"Sports Performance Manager - Department of Athletics (Fixed Term for 3 Years)"

NYU Abu Dhabi is pioneering a new model of higher education for a global world, dedicated to excellence in teaching and research and to advancing cooperation and progress on humanity’s shared challenges. Drawing on the strengths of the NYU global network, it offers an outstanding liberal arts and sciences education to students from the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and around the world, with a distinctive focus on intercultural understanding and leadership. It supports innovative research and graduate education programs that push forward the frontiers of knowledge and respond in powerful and interdisciplinary ways to vital global and local challenges.

Position Summary

Applications are welcome from all qualified candidates. In line with UAE regulations, Emirati candidates are encouraged to apply.

New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) seeks to appoint a Sports Performance Manager reporting to the Director of Athletics.

An integral part of the NYUAD University Sports Staff, the Sports Performance Manager will engage, educate and empower student athletes and university sports teams in a comprehensive physical preparation and sports performance program that prepares them physically, mentally, and emotionally to meet the demands of the competitive sporting environment, perform under pressure, and develop performance behaviors that support athletic and academic success.

The Sports Performance Manager will also oversee the operations and programming of the NYUAD Sports Performance Center (SPC), a dynamic, highly interactive and visible component of the NYUAD Department of Athletics. The post holder will manage all SPC operational policies, procedures, protocols, systems and operational budget in line with NYUAD Athletics, NYUAD and sports science sector best practices.

The post holder is responsible for leading and managing students' return to play processes, liaising with NYUAD Student Health Center staff, other medical professionals and team coaches to manage student athlete return after injury. The manager will also support the development, design and delivery of coach education for University Sports Team Coaches in collaboration with the University Sports Team Manager and Assistant Director of Athletics - Programming. The role will be responsible for leading and delivering a student coach accreditation program and supervising the deployment of student employees to support Sports Performance and Athletics programming.

The Sports Performance Manager will be required to support the functions of the broader Student Affairs division with involvement in various committees and working groups. The position will require evening and weekend commitments during the academic year.

The duties of this role may at times involve being exposed to data that may be sensitive in nature and require confidentiality.

Key Responsibilities:

Student Athlete Physical Preparation & Sports Performance

• Lead the planning, development, design, implementation and embedding of comprehensive sports science and physical preparation programs for university sports teams and student athletes to physically, mentally and emotionally prepare them for competition
• Manage, develop and lead pre and in-season sports performance, athletic development and injury prevention training and testing programs to support the development of performance habits and performance assessment of student athletes and teams in collaboration and consultation with team coaches
• Collecting and analyzing data from these programmes to inform university sports programming
• Supervise a team of student coaches to support delivery of physical preparation, sports performance and athletic development programs across NYUAD Athletics programming functions
• Collaborate with the Student Health Center, with the support from the University Sports Team staff and the Director of Athletics, to manage the student athlete pre-participation screening, injury assessment and return to play policies, procedures and processes

Student and Coach Education Programs

• Lead the planning, development and supervision of a student coach program ensuring compliance with industry or accrediting body standards of coaching, training and assessment
• Educate and counsel student-athletes and teams regarding strategies to improve performance and wellness
• Working with the Assistant Director of Athletics Programming to design and deliver coach education sessions that support the development of coaching excellence, coaching best practice and embedding of performance behaviours in coaching outputs to ensure a nurturing, fun, safe and inclusive environment for our student athletes and enable athletic success

Sports Performance Center Operations

• Oversees the daily operations of the sports performance center, ensuring a clean, safe, optimal training and performance environment
• Utilize the use of sports facility operating systems and additional institutional software to track and monitor sports performance center engagement and usage
• Working with NYUAD Athletics Operations staff to coordinate facility maintenance, equipment maintenance and life cycling
• Develop, implement, and enforce operational policies and procedures to streamline efficiency and improve operations
• Day to day management and development of the annual sports performance center budget
• Reports safety and risk issues to appropriate personnel, recommends improvements, and follows through to ensure that risks are appropriately addressed.

Physical Education Instruction

• Develop, plan, instruct at least one Physical and Health Education Class per semester
• Student Affairs Divisional Support; Represents Athletics on divisional committees and working groups
• Assist in divisional planning and professional development
• Support other areas of Student Affairs, student recruitment, orientations and graduation events

Required Education:

• Bachelor's Degree in Sports/ Sports Performance / Sports Science or Physiotherapy / Athletic Training
• Recognized Strength & Conditioning qualification (UKSCA, ASCA, NSCA)
• Recognized Rehabilitation Qualifications
• CPR / AED Certified

Required Experience:

• 5+ years experience of performance center leadership or management, working with multi-sport athletes in different environments, including experience of leading programs, service planning and performance testing
• Experience working alongside health care professionals
• Understanding of human movement, function and performance
• Understanding needs analysis of sports and individual athletes
• Knowledge of sport testing and monitoring
• Outstanding communication skills, both with athletes and coaches
• Relevant IT knowledge and skill for data analysis, communication and feedback

Preferred Education:

• Master's Degree in a related field
• Strength & Conditioning Course Tutor / Assessor Certification (UKSCA, ASCA, NSCA etc)
• Athletic Training Certification

Preferred Experience:

• 5+ years experience leading / directing programs within a multisport environment
• Higher Education / University Sport Experience
• Project and program management
• 5+ years’ experience leading / directing programs within a multisport environment.
• Sports Nutrition certification
• Physical performance load monitoring and management