Associate Athletics Director for Health and Wellness - Utah State University

Overview:

The Associate Athletics Director for Health and Wellness (Assistant Director) plays a critical role in enhancing the overall well-being and performance of student-athletes. This position oversees and coordinates services related to strength and conditioning, mental wellness, nutrition, sports medicine, and sports performance, fostering an integral approach to student health and well-being. The role requires collaboration with coaches, medical professionals, and university staff to optimize student-athletes' physical, mental, and emotional health.

Responsibilities:

Oversight and Administration:

• Manage and supervise the daily operations of strength and conditioning, sports medicine, mental wellness and sports performance program staffs for USU student-athletes.
• Develop and implement initiatives to enhance student-athletes’ mental health and nutritional wellness services.
• Serve as the primary liaison between athletics and campus health and wellness services, ensuring integrated care and support.
• Oversee and enhance facility operations and improvements in assigned training facilities.
• Coordinate implementation of department wide policy in conjunction with department administration and the NCAA.
• Determine budgetary trends within intercollegiate athletics for technology and data usage.
• Maintain strategic plan for all operations surrounding student-athlete health and wellness.

Strength and Conditioning:

• Oversee directors of the strength and conditioning staffs to ensure programming is aligned with best practices for injury prevention, recovery, and athletic performance.
• Evaluate cutting-edge training techniques and technologies to improve individual and team performance in conjunction with department administration and NCAA guidelines.

Mental Health Services:

• Partner with licensed mental health professionals to deliver accessible, culturally competent counseling services to student-athletes.
• Promote mental health awareness through educational programming and outreach.
• Monitor use of services and improvements for growth. 

Nutrition and Performance:

• Coordinate with sports dietitians to provide nutrition education, meal planning, and performance optimization.
• Oversee departmental nutritionist for meals and supplement programs to ensure compliance with NCAA and institutional guidelines.
• Determine efficiencies for better promotion of healthy meal prep and student-athlete nutrition.
• Analyze future scheduling models and programing for enhanced use of student-athlete fueling center
• Establish alternate food source and access models for student-athletes.

Sports Medicine:

• Work with athletic trainers and medical staff to ensure timely injury prevention, assessment, and rehabilitation protocols.
• Manage clinical programming & relationships with campus athletic training certified education programs.
• Monitor compliance with NCAA, conference, and institutional health and safety standards.
• Evaluate partnerships and current agreements.

Program Development:

• Design and implement wellness programs addressing topics like stress management, and substance education.
• Utilize data analytics to assess program effectiveness and student-athlete outcomes, making data-informed improvements.
• Develop yearly budget requests for one or multiple areas within the Sports Performance, Health and Wellness Department.

Collaboration and Communication:

• Collaborate with coaching staff to align wellness initiatives with team goals and schedules.
• Communicate regularly with student-athletes, and stakeholders to provide updates on health and wellness resources and initiatives.
• Coordinate and maintain relationships with outside vendors to provide quality products and equipment that may affect all student-athletes at Utah State University.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, sports medicine, psychology, nutrition, or related field (master’s preferred).
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in athletic performance, sports medicine, or student wellness roles with 1 years managerial experience.
• Experience in writing grants and proposal for state and governmental funding.
• Certifications in relevant areas (e.g., CSCS, NASM, ATC, or equivalent) are highly desirable.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Demonstrated knowledge of NCAA regulations regarding student-athlete health and wellness.
• Knowledge and experience with Utah State University policies and procedures.
• Commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive environment for a diverse student population.
• Strategic planning and execution.
• Strong leadership, communication, and organizational skills.
• Interpersonal and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of emerging trends in health and wellness
• Crisis management and problem-solving abilities

Required Documents:

Along with the online application, please attach:

1. Resume/CV to be uploaded at the beginning of your application in the Candidate Profile under “Resume/CV"
2. Name and contact information for 3 professional references to be entered into Candidate Profile
3. Cover letter to be typed/pasted at the end of your application

**Document size may not exceed 10 MB.**

Advertised Salary:Commensurate with experience, plus excellent benefitsADA:

Employees work indoors and are protected from weather and/or contaminants, but not, necessarily, occasional temperature changes. The employee is regularly required to sit and often uses repetitive hand motions.

University Highlights:

Founded in 1888, Utah State University is Utah’s premier land-grant, public service university, with a strong commitment to excellence, access, and inclusion, empowering people to lead successful lives of involvement, innovation, and impact. Utah State provides high-quality education to 27,500-plus students locations throughout the state, including at three residential campuses, eight statewide campuses, and 23 education centers. USU Online educates students from all 50 states and 55 countries. For over 25 years, USU Extension has served and engaged Utahns in all of Utah’s counties. As an R1 research institution, Utah State is dedicated to advancing knowledge through research and scholarly activities, providing a high-quality undergraduate and graduate education at an affordable price.

 

Utah State is committed to cultivating a community of inclusive excellence where all perspectives, values, cultures, and identities are acknowledged, welcomed, and valued. We seek to recruit, hire, and retain people from all walks of life who will champion excellence in education, research, discovery, outreach, and service. We believe that promoting a strong sense of community and belonging empowers and engages all members of USU to thrive and be successful. Forbes recognized our commitment to employees when they named Utah State the best employer in Utah in 2023. Learn more about USU. 

 

The university provides a Dual Career Assistance Program to support careers for partners who are also seeking employment. Additionally, USU is committed to providing access and reasonable accommodations for individuals with disabilities. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability, contact the university’s ADA Coordinator in the Office of Human Resources at (435) 797-0122 or hr@usu.edu. 

 

About the Region

U.S. News and World Report ranked Utah first for its strong economy, fiscal stability, education, and health care. Outstanding outdoor recreational opportunities abound throughout the state, including five national parks, 43 state parks and recreation areas, and 15 alpine ski resorts. The home of USU’s main campus, Logan, is a city of 54,000-plus people in a picturesque mountain valley 80 miles north of Salt Lake City. The Logan metro area claimed the top spot in the Milken Institute’s 2022 ranking for best-performing small cities in the nation. 

 

*updated 04/2024

Notice of Non-discrimination:

In its programs and activities, including in admissions and employment, Utah State University does not discriminate or tolerate discrimination, including harassment, based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by University policy, Title IX, or any other federal, state, or local law.

The following individuals have been designated to handle inquiries regarding the application of Title IX and its implementing regulations and/or USU’s non-discrimination policies:

 

Executive Director of the Office of Equity Matthew Pinner, discrimination@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 401, 435-797-1266

Title IX Coordinator Cody Carmichael, titleix@usu.edu, Distance Education Rm. 404, 435-797-1266

Mailing address: 5100 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322

For further information regarding non-discrimination, please visit https://equity.usu.edu/, or contact:

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 800-421-3481, OCR@ed.gov

*updated 09/2023