Details

Posted: 19-Feb-25

Location: Lewiston, Maine

Type: Full-time

Categories:

Executive Executive - Athletics Director

Sector:

Collegiate Sports

Required Education:

4 Year Degree Bates College seeks an experienced, strategic, and dynamic Director of Athletics with a desire and ability to lead an athletics program that values competitive success, academic rigor, and maximizing the full potential of all student-athletes. Ranked among the finest liberal arts colleges in the country, Bates prides itself on its distinctive history and mission that promotes the ideals of egalitarianism, social justice, and inclusivity. Bates is a member of NCAA Division III and one of 11 institutions in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC). NESCAC consistently performs as the top conference in Division III, as well as leading virtually all rankings that measure the quality of liberal arts colleges.

Athletics

Bates features 31 varsity sports and claims a long and proud history of athletic achievement. Recent successes include:

- Women's basketball earned a spot in the "Sweet 16" of the NCAA tournament for the third time in school history while winning 24 games in 2023-24, the second-most wins in one season in program history.

- Field hockey broke the program record for wins in one season with 14 in 2024, and advanced to both the NESCAC championship game and the NCAA quarterfinals for the first time.

- Ned Farrington '24 became the first Bates male athlete to earn All-America honors in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track in the same school year.

- Henry Ehrlich '26 earned medalist honors and the men's golf team tied for third at the 2024 NESCAC Championship, their best finish ever.

- Women's rowing won the NCAA Division III championship in 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2021.

- Women's swimming has finished in the top 20 in the country at the NCAA championships for nine straight seasons.

Multiple teams and individual student-athletes have achieved NCAA postseason appearances in recent years, and Bates reached its highest finish in the Division III Directors’ Cup standings in 2017, ranking 20th out of 451 institutions. Additionally, Bates student-athletes routinely receive All-NESCAC and All-American recognition for both athletic and academic achievements.

In total, the Bobcats have 707 varsity student-athletes who maintain a median grade point average of 3.61.

Bates’ varsity teams are led by a core of committed, award-winning coaches who care deeply for the well-being and development of our student-athletes. Just as a hallmark of a Bates education is the deep and personal engagement between students and faculty, Bates coaches and student-athletes enjoy strong relationships that epitomize the college’s aim to “educate the whole person.”

In the past eighteen months, the college has made significant improvements to athletics infrastructure recently, including the addition of new synthetic playing surfaces on Garcelon Field (football, men’s & women’s lacrosse) and Leahey Field (baseball infield), as well as a new synthetic playing surface and enhancements of the surrounding outdoor track & field amenities within the Russell Street Track & Field complex (men’s and women’s soccer). These projects are in addition to the building of the Traquina Boathouse (rowing) and the installation of state-of-the-art turf on Campus Avenue Field (field hockey) in 2016, along with upgrades to basketball, skiing, softball, squash, and volleyball facilities.

Bates also hosts 13 club sports and a variety of intramural leagues. More than 63% of the college’s student body participates in some form of formal athletic competition every year, with approximately 40% of the student body competing as varsity athletes. The Department of Athletics oversees general fitness and recreation for the entire Bates community.

Bates benefits from a strong base of loyal fans, alumni, and parents. Consistent with the college’s recent overall fundraising success, the sixth annual Friends of Bates Athletics (FBA) Giving Challenge raised a record $697,192 in 2024.

About Bates

Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is a nationally renowned liberal arts and sciences institution whose founding in 1855 challenged social hierarchies while advancing a mission to realize human potential.

Bates fosters intellectual discovery, civic action, and creative collaboration in a close-knit community with a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Offering 35 majors, the curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, global perspectives, and a senior thesis or capstone project.

Bates prioritizes accessibility, meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need through grants, loans, and employment. Bates is known for national leadership in equitable STEM education, and career preparation through the innovative Bates Center for Purposeful Work, and community-engaged learning — a pride point of active involvement by Bates Athletics. Bates students learn how to form productive partnerships locally and globally while becoming effective leaders in all walks of life, ready to pursue their post-Bates aspirations with imagination and integrity.

Strong and Growing Student Demand

Bates continues to attract record numbers of applicants, with a 12% increase in applications and more than 10,000 students vying for admission to the Class of 2028.

Financial Strength and Philanthropic Support

Bates raised an impressive $31.2 million in gifts and pledges in the past fiscal year, including record-breaking contributions to the Bates Fund and Friends of Bates Athletics.

Excellence in Academic and Postgraduate Success

With a 91% graduation rate — among the highest in the country — Bates prepares students for success, with graduates regularly securing Fulbright awards, top-tier graduate school admissions, and competitive career opportunities across industries.

Innovative Faculty and Institutional Investment

The Bates faculty earns national recognition as the college strategically renews the professoriate through retirement and new appointments, hiring 13 new tenure-track faculty members this year to sustain academic excellence across disciplines.

The Opportunity

Bates seeks an inspirational, engaged, and collaborative leader who will contribute meaningfully to Bates’ distinctive mission of educating the whole person. Building on the upward trajectory of its teams, the Director will help motivate each program for competitive success. In partnership with key constituencies across the college, the Director will outline a vision for athletics and fitness for the Bates community and provide both strategic and operational leadership to the entire Athletics enterprise. Successful candidates will have demonstrated an ability to lead a collective effort to develop and execute a strategic vision while building an organization that can meet the many operational demands on the department. The Director will support and assess coaches with their own team and professional development goals and will serve as an advocate for the needs of both coaches and student-athletes.

The Director will play a critical leadership role in guiding the college through additional investments in Athletics infrastructure. With a large and diverse set of athletic facilities in high demand from students participating in varsity, club, intramural, and recreational sports, the Director will provide strategic oversight to maximize facility usage and ensure their effectiveness. Drawing on prior budgeting and oversight experience, the Director will guide the planning and allocation of funding in a complex environment that meets regulatory and equity compliance, while collaborating with teams directly responsible for execution.

