USCAA

The Associate Athletic Director, reporting to the Deputy Athletic Director/COO, will provide leadership and guidance within the athletic department in multiple areas but primarily with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). This position leads department efforts to create an environment of collaboration and equality in addition to providing programming, education and learning about all aspects of DEIB. There will be a focus both with student-athletes and staff. This position will represent the athletics department as a part of various campus committees and consortiums. Specifically, the President/Provost Leadership Council as well as the Equity Leaders Consortium. This position will also work closely with athletic department executive leadership to formulate inclusive hiring practices, onboarding, and connectivity to the campus community.

This position will also supervise and oversee various student services units, including Student-Athlete Development, International Services, Varsity OSU and other areas that support Student-Athlete holistic development. There will also be consistent communication and interaction with Academics for Student-Athletes. Will work closely with all units associated with the athletic department strategic plan and aid in the continued holistic development for Student-Athletes. The position will also be responsible for engaging in the Everyday Champions program tenets and providing guidance for future goals and being adaptable and flexible in providing services with a quickly changing NCAA landscape.

This position will also be assigned multiple sports and be an assigned sport administrator. They will work closely with assigned sport programs and work closely with the head coach and staff, supervise budgetary decisions, roster management, scheduling, conduct issues and team rules, recruitment of new staff as needed, Student-Athlete experience, and recruitment of prospective athletes. Problem solving strategies will be necessary to ensure program success and progression.

Decision Making/Guidelines:

The Associate Athletic Director makes independent decisions based on current industry trends and within the context of department strategic goals. Decisions will be reviewed at times by the Deputy AD for athletics and consultation will occur at times. Day to day, this person must be able to make independent decisions in this position and be seen as a positive representative of the department.

This position will make decisions that may affect OSU, Intercollegiate Athletics, the leadership team, parents, alumni, students, and other external agencies and institutions. As the liaison to the Athletics Admissions committee, this position will shape discussions and decisions around the current practices in place. This position will work closely with Academic Services, Student Affairs, Educational Opportunities Program (EOP), and other units throughout the university to bring best practice programming to the department. This position may introduce programming initiatives that may impact and are associated with teams, NCAA compliance, academics, and the Senior Leadership Team. This position will have frequent interactions and working relationships with recruits (parents/students), as well as former student athletes to bring real work experience to our current students. This position will work with external agencies and be charged with bringing in revenue streams with local businesses in exchange for access to our best and brightest students. Creates, executes, and maintains the strategic plan for the Everyday Champions Leadership program and all its initiatives. Must adhere to all OSU/OUS policies and procedures

Must adhere to PAC-12 Conference rules and regulations

This position requires a clear and unambiguous commitment to compliance of all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations for Division I (FBS) universities.

Participates as part of the senior staff and provides leadership in the development and execution of the department’s strategic plan.

Position Duties:

50% CHIEF DIVERSITY OFFICER FOR ATHLETICS Provide vision, leadership and execution for all programs related to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Serve as chair and lead communicator for the Diversity and Inclusion Working Group (DIWG). Serve as the athletic department liaison for the President and Provost Leadership Council for Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice. Provide guidance and support for Student-Athlete led Dam Change program as well as other affinity groups. Work with and communicate with all staff and coaches regarding social justice messaging. Responsible for staff social justice education ensuring compliance and completion. Work closely with student-athletes and athletic department staff to ensure equity and social justice needs are being met. Work closely with human resources staff to ensure diverse hiring pools and onboarding as a means of increasing retention of staff from underrepresented groups. Be a part of other campus groups and committees dedicated to equity efforts across campus. Manage a specific DEIB budget to enhance the culture of the department.

25% OVERSIGHT OVER STUDENT SERVICES, INCLUDING STUDENT-ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT, VARSITY OSU, ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS Assist in creating, executing, and maintaining the strategic plan for the Everyday Champions program and Student-Athlete Development and all of its initiatives. Provide expertise to the executive management team regarding evaluation outcomes related to staffing, infrastructure, and best practice protocols. Establishes policies and protocols for assigned units. Acts as a liaison to Academic Services as necessary to provide input regarding the staffing, infrastructure, and protocols, provides ongoing evaluative feedback to the department as the unit progresses. Will also play a key role in the admissions process, graduate school placement, international services, and various other student services areas of need as assigned.

25% SPORTS ADMINISTRATION This position will work with assigned sports and represent the athletic director in terms of all support areas of each assigned program; including but not limited to budget management, scheduling, personnel decisions, student-athlete health and wellness, fundraising, facility and game management, equipment, post-season planning and recruiting. This position will focus on helping to develop each program to its full potential and serve as a liaison to the athletic director for various communication purposes.

Minimum Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in Education, Higher Education Administration, Sports Administration or similar
Minimum of 5 years in a capacity that works with collegiate student-athletes, serving in a mentoring, advising, counseling or support position
A minimum of 1 year of experience working with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and a demonstrated and clear commitment to DEI
Minimum of 2 years of leadership and management experience seeing full-time staff and oversight over a unit and demonstrated budgetary experience
A demonstrable commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity
This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a Criminal History Check and be determined to be position qualified as per OSU Standard 576-055-0000 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in Youth Programs may have additional Criminal History Checks every 24 months.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Master’s degree
7 years of experience working in collegiate athletics, preferably in an academics or Student-Athlete development unit
2 years of experience in the role of chief diversity officer or equivalent; demonstrating a clear commitment to department DEI initiatives and community programs
3 years of experience overseeing a unit or units, leading full-time staff and having budget authority. Demonstrated strategic planning experience and ability to make strategic decisions; strong problem-solving skills
Former collegiate Student-Athlete
Demonstrated ability to be flexible, adaptable and creative when leading units and managing people