletes and all Juniata students, recognizing that student-athletes must balance success in a rigorous academic setting and in their athletic endeavors.
• Drive institutional competitiveness among and between sports that reflects the best abilities of student-athletes, coaches and the institution, and generates institutional pride and awareness through presence and participation in championship events.
• Meet institutional revenue goals through active engagement with Enrollment to shape student-athlete offerings and recruitment activities to maximize opportunity, roster size and ROI.
• Demonstrate core competencies in the areas of leadership and vision, strategic planning, and effective and efficient management of an Athletics Department, including oversight and preparation of annual budget proposals and participation in assessment activities as directed by the Vice President for Student Life and Senior Leadership.
• Share a vision for the Athletics program as a core strategic enterprise of the institution, and engage Senior Leadership and stakeholders broadly in cultivating support for the program’s evolution, trajectory and needs.
• Manage all fiscal operations of the Athletics Department in accordance with College regulations and establish procedures to assure adherence to these regulations by all departmental coaches and staff members.
• Lead efforts within the Athletics Department to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion, including through recruitment efforts, ongoing professional development for staff, and structured educational opportunities for student-athletes.
• Work in coordination with Institutional Advancement to best leverage alumni and prospective donor engagement and enthusiasm in support of program and team priorities.
• Maintain proficient working knowledge and ability to comply with all College, Landmark Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations, especially those governing Division III, as well as those of other athletic groups to which the College belongs.
• Select, recruit, motivate, inspire, mentor, and retain high performing professional staff (e.g. coaches and administrators).
• Effectively and efficiently communicate and disseminate pertinent information on relevant topics at the College, Conference and NCAA levels.
• Provide supervision and oversight to athletic trainers and contracted health professionals, and ensure members of the team liaise with the College’s Health Services and Glaeser Counseling Center as to policies and practices related to student-athlete health, mental health and wellbeing, within the normal limits of confidentiality.
• Provide oversight and supervision to the Sports Information operation with responsibility to ensure effective communications with internal and external constituencies, including maintaining the athletics portion of the College website.
• Assist the Senior Leadership Team in the development and implementation of an overall athletic facilities plan for improvements and maintenance of athletic fields and facilities.
• Partner with Enrollment to ensure a cohesive and collaborative relationship. Organize and actively coordinate recruitment efforts of the coaching staff to continue the College’s successful enrollment of academically qualified student-athletes.
• Proactively maintain open lines of communication with members of the Faculty, particularly the Faculty Athletics Representative to receive input from duly constituted faculty bodies, to communicate the goals and policies of the program and to help mediate any academic/athletic conflicts.
• Accept responsibility for the development and continuance of good sportsmanship, leadership, and ethical behavior of athletes, coaches, staff, and spectators.
• Seek opportunities to take leadership in Conference, regional and national athletic associations and remain in close contact to engage in mutual communication on major developments with the Directors of Athletics within the Landmark Conference and other institutional peers.
• Develop relationships with local leaders in the surrounding community and secondary education institutions with whom facilities, resources and efforts are shared.

Juniata College believes in and embraces the liberal arts and as such, we encourage and seek mutual benefit through diversity of thought and approach which enriches our academic community, as well as the lives of our students and colleagues. Juniata College is committed to creating a welcoming community supported by relationships based on collaboration and mutual respect. We endeavor to create an inclusive learning environment where members with different perspectives and backgrounds can learn, contribute, and thrive. Please join us… AA/EOE

Position Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or advanced degree preferred.
• A thorough knowledge of athletic administration at the collegiate level and a demonstrated record of successful athletic administrative experience or equivalent management experience.
• Commitment to excellence in academics and athletics.
• Demonstrated ability to develop an athletics vision and strategy that supports the College’s overall mission and strategic plan.
• Demonstrated success in designing and implementing diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within an intercollegiate athletics context.
• Experience in campus master planning as well as athletics facilities renovation and/or construction projects.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills with both internal and external constituencies.
• Demonstrated ability to promote the intercollegiate athletic program throughout the College community through successful fundraising, creation of external partnerships, fiscal management, and sport supervision.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of NCAA rules and operations, with the ability to work with admissions and coaches in the appropriate recruitment of student-athletes.

Supervision Required/Given:

Reports directly to the Vice President of Student Life and Dean of Students. Serves as a member of the Student Life team. Receives general direction and guidance from supervisor, institutional leadership and college counsel while working with independent discretion. The Athletic Director portfolio includes: Athletic Communications, Trainers, Strength and Conditioning, and Administrative personnel including a dedicated support staff person, along with coaching staff. The athletics staff includes approximately 60 individuals in addition to a variety of student employment positions.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or advanced degree preferred.

Special Instructions to Applicants:

To promote and sustain the health and safety of our campus community, Juniata College has adopted a Covid-19 vaccine mandate for all Faculty, staff and students. Exemptions to this mandate will be considered for bona fide medical, and religious reasons. Weekly testing will be required for the unvaccinated. Those granted exceptions for reasons other than approved medical or religious exemption will be assessed a monthly testing fee.

Open Date:

03/26/2022

Open Until Filled:

Yes