Director of Athletics
Director of Athletics
Status: Full Time, Exempt (12 month)
The Ethel Walker School announces a search for a full-time Director of Athletics to begin working on July 1, 2023. Reporting to the Assistant Head of School, Dean of Academics, the Director of Athletics will be an ambitious, visionary leader, charged with leading and revitalizing the athletics program at Ethel Walker. Athletics is a key part of the holistic student experience at Ethel Walker and in a girls’ education, more broadly. The Director of Athletics will be a passionate advocate for girls’ and women’s sports, and will play an integral role in building and maintaining a positive culture around an Athletics program that is centered around inclusion and belonging.
The Director of Athletics’ primary responsibilities include the following:
Strategic Leadership:
● Oversee all athletics and co-curriculars (except Equestrian, with whom they will collaborate), while supervising the Associate Director of Athletics, the Athletic Training staff, and all coaches.
● Lead with passion and a clear vision that ensures a culture of athletics is central to the student experience at Ethel Walker.
● Embody a forward-looking, growth oriented, and adaptive approach to emerging trends that shape the future of girls’ athletics.
● Create systems and set a tone to ensure that all teams and programs foster a “playing” environment where every student can have fun while feeling safe, seen, challenged.
● Recruit, interview, and maintain a qualified coaching staff and mentor them to build a positive and competitive athletic culture where every student and staff member feels a strong sense of belonging.
● Develop standards and conduct performance evaluations for athletics staff that include relevant professional development opportunities to ensure that every member of the department is constantly challenged to learn and grow.
● Collaborate proactively with key constituents of the Wellness Team –– namely the Counseling Office, the Health Center, and the Student Life team –– to build and iteratively maintain programs with research-based practices that tend to the physical fitness and socio-emotional needs of every student.
● Forge sustained connections and processes between the Athletic and Admissions department in order to ensure that Walker’s coaches are consistently recruiting and retaining student-athletes who are key contributors to teams and the School community.
● Oversee an annual budget and partner with school leaders to address short & long-term facility and equipment needs.
● Partner with the Advancement Office on alumnae engagement and fundraising opportunities.
Qualifications and Requirements:
● Value diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging as foundational to an Athletics program and a School community, at large.
● Have experience providing student-athlete leadership development, personal development, and a framework to assist those seeking college athletic recruitment.
● Demonstrate excellent written communication skills and a genuine willingness to proactively partner with all constituents of the Walker’s community, especially students, families, and colleagues.
● Have the experience and expertise to ensure that a Wellness Curriculum prioritizes healthy bodies and fitness for all students.
● Have experience working with the Athletic Training staff with an understanding that the training room is not only a place to tape and rehab student-athletes, but also a safe place. Using a holistic approach, the trainer considers the athlete's mental health without imposing pressure and anxiety to perform on the athlete.
● Have experience in Athletics administration, ideally at the secondary level.
● Have experience coaching at the Middle and/or High School level, particularly in girls’ sports.
The preferred candidate will:
● Demonstrate a sincere interest in and/or have experience working in girls’ athletics.
● Lead with diplomacy, empathy, fortitude, and compassion.
● Have experience with a Middle School Athletic program.
● Be able to provide teams with access to a sports psychologist and strength and conditioning coach.
● Have experience with sports information and external communications.
● Have experience starting and/or leading auxiliary sports programs.
● Have an understanding of and/or experience with boarding school life; this experience is not required.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply. The Ethel Walker School is an Equal Opportunity Educational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer that provides equal opportunity for all and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status.
To apply, please submit a resume, cover letter, contact list of three (3) professional references in one (1) document to careers@my.ethelwalker.org.
For information on The Ethel Walker School please visit our website at www.ethelwalker.org