Capitalizing on Bates’ distinctive history and mission, the Director will help sustain and strengthen a culture of diversity and inclusion, including developing a strong partnership with the Office of Admission to recruit and enroll student-athletes from all demographic and socio-economic backgrounds. Among other successes in this area, Bates Athletics has gained a national reputation for eliminating barriers to student-athletes' full participation based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Reporting to the vice president of student affairs, the Director serves as the face of Athletics and is a visible presence on campus who contributes to the overall leadership of the college. In developing close relationships with faculty and staff, the Director will develop programs, policies, and procedures that help student-athletes reach their full potential, both on and off the field. Externally, the Director will partner with College Advancement to strengthen relationships with the college’s many dedicated alumni and parents who care deeply for Bates Athletics.

Primary Responsibilities

- Develop and implement a strategic vision for Athletics at Bates, including competitive teams at all levels and general fitness for the entire community.

- Design, lead, and evaluate a high-performing management team.

- Ensure the effective recruitment, training, supervision, and evaluation of a highly skilled and diverse coaching, administrative, and support staff.

- Ensure college compliance with all NCAA, NESCAC, and Title IX regulations and guidelines, while maintaining appropriate Department of Athletics policies, procedures, and practices.

- Ensure a culture of diversity and inclusion that serves the needs of all student-athletes, coaches, staff, and Bates community members.

- Ensure an environment that promotes student-athlete safety, health, and welfare, and be strongly committed to the student-athlete experience.

- Partner with the Office of Admission to ensure effective student athlete-recruitment and enrollment strategies.

- Work with the College Advancement Office to foster and maintain relationships with, and cultivate donors from within, Athletics alumni, parents of student-athletes, and friends of the college’s athletics programs.

- Partner with the faculty to align Athletics with the overall academic mission of the college.

- Ensure proper event and facilities management, including all aspects of revenue generation, facilities scheduling, facilities staffing, and community relations.

- Supervise comprehensive intramural programs.

- In partnership with the Bates Communications and Marketing Office and senior leadership, leverage the success and principles of Bates Athletics to effectively promote the college.

- Work collaboratively with the department and the Finance Office to ensure sound financial planning and resource allocations.

Qualifications and Competencies

- A bachelor’s degree is required; a master’s degree is preferred.

- Extensive experience in athletics with progressive increases in responsibility.

- Demonstrated success in developing and executing strategic planning and effective organizational leadership.

- Demonstrated commitment to a program that promotes and supports both academic and athletic excellence.

- Demonstrated commitment to diversity and the development of an inclusive campus culture.

- Demonstrated experience with donor development and/or fundraising.

- Demonstrated experience and proficiency with financial planning and budgeting.

- Demonstrated experience in recruiting, or supporting the recruitment of, athletes, coupled with a commitment to partnering with the Office of Admission to develop, implement, and manage a comprehensive, department-wide strategic recruitment program.

- Ability to foster collaboration and productive partnerships with a broad range of constituencies, both inside and outside the college.

- Ability to recruit, motivate, supervise, and evaluate departmental personnel.

- Strong communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate with both internal and external constituencies.

About Maine and Lewiston/Auburn

Bates is located on a beautiful, 109-acre, traditional New England campus in Lewiston, Maine, a lively small city enjoying an exciting economic and cultural revitalization. Lewiston and its twin city of Auburn, located in central Maine about 35 miles north of Portland, have a combined population of about 65,000 people. Maine’s natural beauty and resources and its diverse recreational offerings are highly valued by the Bates community; both the coast to the east and the mountains and ski areas to the north and west are within easy reach. Lewiston is a walkable city with an engaged citizenry, lively arts and dining scenes, and a historic downtown. The city has a rich industrial past and was home to thousands of French Canadian immigrants who came to work in its textile mills along the Androscoggin River in the nineteenth century. More recently, Lewiston has welcomed many new residents from African nations, especially Somalia and Sudan. Bates is a national leader in community engaged learning – a pride point supported by the Department of Athletics – and works closely with local and state communities in many partnerships and creative collaborations.

Application Process

Bates College invites nominations or expressions of interest to be submitted to the search firm assisting the college. Applications must include a cover letter, resume or curriculum vitae, and list of references. For full consideration, application materials should be submitted to Parker Executive Search’s website by the priority deadline of March 14, 2025. Confidential review of materials will begin immediately and continue until the appointment is made. For additional information, please contact: Daniel Parker, Vice President and Managing Director

Grant Higgison, Principal

Xavier Harper, Executive Recruiting Coordinator

ghiggison@parkersearch.com | xharper@parkersearch.com

Parker Executive Search

770-804-1996 ext. 118 | 770-804-1996 ext. 123

Create a Job Alert for Similar Jobs About Bates College Located in Lewiston, Maine, Bates is a nationally renowned liberal arts and sciences institution whose founding in 1855 challenged social hierarchies while advancing a mission to realize human potential. Bates fosters intellectual discovery, civic action, and creative collaboration in a close-knit community with a 10-to-1 student-to-faculty ratio. Offering 35 majors, the curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary learning, critical thinking, global perspectives, and a senior thesis or capstone project. Bates prioritizes accessibility, meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need through grants, loans, and employment. Bates is known for national leadership in equitable STEM education, and career preparation through the innovative Bates Center for Purposeful Work, and community-engaged learning — a pride point of active involvement by Bates Athletics. Bates students learn how to form productive partnerships locally and globally while becoming effective leaders in all walks of life, rea Connections working at Bates College More Jobs from This Employer https://ncaamarket.ncaa.org/jobs/21087663/director-of-athletics Return to Search Results