The Opportunity

Queens University of Charlotte, located in the heart of the thriving new South city of Charlotte, North Carolina, seeks a dynamic and visionary leader to become its new Director of Athletics. Queens sponsors 25 total sport offerings (21 NCAA programs and four collegiate teams) and competes in Division II.

The Director of Athletics will join our university at an exciting time. Over the past decade we’ve more than doubled our undergraduate enrollment, expanded our academic programs, and raised well over $150M for scholarships and facilities. Notably, the major gifts propelling Queens’ fundraising success were generated not only from alumni, but from leaders of Charlotte’s business and philanthropic communities, a reflection of the strong support for Queens’ role in the city’s civic and educational landscape.

Similarly, athletics at Queens is flourishing. Our student-athletes, who make up approximately 35% of our undergraduates, are exceptional. They lead on the playing field, across the campus and in the classroom. In fact, 2015 marked the sixth consecutive year for Royals athletes to earn a collective GPA of more than 3.0.  

Queens sponsors the sports of Basketball (M/W), Cheerleading (M/W), Cross Country (M/W), Field Hockey (W), Golf (M/W), Lacrosse (M/W), Soccer (M/W), Softball (W), Swimming (M/W), Tennis (M/W), Track and Field (M/W), Triathlon (M/W), and Volleyball (W).

In 2013, Queens became a member of the South Atlantic Conference (SAC), a conference which emphasizes the balance between athletics and the overall academic, spiritual, social and physical development of each student-athlete to provide them with skills for future success.

Additional Royals Successes

• NCAA Division II Individual National Championship Titles (34)
• NCAA Division II Team National Championship Titles (2)
• NCAA Division II Elite 8 Tournament Appearances (4)
• NCAA Division II Tournament Appearances (69)
• Conference Championship Titles (51)
• All-Americans (312) and Academic All-Americans (26)

A Dynamic and Thriving University

Nestled in the historic tree-filled Myers Park neighborhood just minutes from Uptown Charlotte, Queens has been transforming the lives of its students for more than 155 years.  

A dynamic co-ed master’s-level university with approximately 2,250 undergraduate and graduate students (of whom approximately 35% of undergrads participate in athletics), we serve an engaged and diverse student body with an innovative curricula and one of the most vibrant athletics programs in the southeast. 

Our academic offerings span the liberal arts and sciences as well as the professional fields of business, communication, nursing, health and education. All degree programs are grounded in a liberal arts core to help students hone their critical thinking, problem solving and communication skills. Queens is consistently ranked in the top tier of Southern Regional Masters Universities and in the top ten nationally for the percentage of students who study abroad.

Reflecting our Presbyterian heritage, service to the greater community is a significant part of our culture. Queens’ long-standing motto is “Not to be served, but to serve.”

Bottom line: our holistic approach to education—both inside the classroom and out of it—delivers a set of extraordinary experiences. 

Mission: To provide transformative educational experiences that nurture intellectual curiosity, promote global understanding, encourage ethical living, and prepare individuals for purposeful and fulfilling lives.

Vision: To be recognized as a leading comprehensive university, distinguished by its commitment to transforming the lives of its students and enhancing the intellectual and cultural fabric of our community.

The Department of Athletics at Queens will be recognized as a leading Division II program in the United States, distinguished by its commitment to transforming the lives of its students, and consistently competing at the highest possible levels in numerous sports.

Our mission is to provide student-athletes with exceptional athletics and educational experiences in partnership with student life and academic affairs that transform students’ lives and foster personal and professional success.

Department Philosophy

We strive to develop and integrate intercollegiate participation opportunities with respect and integrity that reflect the core values and traditions of the university.

To fulfill its mission, Queens Athletics is committed to fostering excellence in the following:

• Support academic responsibility and integrity consistent with successful progress towards graduation,
• In accordance with NCAA and Conference principles, govern competition and participation opportunities in a safe, positive, fair and equitable environment that contribute to the life-long well-being of the student-athlete,
• Garner and support diversity and inclusion among all individuals,
• Foster and environment that promotes physical, emotional and social well-being that contribute to life-long health, and
• Promote equitable opportunities for the recruitment, growth, participation and retention of student-athletes, coaches and support personnel including women and minorities throughout the department.

Athletic Facilities

The Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation, located on Queens’ main campus, is a three-story, 145,000 square-foot building which provides incredible facilities for student wellness, recreation and Royals athletics. It is the home to the men's and women's basketball teams, men's and women's 2015 national championship swim teams, and the volleyball team. Housing three basketball/volleyball courts, a 33-meter stretch pool, an indoor walking track and a 5,000-square-foot fitness center, it is one of the premier facilities in the region at the NCAA DII level.

The Sports Complex at Marion Diehl Park is home to the men's and women's lacrosse teams as well as the men's and women's soccer teams. Completed in 2009 in partnership with Mecklenburg County, the Queens Sports Complex is one of the largest athletic venues in the region. It offers world-class multi-sport champion field, cross country, a grass practice field, and a 14,000 square foot conference center. It is also the home to the world’s largest standing lion sculpture, mascot Rex.

