Director of Athletics and Recreation

The Director of Athletics and Recreation (Director) provides vision and strategic leadership for a comprehensive NCAA Division (Ill) athletics and recreation program. As a key campus leader and core member of the Student Experience senior leadership team, the Director plays a central role in aligning athletics with the University's academic mission, enrollment goals, and student engagement priorities. This leader will shape and advance a bold, integrated program that promotes competitive success, campus engagement, well-being, and an award-winning student-athlete experience.

Reporting to the Vice President for Student Experience, the Director leads coaches, administrators, and support staff in fostering a high-performing, student-centered department. The Director oversees all varsity sports, serving approximately 550 student-athletes and supervising a staff of 75 full-time, part-time, and graduate assistants, as well as physical education and recreation programs and associated facilities. The Director must be highly visible, approachable, ethical, and a leader.

The Director ensures operational excellence across the department, including policy development, compliance, financial stewardship, and program effectiveness. This role requires a collaborative and trusted partner who works closely with senior leadership, including the President's Cabinet and Executive Council.

The Director is responsible for upholding the integrity of the athletics program through full compliance with NCAA, conference affiliations, and University policies. The role also includes oversight of financial management, revenue generation, marketing, and alumni and community engagement. Demonstrated success in fund raising and resource development is essential to support program sustainability and future facility enhancements.

Salary: $109,147-$115,431 Annually

Essential Functions

• Champions Alfred University's mission by leading a comprehensive athletics and recreation program that supports student development and institutional priorities.
• Ensures full compliance with NCAA Division (III), conference, and University policies and regulations.
• Provides strategic leadership in establishing and advancing short- and long-term goals, policies, and operational priorities, continuously assessing effectiveness and driving improvement.
• Promotes student-athlete success by advancing academic achievement, well-being, and holistic development, while fostering meaningful engagement within the broader campus community.
• Oversees departmental operations, including organizational structure, staffing, and performance management; recruits, develops, and evaluates coaches and staff.
• Leads budget planning and management in partnership with the Vice President for Student Experience, ensuring fiscal responsibility and alignment with institutional priorities.
• Establishes and monitors key performance indicators for athletic programs, including roster management and enrollment contributions in collaboration with Enrollment Management.
• Provides leadership for facilities operations and long-range planning, including assessment and advancement of athletic and recreational facilities.
• Builds and sustains strong partnerships across campus to support recruitment, retention, and the overall success of student-athletes.
• Collaborates with the Faculty Athletic Representative and Senior Woman Administrator to ensure equitable representation and support for student-athletes, including compliance with Title IX.
• Partners with Marketing and Communications to enhance visibility and promotion of athletics and recreation programs.
• Works with University Advancement to strengthen fundraising, alumni engagement, and community outreach efforts.
• Represents the University effectively both on and off campus.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as a member of the President's Executive Council.
• Fosters a culture of mentoring, collaboration, and engagement that supports meaningful connections among students, faculty, and staff.
• Demonstrates a strong commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, promoting a welcoming and supportive environment for individuals of all backgrounds and experiences.
• Ensures a safe working environment across all facilities, equipment, and operations, including compliance with applicable safety standards and protocols.
• Participates in required training, including safety-related training, and ensures adherence to institutional policies.
• Performs other duties as assigned by the Vice President for Student Experience.

Qualifications-Education & Experience, Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.
• Eight or more years experience in Athletics and at least five (5) years of experience at the NCAA Division (III) level in progressive departmental administrative leadership roles (e.g. assistant, associate, director) is required. Experience as a Director of Athletics is strongly preferred.
• Thorough knowledge and understanding of NCAA Division (Ill) rules and compliance.
• Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, fiscal management, fund raising, and facilities oversight.
• Proven leadership and management skills, particularly as they relate to establishing and communicating priorities, advancing innovative practices, building strategic partnerships, and solving problems.
• A collaborative management approach with relationship-building skills, experience building a team, and leading and/or supervising the work of others.
• Significant experience in recruiting, hiring, supervising, evaluating and professionally developing coaches and staff members.
• Substantial experience in developing and implementing athletics department budgets and demonstrated ability to partner effectively in designing and managing the Athletic Department budget.
• Proven track record of fund raising and revenue generation from a variety of sources
• Ability to effectively promote the Athletic Department.
• Demonstrated and successful experience with recruitment, retention, and holistic development of student­athletes.
• Highly effective written and oral communication skills with the ability to deliver information in a concise, and articulate manner to multiple stakeholder groups.
• A commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and a high degree of cultural competence and respect for a wide range of identities and experience.

Physical Demands & Work Environment
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Personal Protective Equipment must be worn when required. A respiratory function test and the ability to use respirators may be required. Stairs and uneven surfaces may be present; artiÿcial lifts, etc. may or may not be available. The position may require the incumbent to walk outdoors in all types of weather to other buildings or oÿces located on the campus. The Campus is located in an area that contains numerous hills and slopes and may not always be fully accessible for mobility impaired individuals.

About Alfred University
Lighting the way for students since 1836. “We've always been a place for makers, especially those who make the future. Our commitment to independent thinking, creativity, academic rigor and community have made us a unique kind of leader since 1836.”

Alfred University (AU) was founded on principles of social justice in 1836 by liberal, independent thinkers who placed high value on education for all citizens. The University has retained and built upon the strong values of its founders, developing as an institution of national and international renown that is responsive to the needs of contemporary society while remaining consistent with the spirit of its origins. Alfred University is the second oldest coeducational college in the United States as well as one of the earliest nineteenth century colleges to have enrolled African American and Native American students. It has a long-standing history of educating socially conscious students who make a di¿ference in their professions and their communities.

Over the course of the twentieth century, Alfred University evolved into a complex institution o¿fering a full range of programs in the liberal arts and sciences, art and design, engineering, business, education, counseling, and school psychology to its nearly 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students that live, learn, and play on a 232-acre campus located in an idyllic, creative valley in Western New York. To learn more, visit alfred.edu.

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.