Description
The Associate Athletics Director for Peak Performance supports the Executive Associate Athletics Director in providing vision, leadership, and management for Dartmouth Peak Performance (DP2)—Dartmouth’s integrated support team for the health, wellness, and development of varsity student-athletes and teams. In addition to serving as DP2’s deputy leader, this role leads and participates in delivery of services for Leadership and Mental Performance, drawing upon deep expertise in sport and performance psychology to guide a team of practitioners providing individual mental performance coaching, group and team sessions, workshops, and coach consultations. This support fosters the psychological and behavioral foundations to empower student-athletes to thrive academically, athletically, and personally during and beyond their time at Dartmouth. The role requires frequent collaboration with student-athletes, coaches, interdisciplinary staff, campus partners, and senior administrators, as well as the ability to mentor and supervise staff. The Associate Athletics Director also helps cultivate a culture of collaboration and excellence across the DP2 team, supporting the holistic development and competitive success of Dartmouth student-athletes and teams.
Requirements
Required Qualifications - Skills, Knowledge and Abilities:
- Master’s degree in sport or counseling psychology, human performance, or related field.
- Six years of progressive experience delivering mental performance services in a high-performance athletic, academic, or tactical environment.
- Previous experience leading mental performance staff and services as part of an interdisciplinary team.
- Proven leadership and management skills.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
- Exceptional interpersonal and presentation skills to motivate and work effectively with diverse groups and individuals internal and external to the College.
- Ability to exercise good judgment and discretion in sensitive situations, and work effectively in a fast-paced and complex work environment.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Terminal degree in related field.
- Licensed or license-eligible psychologist, counselor or mental health professional.
- Certified Mental Performance Consultant® (CMPC) or in-progress.
- Previous supervisory experience and experience as a collegiate athlete or coach.
Description:
Dartmouth Peak Performance (DP2) Initiative
- Reports to the Executive Associate Athletics Director for Peak Performance
- Supports the supervision and development of athletic department staff members and ensures integration and collaboration with the broader DP2 team.
- Helps develop and execute the strategic plan for the holistic development and well-being of Dartmouth Varsity student-athletes, revising as appropriate to meet the changing needs and requirements of student-athletes, coaches and staff.
- Directs, and/or initiates, develops and implements innovative resources and programs that reflect emerging topics, research, and best practices in order to meet the educational, performance and personal needs of high achieving, time constrained student-athletes.
- Works closely with coaches and support staff as part of an integrated multi-disciplinary team to minimize potential concerns, conflicts and distractions, all of which can be detrimental to both performance and personal life.
- Develops nurturing relationships based on trust and integrity which enable student-athletes to work in a safe and secure space.
- Works in partnership with the Teevens Center and faculty on the development of research programs designed to enhance student-athlete academic, personal, professional, and leadership development, well-being, and performance.
- Develops assessment tools to inform the effectiveness of programming and outcomes.
Percentage Of Time:
40%
Description:
Mental Performance Coaching and Consulting
- Provide supervision and strategic leadership for DP2’s Leadership and Mental Performance services in collaboration with the Corrigan Family Assistant Athletics Director for Leadership and Mental Performance.
- Provide comprehensive mental performance consultation services to optimize mental skills, resilience, teamwork, and sport participation for student-athletes and coaches.
- Supports a portion of the 35 varsity teams for the Big Green by offering one-on-one sessions for student-athletes, mental training programs for teams or groups, and consultation for coaches to the assigned teams.
- Ensures early identification of potential mental health concerns and refers to counseling services to further holistic student-athlete care.
- Attends practices and games, and provides observation, feedback, and mental performance services to assist student-athletes and coaches in pursuing performance excellence and overcoming barriers to performance well-being.
- Collaborates with the interdisciplinary peak performance team to promote the optimal environment for performance excellence using best practices, evidence-based strategies, and peer consultation.
Percentage Of Time:
40%
Description:
Department Administration & Campus Collaboration
- Contributes to department-wide administration, policy implementation, and planning efforts.
- Maintains effective relations, internally and externally with students, Faculty, staff, alumni and Friends groups.
- Effectively communicates and supports the department’s mission, vision and values.
- Strategically partners with College colleagues to provide education and services for varsity student-athletes, coaches, and staff.
- Collaborates with the Teevens Center Director in support of Leadership Development and Mental Performance programming for select students outside varsity athletics.
- Serves as NCAA Athletics Diversity and Inclusion Designee and Department lead for campus Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) initiatives including creating and implementing training programs for coaches, staff and student-athletes.
- Develops, facilitates, and implements D&I vision and tracks metrics to measure success, which aligns with the department’s mission and core values and supports College’s D&I strategy by strategically partnering with College colleagues.
- Serves as advisor, or supports staff advisors, for all Athletics student leadership and resource networks, ensuring effective and efficient support to facilitate meaningful engagement and development.
Percentage Of Time:
20%
Description:
Varsity Sport Administration
- If determined by the Director of Athletics and Recreation, position may include Varsity Sport Administration oversight. Sport Oversight responsibilities and duties for selected Varsity Sports Teams, including but not limited to:
- Supervision and evaluation of coaches, scheduling, budget development, and oversight, regular evaluation of program resources and performance goals, strategic planning, and management of student-athlete grievances and issues
- Providing leadership, directing, and establishing meetings with coaching staff
- Traveling with team
- Attending practices
- Building rapport with support staff
Department Contact for Recruitment Inquiries:
Austin Driggers - [email protected]
Department Contact for Cover Letter and Title:
Austin Driggers, Executive Associate Athletic Director for Peak Performance
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Dartmouth College is an equal opportunity employer under federal law. We prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected status. Applications are welcome from all.
Background Check:
Employment in this position is contingent upon consent to and successful completion of a pre-employment background check, which may include a criminal background check, reference checks, verification of work history, conduct review, and verification of any required academic credentials, licenses, and/or certifications, with results acceptable to Dartmouth College. A criminal conviction will not automatically disqualify an applicant from employment. Background check information will be used in a confidential, non-discriminatory manner consistent with state and federal law.
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Dartmouth College has a Tobacco-Free Policy. Smoking and the use of tobacco-based products (including smokeless tobacco) are prohibited in all facilities, grounds, vehicles or other areas owned, operated or occupied by Dartmouth College with no exceptions. For details, please see our policy. https://policies.dartmouth.edu/policy/tobacco-free-policy
