Athletics Director of Business Operations and Finance

Wichita State University Athletics invites nominations and applications for this position who will serve as the department’s Director of Business Operations and Finance. This high-energy, detail-oriented, and strategically minded professional provides executive leadership, vision, and management for all financial, business, and administrative operations within a dynamic, championship-driven NCAA Division I athletics program.

We’re looking for someone who takes pride in their work, values collaboration, and wants to help build a championship-caliber department that competes for conference titles and makes deep NCAA runs — while upholding the “Shocker Way” of integrity, innovation, and excellence. Offering guidance and operational support to coaches and student-athletes; must be able to travel with assigned team(s) as part of those responsibilities. The selected candidate may serve as a sport administrator for one or more varsity programs.

We need a strategic thinker who plans ahead and executes proactively and thrives in a fast-paced environment and embraces challenges. The successful candidate will be a collaborative, trusted, and proactive leader with impeccable attention to detail, organizational excellence, and follow-through. This individual will also play a visible role as an active and engaging member of the Director of Athletics’ Executive Leadership Team, contributing to departmental culture, planning, and execution.
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Job Summary

Provides leadership, expertise and strategic planning for the operations and financial direction of athletics. Creates and maintains the financial and operational infrastructure to be responsive to all areas. Creates financial analysis tools to predict future financial revenue and expenditures.

Essential Functions

• Promotes operational and fiscal responsibility and efficiency by providing technical assistance and analysis in planning, developing, administering, and monitoring the budget process and operational procedures.
• Creates financial models based on analyses to support organizational decision making.
• Gathers data, organizes information, analyzes historical results, makes forecasts and projections, makes recommendations, and creates models, presentations, and reports to support and explain financial strategies.
• Oversee resource allocation, personnel management, and the efficient administration of projects and programs.
• Provides consulting and oversight in strategic financial planning. May develop budgets and financial reporting best practices, ensuring processes are aligned with NCAA, conference, state, and institutional regulations.
• Performs a variety of professional and administrative duties that facilitate operational and financial strategies.

Job Duties

Lead and coordinate annual audits (EADA, NCAA, University) and manage property roll forward and depreciation schedules.
Oversee capital project funding, debt planning, and infrastructure investments in collaboration with university and foundation partners.
Partner with development, marketing, and external relations to strengthen revenue generation and long-term financial sustainability.
Serve as a visible, hands-on leader—highly organized, efficient, responsive, and aligned with the department’s championship vision.
May serve as sport administrator for one or more varsity programs — including travel responsibilities with assigned team(s).

Required Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, sports management or related field

• Five (5) years of experience in budget, finance or related field, with two (2) years of experience in a leadership role. 30 hours of graduate level coursework can be substituted for two (2) years of experience.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Dedication to ongoing learning and professional advancement, alongside financial responsibility; demonstrating curiosity, a growth mentality, and the pursuit of knowledge via certifications, continuous education, and professional affiliations.

• Excellent communicator—in person, in writing, and across all platforms.

• Service-minded professional who genuinely enjoys working in college athletics and supporting coaches and student-athletes.

• Demonstrates character, integrity, accountability, and competitive drive.

• Embraces challenges with a growth mindset and a proactive, solution-oriented approach.

• Thrives in fast-paced environments; organized, efficient, and responsive with exceptional attention to detail.

• Passionate about contributing to a first-in-class, championship-level program built on integrity, teamwork, and excellence.

• Demonstrated success leading or coordinating annual audits (EADA, NCAA, University, or comparable).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Proven record overseeing accounts payable, accounts receivable, reconciliations, journal entries, zero-based budgeting, cash flow management, property roll forward, and depreciation schedules.

Additional Information:

Cover letter should be focused on detailing interest in Wichita State and this position.

Physical Requirements:

Ability to remain in a stationary position. Frequent 60-90%
Ability to operate a computer and other office equipment including but not limited to phone, printers, copiers, and calculators. Frequent 60-90%
Ability to communicate with others and accurately exchange information. Frequent 60-90%