"Deputy Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success"

Welcome to Stanford’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (“DAPER”)

Stanford’s Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation (“DAPER”), the premier intercollegiate athletics program in the country. With an unparalleled record of 137 NCAA team championships, we are the proud Home of Champions. Our success isn’t just measured in trophies; it’s reflected in the passion of our nearly 900 student-athletes competing across 36 intercollegiate varsity teams. It resonates in our unwavering support for the university’s physical education, recreation, and wellness initiatives. At Stanford, we don’t just embrace excellence; we define it. We don’t just nurture champions; we create them. Our actions are guided by the core tenets of DAPER culture, “The DAPER Way,” which are: Embrace Scholar Athleticism, Pursue and Revere Excellence, Lead with Courage, and Work Cohesively.

Are you ready to inspire champions? If yes, then this may be the right opportunity for you!

Role Overview

The Deputy Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success reports to DAPER’s Athletics Director and serves as the executive leader responsible for shaping and advancing the end-to-end student-athlete experience. This role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight across the core functions that support student-athlete development, including academic support, athletic performance, health and well-being, leadership development, and career readiness.

The Deputy AD for Student Athlete Success aligns cross-functional teams around shared priorities, establishes clear direction for student-athlete development, and ensures programs and resources are organized to support both the daily experience and long-term outcomes of Stanford student-athletes.

Working closely with student-athletes, coaches, staff, and university partners, the Deputy AD removes barriers to collaboration, strengthens coordination across units, and drives accountability for outcomes. The role is ultimately responsible for fostering an integrated environment where student-athletes are supported academically, physically, personally, and professionally throughout their Stanford experience and beyond.

Core Responsibilities

• End-to-End Student-Athlete Experience
  • Own the full student-athlete lifecycle: recruiting, onboarding, academic experience, athletic performance, wellbeing, career development, and alumni engagement.
  • Ensure consistency, quality, and accountability across all student-facing services.
• Recruiting & Transition
  • Provide executive oversight of recruiting strategy and visit experiences.
  • Lead student-athlete onboarding and transition into Stanford’s academic and athletic environment.
• Academics, Compliance & Performance
  • Oversee academic advising and progress-to-degree outcomes.
  • Provide executive leadership for compliance, gender equity, and SAPT.
• Career Development & Life After Sport
  • Own strategy for career preparation, internships, employer partnerships, and post-graduation outcomes for student-athletes.
• Alumni Engagement & External Partnerships
  • Drive student-athlete alumni engagement and long-term connection to Stanford.
  • Partner with Development and alumni groups to strengthen engagement and philanthropic pipelines.
  • Leverage Stanford’s academic, athletic, and research assets to enhance the student-athlete experience.
• Sport Administration
  • Provide integrated leadership, strategy, and long-range planning for Sport Administration.
• Leadership Scope
  • Directly leads senior leaders across academic support, student-athlete development, compliance, sport performance, and sport administration.
  • Operates as a portfolio leader—setting vision, aligning resources, and ensuring execution across multiple departments and stakeholders.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree required; MBA or related master’s degree preferred
• Senior leader with 15 years of demonstrated experience in intercollegiate athletics, higher education, or a similarly complex organization.
• Proven ability to integrate multiple functions into a coherent strategy.
• Strong executive judgment, operational discipline, and political acumen.
• Deep understanding of student-athlete needs, NCAA governance, and high-performance environments.
• Trusted partner to staff, coaches, campus partners, donors, and student-athletes.

The expected pay range for this position is $370,000 - $440,000 per annum. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs.