The Director of Scholar-Athlete Development provides academic advising for assigned sports; implements student-athlete development activities and events focused on key areas including professional development, career readiness, leadership development and life-skills; and develops a comprehensive plan to foster an environment of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Holistic Development - Strategic alignment of unit goals will be developed in consultation with the Associate Athletic Director of Academics and Scholar Athlete Development:
Develops and executes a comprehensive program of career readiness activities and events as well as individual consultations for scholar athletes
Creates and maintains relationships with alumni, donors, campus partners, and employers for the purposes of preparing student-athletes for post-graduation and meaningful careers
Partners with the Career Development Center and employers to facilitate resume building workshops, mock interviews, networking, career readiness and job/internship events for scholar athletes
Coordinate Celebration of Excellence, Torero Networking Night, MENTORero program as well as additional events and programming
Maintains records of activities, events, and participants for reporting and tracking purposes
Assist with the collection of information related to career outcomes and campus integration for assigned sports
Manages career development content (programs, services and activities) on the Athletic Department website
Makes recommendations to the Associate Athletic Director regarding current and future needs of student athlete development programs
Athletics Diversity Officer:
Serve as a leader in developing a diverse and inclusive work environment in the Department of Athletics.
Develop, facilitate, and implement the new diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) vision, which aligns with the department’s mission and core values.
Oversee the department-wide strategic initiatives to foster the advancement of DEI within the Department of Athletics.
Create and implement DEI training programs for athletics staff, coaches and student-athletes.
Strategically partner with USD’s Center for Diversity and Inclusion to provide multiple services for the coaches, staff, and student-athletes.
Participate in the planning, writing, development, and implementation of current and potential future grant proposals.
Academic Counseling:
Provides one-on-one academic counseling. Counsel students on academically related matters to include degree planning and satisfactory progress, selection of major(s) and minor(s), fulfillment of core and major requirements, course scheduling and sequencing, and arranging appropriate academic timelines leading to graduation
Serves as principal contact for all scholar athletes in assigned sports as it pertains to academics; maintain accurate and up to date academic files and records
Monitors academic progress of scholar athletes from assigned sports through in-person contact, telephone or text message communication and/or routine contact with faculty
Works in conjunction with the Registrar's Office and Compliance to certify the continuing eligibility of all scholar athletes from assigned sports
If the eligibility status of a scholar athlete changes at any time, notify Compliance, the Sport Facilitator, the head coach and the scholar athlete immediately
Assesses scholar athlete academic performance, progress toward degree, time management, goal setting, learning and study strategies, test taking, note taking, and other skills necessary for academic success
Routinely communicates with head coach and/or coaching staff to share information regarding the academic performance and associated behaviors of scholar athletes – including expectations and accountability plans
Reviews class schedules at the conclusion of each semester to verify registration status and enrollment in degree applicable units
Communicates with sport facilitators and head coaches regarding student athletes’ progress toward degree to ensure that scholarship student athletes complete their degrees within four years or within eligibility.
Participates in the recruiting process by meeting with prospective student-athletes from assigned sports
Other Duties/Responsibilities:
Responsible for managing an annual budget as designated by the Director of Athletics. The budget will be allocated towards marketing, educational, training and travel expenses.
Instruct a course focused on student-athletes transition to higher education within athletics
Serve as an Advisor for the USD Scholar-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
Provide leadership and direction to the SAAC Executive Board and SAAC while overseeing and working to facilitate discussions, initiatives, activities, and events
Manage and attend monthly SAAC meetings, including assisting SAAC officers with developing the monthly agenda for meetings. Discuss, organize, and assist SAAC officers with SAAC events. Provide guidance and assist with SAAC strategic initiatives
Ensure at least one designated SAAC member from each team attends SAAC, keep track of attendance, send SAAC meeting reminders to coaches and all athletes. Follow up with head coaches in situations of no-shows.
Liaison from SAAC to athletic administration and responsible for keeping athletics staff apprised of SAAC related topics of discussions and matters during weekly Compliance and Academics meetings.
