What are the responsibilities and job description for the Director of Athletics position at Bates College?
Job no: 492968
Work type: Staff Full Time - Full Year
Location: Lewiston, ME
Categories: Athletics: Athletics Administration
Title: Director of Athletics
Position Purpose:
The Director of Athletics will serve as the face of the department and is a visible presence on campus who contributes to the overall leadership of the college. In developing close relationships with faculty and staff, the Director will develop programs, policies, and procedures that help student-athletes reach their full potential, both on and off the field.
In partnership with key constituencies across the college, the Director will outline a vision for athletics and fitness for the Bates community and provide both strategic and operational leadership to the entire Athletics enterprise. Successful candidates will have demonstrated an ability to lead a collective effort to develop and execute a strategic vision while building an organization that can meet the many operational demands on the department. The Director will support and assess coaches with their own team and professional development goals and will serve as an advocate for the needs of both coaches and student-athletes.
Job Duties:
- Develop and implement a strategic vision for Athletics at Bates, including competitive teams at all levels and general fitness for the entire community.
- Design, lead, and evaluate a high-performing management team.
- Ensure the effective recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of a highly skilled and diverse coaching, administrative, and support staff.
- Ensure college compliance with all NCAA, NESCAC, and Title IX regulations and guidelines, while maintaining appropriate Department of Athletics policies, procedures, and practices.
- Ensure a culture of diversity and inclusion that serves the needs of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and Bates community members.
- Ensure an environment that promotes student-athlete safety, health, and welfare, and be strongly committed to the student-athlete experience.
- Partner with the Office of Admission to ensure effective student athlete-recruitment and enrollment strategies.
- Work with the College Advancement Office to foster and maintain relationships with, and cultivate donors from within, Athletics alumni, parents of student-athletes, and friends of the college’s athletics programs.
- Partner with the faculty to align Athletics with the overall academic mission of the college.
- Ensure proper event and facilities management, including all aspects of revenue generation, facilities scheduling, facilities staffing, and community relations.
- Supervise comprehensive intramural programs.
- In partnership with the Bates Communications and Marketing Office and senior leadership, leverage the success and principles of Bates Athletics to effectively promote the college.
- Work collaboratively with the department and the Finance Office to ensure sound financial planning and resource allocations.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education
- A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree is preferred.
Experience
- Extensive experience in athletics with progressive increases in responsibility.
- Demonstrated success in developing and executing strategic planning and effective organizational leadership.
- Demonstrated experience with donor development and/or fundraising.
- Demonstrated experience and proficiency with financial planning and budgeting.
- Demonstrated experience in recruiting, or supporting the recruitment of, athletes, coupled with a commitment to partnering with the Office of Admission to develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive, department-wide strategic recruitment program.
Skills and Knowledge
- Commitment to equity and inclusion, and serving the needs of a culturally and educationally diverse community.
- Demonstrated commitment to a program that promotes and supports both academic and athletic excellence.
- Ability to foster collaboration and productive partnerships with a broad range of constituencies, both inside and outside the college.
- Ability to recruit, motivate, supervise, and evaluate departmental personnel.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with both internal and external constituencies.
To Apply:
Bates College invites nominations or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the college. Applications must include a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and list of references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by the priority deadline of March 14, 2025. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made.
https://www.parkersearch.com/opportunities/director-of-athletics-8
For additional information, please contact:
Daniel Parker, Vice President and Managing Director
Grant Higgison, Principal
Xavier Harper, Executive Recruiting Coordinator
ghiggison@parkersearch.com | xharper@parkersearch.com
Parker Executive Search
770-804-1996 ext. 118 | 770-804-1996 ext. 123
Benefits:
Bates College offers competitive salaries, excellent benefits (health, dental, sick leave, 24 days of vacation, 2 personal days, 13 paid holidays, dependent care subsidy, free parking, access to library and athletic facilities & more), and a supportive, collegial environment in a drug and smoke-free workplace.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Bates College is committed to the principle of equal opportunity and providing an educational and work environment free from discrimination. The college prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, age, disability, genetic information or veteran status and other legally protected statuses in the recruitment and admission of its students, in the administration of its education policies and programs, or in the recruitment of its faculty and staff. Bates College adheres to all applicable state and federal equal opportunity laws and regulations. All college faculty, staff, students, contractors, visitors, and volunteers are responsible for understanding and complying with the Non-Discrimination Policy.
Inquiries concerning the college’s policies, compliance with applicable laws, statutes, and regulations (such as Title VII, Title IX, and ADA/Section 504), and complaints may be directed to Gwen Lexow, Title IX Officer, 207-786-6445 or via email at glexow@bates.edu.
About Bates:
Bates is internationally recognized as a leading liberal arts college, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world.
Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. Committed to opportunity and excellence, Bates has always admitted students without regard to gender, race, religion, or national origin.
Cultivating intellectual discovery and informed civic action, Bates prepares leaders sustained by a love of learning and zeal for responsible stewardship of the wider world. Bates engages the forces — intellectual trends, demographic changes, and technology — that are transforming higher education and the world into which our students graduate.
Bates has highly competitive admissions, graduates over 90 percent of its entering students, and more than half of its alumni earn graduate degrees. Bates employs 200 faculty members and 550 staff.
The college is proud of deep roots in the Lewiston/Auburn community, Maine’s second-largest urban area with a population of approximately 65,000. Bates is located on a beautiful, 133-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, an emerging city with an entrepreneurial climate, a lively arts scene, and a dynamic business community. Bates is 35 miles north of Portland, 140 miles north of Boston, and 350 miles north of New York City.
Advertised: 24 Feb 2025
