Director of Athletics

The University of North Alabama (UNA) invites qualified candidates for an exciting employment opportunity in the position of Director of Athletics.  As a member of UNA’s senior leadership team, the Director of Athletics has broad authority on matters of personnel, facilities, policies, planning, budgets, and management for the Athletics Division.

As a direct report to the University President, the Director of Athletics has overall responsibility for the administration and advancement of the University’s athletics program.  The selected candidate will be responsible for ensuring overall adherence to UNA, ASUN, Big South, and NCAA rules and regulations while providing prudent fiscal management of the program.  The Director of Athletics will also be responsible for oversight of the recruitment, selection, and retention of the department’s personnel, administration of scholarships, various budgets, and effective fundraising efforts.  Expected outcomes of the selected candidate will be as follows:

• Successful and on-time completion of the transition to Division I athletics;
• Increase membership and engagement of both the Lions Athletic Club and fan attendance at major athletic events;
• Achievement of departmental GPA and APR targets;
• Provide strong support of conference-level efforts to bring all sports under one umbrella;
• Cultivate a strong, cohesive department culture through development and monitoring of KPIs;
• Establish a strategic resource allocation plan designed to achieve success in all sports;
• Meet or exceed philanthropic targets;
• Consistent with and reflective of UNA’s master plan, development of a seven-year visionary, strategic plan that is for UNA Athletics to include priorities for facilities, staff, and the student-athlete experience.

Additional responsibilities include effective communication and interaction with a diverse group of stakeholders, including members of the administration, faculty, staff, students, parents, donors, and the community at large.  Serves as a University spokesperson to various on- and off-campus contingencies, including the media, civic groups, and potential donors.

The Director of Athletics is responsible for compliance with any and all UNA, NCAA, ASUN, and Big South Conference bylaws and guidelines. The individual must also ensure that any violations thereof are reported to the appropriate UNA compliance officer.

The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree from an accredited college or university; eight (8) + years of experience working environment in progressively-responsible roles, five years of which include direct supervision.

The University of North Alabama is a comprehensive regional, doctoral-level, state-assisted institution of higher education in Florence, Alabama, and is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). UNA was named one of America's "Great Colleges to Work For in 2020" by the Chronicle of Higher Education, the nation's premier publication for professionals in the academic world. With an enrollment of more than 8,300 undergraduate and graduate students, UNA offers degree programs through four academic colleges: arts, sciences, and engineering; business and technology; education and human sciences; and nursing and health professions. UNA is one of the most picturesque college campuses in Alabama, occupying a 130-acre pedestrian-friendly campus in Florence's historic district. The University's diverse faculty and staff enjoy a competitive salary and benefits package and are supported in their professional and career endeavors through encouraged participation in conferences, research opportunities, and various other types of professional development.

UNA Athletics, a renowned collegiate athletics program with seven (7) Division II National Championships, is now a proud member of the NCAA Division I’s ASUN and Big South Conferences.  The Division of Athletics is home to fourteen (14) men’s and women’s sports.

Florence, along with adjacent towns, Muscle Shoals, Sheffield, and Tuscumbia make up an area known as the "Shoals".  Located in the hills of northwest Alabama and on the banks of the Tennessee River, the Shoals offers its citizens an enviable sense of safety and comfort in year-round moderate climate. The Shoals is a regional hub of 143,000 people located within easy driving distance of Birmingham, Memphis, and Nashville. The area has a rich tradition in the arts, culture, entertainment, and recreation that includes numerous festivals throughout the year, two Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail courses, the birthplaces of Helen Keller and W.C. Handy, the Rosenbaum House/Museum (the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in Alabama), a proud musical heritage and home to the Alabama Music Hall of Fame, and much more. The Shoals is consistently recognized in national magazines and on travel sites as a great place to live.  

UNA is an equal opportunity employer committed to achieving excellence and strength through diversity. UNA seeks a wide range of applicants for this position so that one of our core values, ethnic and cultural diversity, will be affirmed.  UNA is a smoke-free campus.  We welcome applicants who have shown a commitment to educating and mentoring a diverse student body to expand opportunities and enhance personal growth, retention, and academic success.

To directly apply for this position, please visit our online employment system at http://jobs.una.edu/postings/5935. Please be prepared to upload a cover letter and resume at the time of application, as well as to provide contact information for at least three professional references.  In addition, this position requires a one-page Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Statement.  Information regarding this statement can be found here - https://www.una.edu/humanresources/files/forms-links/diversity_statement_staff.pdf. To nominate a candidate for this position, please email nominations to unasearch@gmail.com.  Nominations are due by June 20, 2021.  Applications are encouraged to be submitted prior to June 20, 2021.  For questions, please email employment@una.edu or call the Office of Human Resources at 256-765-4291, option #2.