Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Recreation
About The Position
Reporting directly to the Vice President for Student Life, the Director serves as the chief administrative and executive officer for RWU's 25 varsity athletics programs, club sports, intramurals, and campus recreation facilities. The Director champions a "student-athlete first" NCAA Division III philosophy, cultivating an environment centered on academic achievement, personal well-being, leadership development, competitive excellence, and inclusive community engagement. The next Director will be an approachable, ethical, visible, and collaborative leader who integrates athletics and recreation into the broader fabric of university life. Working in close partnership with institutional leadership, University Advancement, Enrollment Management, and Student Life, the Director will expand philanthropic engagement, champion modern compliance and safety standards, modernize athletic and recreation facilities, and elevate school spirit across the university's coastal Bristol and vibrant downtown Providence campuses.
Requirements
- Master's Degree in Physical Education, Athletic Administration, Sports Management, or related field required.
- 8-10 years of substantial athletic leadership experience, including at least 5 years in higher education athletic management.
- Demonstrated expertise in coaching and administrative oversight across varsity, club, and recreation programs.
- Strong expertise in Title IX compliance, tort liability procedures, NCAA DIII bylaws, and emerging NIL guidelines.
- Strong communication, organizational, leadership, and decision-making skills.
Nice To Haves
- Experience as an Athletics Director or senior Division III athletics administrator.
- Strategic planning, facilities management, conference governance, and customer service oriented leadership.
- Proven track record of evaluating, mentoring, and developing head coaches and support personnel.
- Demonstrated acumen in major gift athletics fundraising and corporate sponsorship cultivation.
- Comprehensive understanding of sports medicine coordination and student-athlete health protocols.
Responsibilities
- Establish progressive operational models that uphold rigorous academic integrity, Title IX equity, and athletic competitiveness amid modern NCAA governance and Name, Image, and Likeness developments.
- Execute donor engagement initiatives and capital project strategies to enhance athletic training spaces, student-athlete performance hubs, and recreation facilities.
- Broaden intramural, club, and fitness engagement across all student demographics, transforming athletic events into unified community gatherings.
- Direct varsity athletic, club sports, intramural, and recreation budgets within university policy; lead regular reviews with University Finance.
- Partner closely with Institutional Advancement to execute fundraising strategies that elevate student-athlete success and fund facility modernizations.
- Elevate the department's profile through contemporary storytelling, social platforms, and brand alignment.
- Enhance recreation, intramural, and club sport operations to cultivate student belonging and wellness.
- Transform home competitions into vibrant, community-wide campus events.
- Maintain a modern compliance program encompassing NCAA, Title IX, Hazing, eligibility, NIL policies, and monitoring systems that prioritize education, equity, community standards and a safe sport culture.
- Actively participate in NCAA, Conference of New England, Interscholastic Sailing Association and other conference affiliations.
- Partner with Admissions to attract scholar-athletes dedicated to academic and competitive excellence.
- Plan, recommend, and coordinate state-of-the-art facility modernizations and maintenance protocols.
- Oversee team travel safety, sports medicine coordination, emergency response, and fan event safety.
- Direct the ethical mentorship, professional development, and formal evaluation of head coaches and administrative personnel.
- Actively participate in Student Life divisional meetings, initiatives, and strategic planning.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
