Director of Athletics

Title: Director of Athletics
Assignment: Full-Time; 12 Month
Salary: $180,00-$210,000
Location: Winnetka
Reports to: Principal - Winnetka Campus

Supervises: Assistant Athletic Directors, Athletic Training Manager, Head Coaches, Equipment Managers, Department Assistants, and Strength & Conditioning Manager

Position Overview:

The Director of Athletics provides strategic and educational leadership for New Trier’s comprehensive interscholastic and intramural athletic program. The Director leads one of the state’s largest and most accomplished high school athletic programs, fostering a culture of excellence that supports student growth, well-being, leadership, sportsmanship, and achievement.

Athletics is an integral part of the New Trier student experience. The Director ensures that the program reflects the District’s motto, “To commit minds to inquiry, hearts to compassion, and lives to the service of humanity,” and aligns its priorities and practices with the District’s Strategic Plan, values, and educational goals.

The Director works collaboratively with students, coaches, faculty, administrators, families, and community partners to sustain New Trier’s tradition of athletic excellence while continually strengthening opportunities and experiences for students.

Leaders at New Trier possess the skills and dispositions described in the New Trier Candidate Profile.

Qualifications:

• Master’s or advanced degree required.
• Valid Illinois Professional Educator License with General Administrative or Principal Endorsement required.
• Qualified Evaluator Certification required or ability to obtain.
• Successful experience in educational leadership, athletic administration, coaching, or leadership of a comprehensive student program; significant athletic leadership experience preferred.
• Knowledge of IHSA requirements, applicable laws and regulations, student safety, and best practices in educational athletics.
• Demonstrated success in supervising, developing, and evaluating staff and coaches.
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex programs, manage resources, use data to inform decisions, and engage in strategic and long-range planning.
• Demonstrated commitment to student development, educational excellence, equitable opportunity, and a positive student experience.
• Demonstrated ability to align team cultures to the vision, values and philosophy of the athletic program.
• Exceptional communication, collaboration, organizational, presentational, and interpersonal skills.
• Adept at using Student Information Systems and scheduling technology systems.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership and Program Excellence

• Provide vision and strategic leadership for the District’s comprehensive interscholastic and intramural athletic program.
• Establish and communicate a philosophy of interscholastic athletics aligned with New Trier’s mission, Strategic Plan, values, and educational priorities.
• Develop a plan to communicate the vision and philosophy of the athletic program, including a method to measure the fidelity of implementation across all sports.
• Establish short- and long-range priorities and evaluate progress and program effectiveness.
• Sustain a culture of excellence across the athletic program, with high expectations for positive student experiences, participation, coaching, sportsmanship, and competitive achievement.
• Evaluate athletic offerings and recommend changes in response to enrollment, participation trends, student interests, emerging sports, facilities, staffing, and other evolving needs.
• Use participation data, student feedback, program reviews, and other measures to evaluate program quality, identify emerging needs, and guide continuous improvement.
• Benchmark New Trier’s program against exemplary practices in educational athletics and remain attentive to emerging trends and opportunities.
• Serve as a member of the Winnetka Campus Leadership Team, Admin Council, and contribute to District and campus priorities beyond athletics.

Student Experience and Interscholastic Athletics

• Develop a process aligned with our mission to gather feedback from students, coaches, and parents about their experiences and the program’s alignment with our values and expectations. Use this feedback to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.
• Promote high expectations for both athletic achievement and academic engagement.
• Provide a broad range of high-quality athletic opportunities for students at all skill levels, while also providing support and resources for student-athletes who wish to complete in collegiate athletics.
• Foster safe, welcoming, inclusive, and respectful athletic environments in which students experience connection and belonging.
• Promote student voice and leadership and use student feedback to strengthen coaching and the holistic athletic experience.
• Collaborate with teachers, advisers, counselors, student support personnel, and administrators to support the academic success and overall well-being of student-athletes.
• Provide leadership for student-athlete development initiatives and support the Assistant Athletic Director and other staff in programs such as Student Athlete Leadership Training (SALT).

