VICE PRESIDENT & DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS

LeTourneau University is seeking a Vice President & Director of Athletics (VPDA). This is a full-time, 12-month position reporting directly to the president. We seek a bold and dynamic leader who inspires coaches, staff and student-athletes to expand their commitment to excellence in all they do, but especially spiritually, academically, athletically and personally. The VPDA will help us build on LeTourneau University’s recent successes and growing reputation as a leader in the American Southwest Conference (ASC) and Division III of the NCAA.

The VPDA is a member of the President’s Cabinet (executive team). In coordination with the Vice President for Student Affairs, Vice President for Enrollment, and the Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs, the VPDA ensures a vibrant partnership between the academic, co-curricular, and athletic programs of the institution. The VPDA is the chief administrative officer of the Athletic Department and provides leadership, direction and operational management for all aspects of the university’s athletic programs for women and men. Additionally, the director will cultivate and enhance relationships within the university community and East Texas to uphold and promote the mission of LeTourneau University; this includes building friendships and fundraising for LeTourneau athletics.

The VPDA must embody and articulate the character and purposes of the university as stated in our Purpose Statement and lived out within our community by our Statement of Faith & Community Covenant. This individual must be animated by an authentic and vital personal Christian faith and an excitement about the Christian, polytechnic education of LeTourneau University.

“The Christian Polytechnic University”
There is a particularly Christian coherence at LeTourneau University, secured to the story of the gospel, that adds context and depth to our polytechnic education. Students are taught not just to create or apply the latest technologies but also to evaluate them critically in light of what is good for humanity and creation. There is a commitment as scholars and educators to recognize the way our Christian faith illumines and aligns our work, play, study, leisure, and everything curricular and cocurricular on a college campus. What makes LeTourneau University special is that there is not another institution of its kind. God has created a particular environment and culture, a particular DNA, and a particular institutional commitment to an education immersed in technical, applied, and Christian outcomes. LeTourneau University has developed a certain vocation within higher education that requires us to steward and maximize our institutional gifts for the good of the world. To read more about our identity and mission as “The Christian Polytechnic University” please read a recent university whitepaper authored by our former provost and new president, Dr. Steven Mason.

The successful candidate should possess the following:

• An enthusiastic, mature, and contagious Christian faith
• Active participation and commitment to a local church body
• Academic credentials appropriate for a faculty appointment within one of the academic schools of the university.  A master’s degree is required, but an earned Ph.D or Ed.D from a regionally accredited institution is preferred.
• A strong record of achievement in higher education and university leadership
• Strong commitment to Christian higher education and the unique academic vision of LeTourneau University
• Authentic desire to connect with students, faculty, and staff in ways that encourage thoughtful discussion and healthy relationships
• Proven track record of building and maintaining working relationships/partnerships with faculty, academic support programs, residence life, student life and campus ministry staff
• Entrepreneurial spirit to academic and athletic development that encourages creative thinking, calculated risk-taking, and resourceful innovation
• Courageous, empathetic, and collaborative leader with a high emotional IQ and keen sense of humor
• Eight to ten years of leadership experience in progressively responsible roles
• Experience working with diverse populations and a commitment to diversity in the recruitment, retention and representation of coaches, staff and student-athletes
• A thorough understanding of NCAA DIII rules and track record of success in meeting compliance standards
• Personal qualities associated with successful senior leaders, including integrity, excellent oral and written communication skills, sound judgment, initiative, attitude and personality.
  
  The successful candidate should also possess the ability to:
• Form & articulate vision & strategic direction of Yellowjacket athletics consistent with the university's mission
• Build relationships with stakeholders and secure resources necessary to achieve the department’s vision and strategic initiatives
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and peers within the university leadership
• Lead, manage, mentor, support and provide oversight for coaches and athletic staff
• Establish collaborative relationships with the campus and area communities and local high school partners
• Provide development and oversight for the athletic budget, assisting in the allocation of funds and spending on items such as salaries, team travel, equipment purchases and facility upkeep while remaining within budget.

Qualified candidates may email a CV and letter of interest to OfficeofthePresident@letu.edu. Applications will be received until the position is filled but should be submitted by February 15, 2022 for full consideration.