Executive Director, Sports and Recreation
Job ID:
Location: Kennesaw, Georgia
Full/Part Time: Full Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Job Summary
The Executive Director of Sports and Recreation leads and oversees recreation services, club sports, and facilities management. This role involves strategic planning, budget oversight, fundraising, and ensuring safety and risk management. The Executive Director also fosters campus and community partnerships, supports student success, and enhances the university’s mission through innovative programming, outreach, and facility management.
Responsibilities
- Offers strategic guidance to ensure alignment with the university-wide strategic plan in developing and delivering programs and services.
- Ensures compliance with divisional, university, local, state, and national policies, regulations, and standards, encompassing fiscal management, risk management, business continuity, facility operations, assessment, talent management, marketing, and student-focused membership services.
- Provides administrative oversight for departmental operations, including budget planning, resource allocation, fiscal controls, personnel management, department-wide evaluation and assessment, and establishing and reviewing policies, processes, and procedures.
- Leads the department's leadership team to foster collaboration, encourage innovative problem solving, strengthen departmental relationships, and promote equitable treatment of staff.
- Supervises and manages a comprehensive multimillion-dollar budget aligned with university and divisional strategic priorities, ensuring financial sustainability through effective monitoring, expense control, forecasting, and risk management while maintaining transparency and accountability.
- Oversees and manages Public-Private Venture (PPV) projects, including proforma assumptions, deferred maintenance planning, capital replacement planning, Facility Condition Assessment Reports, annual business plans, and budget submissions to the Board of Regents.
- Designs and implements a departmental assessment plan utilizing diverse reporting and data analysis methods to align programs and services with student needs, enhance divisional success, and contribute to university goals such as retention, graduation, and progression.
- Ensures high-performance standards, achievement of departmental goals, and quality outcomes while fostering professional growth for staff.
- Oversees hiring, retention, employee recognition, conflict resolution, disciplinary actions, and terminations while also supervising staff in their day-to-day responsibilities.
- Collaborates with the divisional development director to oversee fundraising activities, assess needs and resources, identify new funding opportunities, strategize grant proposals, and build relationships with community stakeholders and donors.
- Develops and manages recreational programs that address the needs of both the campus and the local community. Partners with local organizations to create joint initiatives and events that enhance community engagement and promote well‑being, thereby increasing the visibility and impact of campus recreation programming at KSU.
- Supports additional divisional priorities and initiatives beyond the department's scope, as needed.
Required Qualifications
Educational Requirements
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution of higher education in sports management, recreation management, higher education, public administration, or any field appropriate to the work.
Required Experience
- Eight (8) years of managerial-level experience within a campus recreation organization, including experience with multiple facilities and programs, staff supervision, budget management, fundraising, and recruitment in recreational management or a related field.
Other Required Qualifications
- Current, valid and unrestricted driver's license.
Preferred Qualifications
- CPR/AED and First Aid Certified.
- National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Member.
- An advanced degree from an accredited institution of higher education in Recreation, Park, Tourism Sciences, and/or Leisure Studies, Higher Education, or a comparable academic discipline.
Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities
Abilities
- Ability to develop and implement effective strategic plans and recreational programs.
- Ability to implement time management strategies so tasks and responsibilities are completed within the assigned deadlines.
- Ability to successfully interact with a complex and dynamic community comprised of individuals and groups from an array of backgrounds, identities, experiences, and communication styles.
- Ability to recognize and protect confidential information and exercise judgment, tact, and diplomacy in handling sensitive information and situations.
- Ability to work and communicate effectively with colleagues from across campus, student representatives, and campus departments in reviewing established procedures, discussing improvements, solving problems, and following through implementing solutions.
- Able to handle multiple tasks or projects at one time while meeting assigned deadlines.
Knowledge
- Knowledge of the importance of health, wellness, recreation, competitive sport, and fitness to a campus community and the theories, principles, and practices of student development and higher education administration.
- Understanding and application of NIRSA best practices and Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education (CAS) to work.
- Knowledge and understanding of industry standards for personnel, equipment, and facilities.
- Demonstrated commitment to teamwork, development, operational excellence, customer service, ethical leadership, and continuing education.
Skills
- Strong organizational, fiscal, and relationship-building skills.
- Successful track record in fundraising and securing financial support for campus programs.
- Excellent interpersonal, initiative, teamwork, problem-solving, independent judgment, organization, communication (verbal and written), time management, project management, and presentation skills.
- Proficient with computer applications and programs associated with the position (e.g., Microsoft Office suite).
- Strong attention to detail and follow-up skills.
- Strong customer service skills and phone and e‑mail etiquette.
Equal Employment Opportunity
Kennesaw State University is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. The University is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment for living, work and study. To that end, and in accordance with federal and state law, the Board of Regents policy, and University policy, the University prohibits harassment of or discrimination against any person because of race, color, sex (including sexual harassment, pregnancy, and medical conditions related to pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, ethnicity or national origin, religion, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran or military status by any member of the KSU community on campus, in connection with a University program or activity, or in a manner that creates a hostile environment for members of the KSU community.
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