Coaching and Personnel Leadership

• Recruit, select, recommend, supervise, develop, and evaluate outstanding coaches and athletic personnel in collaboration with appropriate administrators and Human Resources.
• Maintain continuity of high quality coaching and support staff, and athletic leadership through long-range succession planning and ongoing professional development of current athletic staff.
• Establish clear expectations for coaching excellence grounded in New Trier’s educational mission and commitment to student development.
• Develop the leadership capacity of head coaches and hold them accountable for program culture, student experience, alignment to philosophy and vision of New Trier athletics, staff development, annual training, communication, sportsmanship, and competitive integrity.
• Oversee a comprehensive approach to coach orientation, professional learning, mentoring, supervision, feedback, and evaluation.
• Foster collaboration, reflection, and shared learning among coaches and athletic staff.
• Ensure that coaches and staff consistently meet District expectations for student safety, professional conduct, inclusion, and appropriate relationships with students.
• Address personnel and performance matters in a timely manner in collaboration with the Principal and Human Resources.
• Supervise and evaluate assigned certified and non-certified personnel in accordance with District procedures and applicable collective bargaining agreements.

Health, Safety, and Compliance

• Provide leadership for a comprehensive approach to student-athlete health, safety, and risk management.
• Ensure compliance with IHSA requirements, Board policies, applicable laws and regulations, conference requirements, annual mandated training, and District procedures, including requirements related to eligibility and equitable athletic opportunity, and Title IX.
• Collaborate with athletic trainers, medical professionals, administrators, and coaches to establish and continually improve practices related to injury prevention and response, emergency action planning, concussion management, return-to-play requirements, and student well-being.
• Ensure appropriate safety and emergency protocols are established and communicated for athletic venues, practices, competitions, and travel.
• Ensures all coaches have completed required state and local requirements, including certification in CPR/AED, sudden cardiac arrest, and concussion management.
• Maintain athletic environments free from hazing, harassment, bullying, discrimination, intimidation, and other conduct inconsistent with District expectations.
• Respond to significant concerns, incidents, and emerging issues and advise District leadership regarding athletic compliance and risk-management matters.

Operations, Facilities, and Resource Stewardship

• Establish an effective organizational structure for administering a large and complex athletic program and clearly define responsibilities and accountability among athletic administrators, coaches, trainers, and support staff.
• Supervise the Assistant Athletic Director and other athletic administrators, delegating responsibility for day-to-day scheduling, transportation, officials, facilities, event staffing, tournaments, and other operational functions.
• Oversee the effective administration of District athletic programs and operations, including summer and other District-sponsored athletic programs.
• Develop, recommend, administer, and monitor the athletic budget in alignment with District priorities and established financial procedures.
• Establish priorities for the responsible and equitable allocation of staffing, equipment, supplies, facilities, and other athletic resources.
• Collaborate with Business Services and other District departments to maintain appropriate financial procedures and stewardship of athletic resources.
• Provide strategic leadership for the use, condition, improvement, and long-term needs of athletic facilities.
• Collaborate with District leadership and Physical Plant Services to anticipate and prioritize facility and capital needs based on enrollment, participation, safety, accessibility, program growth, and the evolving needs of students.
• Develop long-range plans for athletic facilities, equipment, technology, and other resources necessary to sustain a high-quality program.

Communication, Community, and Professional Leadership

• Serve as the principal spokesperson and advocate for New Trier Athletics within the school community.
• Develop effective, timely, and transparent communication with students, families, coaches, faculty, administrators, alumni, and community members.
• Celebrate student-athlete, coach, and team accomplishments while reinforcing the educational purpose and values of the athletic program.
• Establish expectations for effective, professional, and timely communication by athletic administrators and coaches; provide ongoing professional learning to support communication expectations.
• Maintain productive relationships with the New Trier Booster Club, New Trier Swim Club, youth athletic organizations, and other community partners that support New Trier students and athletics.
• Serve as the District’s primary liaison to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and Central Suburban League and represent New Trier in conference and state-level athletic matters.
• Maintain active engagement with professional organizations, including the Illinois Athletic Directors Association and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association.
• Collaborate with District Communications and represent New Trier professionally with other schools, officials, media, community organizations, and other external partners.
• Remain current on research, policy developments, legal requirements, participation trends, technology, and promising practices in educational athletics.

Other

• Maintain and annually review athletic policies, handbooks, procedures, and expectations for students, families, coaches, and staff.
• Keep the Principal and District leadership informed regarding program performance, significant issues, emerging needs, risks, and opportunities.
• Assume responsibility for ongoing professional growth and development.
• Participate in District and campus committees and leadership initiatives as assigned.
• Perform other duties consistent with the scope and responsibilities of the position as assigned by the Winnetka Campus Principal or Superintendent.

FSLA: Exempt

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