The New Tennis Facility at Marion Diehl Park - - In 2011, the Royals home courts were removed to make room for the Levine Center for Wellness and Recreation. Queens will begin construction on a tennis facility in early 2016 that will include 13 lighted courts, permanent seating, and an adjacent facility with locker rooms for tennis, field hockey, and track. Upon completion, the tennis center establishes a permanent home for Royals tennis and provides a significant, lasting benefit to Queens and the community.

Summary

Queens University of Charlotte seeks a visionary and dynamic leader for its highly successful athletics programs. Queens sponsors 25 total sport offerings (21 NCAA programs and four collegiate teams) competes in Division II. This is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the Vice President, University Advancement. Once the person in this role exemplifies a significant level of leadership and integrated managerial capability, strong consideration will be given to having this position report directly to the President and serve on Queens’ Senior Leadership Team.

• Envision, craft and carry out an inspiring vision for Queens’ department of athletics that boldly builds upon Queens’ mission, vision and values.
• Ensure student-athletes’ experience is consistently excellent in all respects (physically, academically, emotionally, and socially).
• Demonstrate an unwavering commitment to academic excellence and development of the highest personal integrity among student-athletes. 
• Build and lead a high-performing team of coaches, assistant coaches, administrators and volunteers who are highly motivated, equipped and vested in the Queens’ and the department’s mission, vision and values. 
• Ensure open, honest, supportive communication throughout the department characterized by ongoing, productive communication and feedback.
• Establish annual and ongoing goals for Athletics that align with and support the university’s mission and strategic plan, and ensure the effective implementation of the goals through continual feedback and appropriate allocation, development, and management of resources.
• Serve as the strongest advocate and voice for all athletic programs, to all stakeholders.
• Ensure that all NCAA rules and regulations are followed at all times and recruitment of student-athletes complies with NCAA guidelines and Queens’ academic admissions standards. 
• Ensure that Queens’ Division II participation fully complies with NCAA, SAC and other applicable national association and conference principles.
• Nurture an environment that celebrates diversity at every level.
• Ensure that student-athlete welfare is upheld through the timely and professional assessment, care, prevention, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries, accurate record keeping, counseling and practice and game coverage for all teams. Ensure the health and safety of student-athletes is protected during strength and conditioning activities. 
• Ensure department compliance with federal and state laws, and take swift, collaborative action in the event a gap occurs.
• Develop strong working relationships across campus with faculty, staff, administrators, board of trustees, as well as in the Charlotte community and within the SAC / NCAA.
• Develop and manage a fiscally sound budget that demonstrates stewardship of limited resources.
• Work collaboratively with University Advancement and Royals Club to actively support fundraising efforts.

Ideal Qualities and Qualifications

• Track record of success in a similar role at a college or university with a size and complexity similar to Queens.
• An energetic and entrepreneurial spirit, with the ability to view obstacles as opportunities.
• Skills and experience in strategic planning, fiscal planning, and resource management.
• Proven ability to hire, train, develop, and lead high performing, diverse teams.
• Demonstrated organization and planning skills (strategic, short- and long-term); strong follow-up and follow-through skills to ensure completion of strategic plans, goals and objectives.
• Demonstrated commitment to academic excellence and a passion for the university’s educational and athletics missions.
• Knowledge of and experience with identifying and working through to resolution Title IX/Clery Act issues.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment with demonstrated ability to effectively prioritize multiple competing tasks and demands.
• Exceptionally strong communication skills (verbal, written, interpersonal) and ability to quickly establish and maintain strong rapport at all levels of the university.
• Demonstrated evidence of a flexible, energetic, creative, and results-oriented leadership style.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to inspire coaches, administrators and student-athletes to even higher levels of achievement and excellence.
• Demonstrated computer proficiency using standard office software applications.
• Bachelor’s degree required with a master’s degree preferred. At least five years of college athletic administrative experience required or a similar combination of education and experience in a related field.
• Regular evening, weekend presence at athletic and/or university events and regular travel required to perform duties of the position. Regular travel requiring the use of auto, bus, plane and overnight stays required.

Physical Requirements (with or without reasonable accommodation)

• Visual Abilities: Read reports, create presentations and use a computer system.
• Hearing: Hear well enough to communicate with co-workers, vendors, and students.
• Dexterity, Grasping, Feeling: Write, type and use the telephone, copier, and computer systems.
• Mobility: Open files and operate office machines; move between departments and attend meetings across campus.
• Talking: Frequently convey detailed or important instructions and ideas accurately, loudly, or quickly.
• Lifting, Pulling, Pushing: Exert up to 50 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 20 pounds of force frequently, and/or up to 10 pounds of force constantly to move objects.

The above description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the duties and responsibilities of this positions, nor are they intended to be such a listing of the skills and abilities required to do the job. Rather, they are intended only to describe the general nature of the position.