Provide opportunities and offer recommendations for featured campus speakers during SAAC meetings (FAR, Athletic Director, Career Services, Center for Health and Wellness, Including and Diversity, etc.)
Liaison to West Coast Conference for SAAC related matters. Ensure USD SAAC has an attendee(s) for all WCC SAAC related meetings, conferences, and events.
Perform administrative responsibilities such as ordering and pick up of food, keeping the meeting notes and attendance roster, managing a listserv composed of USD SAAC executive board and team representatives.
Maintains thorough knowledge of and adheres to all University of San Diego, West Coast Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations
Completes required annual USD Compliance Training (Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 and Workplace Harassment Training) in a timely manner
Seeks interpretations from the compliance staff before acting when necessary; reports potential rules violations immediately; and monitors all areas and/or programs activities closely to maintain compliance with applicable rules and regulations
Celebrates scholar athlete accomplishments, acknowledges successes and personal triumphs, recommends scholar athletes for scholarships and awards
Assists with other duties/projects, as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree required
Three years’ experience working in an intercollegiate athletic department and/or related field required
Preferred Qualifications:
Master’s Degree preferred
Two years’ experience in Scholar-Athlete or Student-Athlete development preferred
At least one year working with Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs within an Intercollegiate Athletic Department and/or campus wide Institutional Diversity programs preferred
Previous experience in professional and personal development programs preferred
Experience in a Division I program preferred.
Competitive experience at the collegiate level preferred
Knowledge of NCAA Division I academic eligibility rules preferred
Performance Expectations - Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
Experience with coordinating programs and activities; organizational and program management skills
Strong oral and written communication skills
Experience in both short- and long-range planning and the ability to focus on administrative details
Must be able to work collaboratively and effectively with other staff, scholar athletes, coaches and administrators
Must be able to work in a time sensitive, fast-paced and demanding environment.
Ability to learn and navigate University software (e.g., Banner, Degree Works, Salesforce, SAP Concur, Workday, etc.)
Proficient with word processing and spreadsheet software programs
Certificates, Licenses, Registrations:
Heartsaver CPR /AED certification required. Must have this certificate within 6 weeks of employment.
California driver’s license required within 6 weeks of employment
Posting Salary:
$6,083.33 - $6,250.00 per month; Excellent Benefits
The University of San Diego offers a very competitive benefits package including; medical, dental, vision, a retirement contribution given to you by the University, and access to on-campus Fitness Centers. Please visit the benefits section of our website to view all of the perks and benefits that USD has to offer. USD: Human Resources: Benefits
The salary range provided in this posting reflects what we reasonably expect to pay for this position. Actual compensation offered or earned is dependent on experience, education and other factors including departmental budget.
Special Conditions of Employment:
Ability to work nights and weekends are required
Ability to work all year round and some holidays as required
Ability to travel with teams when required
Successful completion of required background checks
Effective June 1, 2023, based on CDC guidance, the University strongly encourages all campus members to stay up to date with Influenza and COVID-19 vaccination recommendations. For more regarding information USD's COVID-19 protocols, please visit sandiego.edu/onward.
Background check: Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Degree Verification Requirement: Persons offered employment in this position will be required to provide official education transcripts for degree verification purposes.
Special Application Instructions:
Resume and Cover Letter Required
Click the 'Apply Now' button to complete our online application. In addition, please upload a cover letter and resume to your application profile for the hiring managers’ review. If you have any questions or difficulties please contact the Employment Services Team at jobs@sandiego.edu.
Additional Details:
Hours: 40 hours per week
Closing date: Open until filled
Note: External job postings will be up for at least five days. After that time, applications will be reviewed by the hiring manager/committee throughout the posting period. A candidate may be selected at any time which could then close this posting on a date earlier than listed.
The University of San Diego is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and is especially interested in candidates who can contribute to the diversity and excellence of the campus community.
The University of San Diego is a smoking and tobacco-free campus. For more information, visit www.sandiego.edu/smokefree.