Assistant Director - RecSports, Student Life - UTK

The Assistant Director is a dynamic leadership position focused on enhancing the student experience through the strategic management of our recreation facilities and operations. This individual will be a coach and mentor to a team of two to three full-time professionals and oversee two to three program areas; and will serve as a key departmental leader. The core purpose of this role is to create and maintain welcoming, safe, and inclusive spaces that foster student success, personal growth, and a sense of belonging, in direct alignment with the Division of Student Life's strategic priorities.

This Assistant Director position provides strategic leadership and vision for core facilities and services, aligning all efforts with the Division of Student Life and RecSports strategic plans. This role is a key driver in enhancing the student experience by cultivating inclusive spaces and programming, and by fostering a culture of holistic well-being. The individual in this position will serve as a senior leader on the Director's team, guiding departmental initiatives, and making high-level decisions to ensure responsible and effective stewardship of university resources.

• Provides direction, supervision, and general management for two/three full-time professionals dedicated to Informal Recreation and Fitness.
• Serves as a key member of the Director’s senior leadership team assisting with developing department goals, objectives, and initiatives.
• Maintains and schedules the TRECS, shared space in HPER, and the TRECS field and tennis courts for internal programs and outside user-groups.
• Provides input and direction on decisions concerning personnel, budget, equipment, and/or facility maintenance.
• Responsible for program planning and special events, payroll approval, and provide supervision and evaluation of staff.
• This position will serve as a committee chair for initiatives that support the department.

Required Qualifications:

• Education: Master's degree required
• Experience: Three (3) years of professional experience working with students in a campus recreation program or similar organization of comparable size
• Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
  • Ability to successfully perform managerial responsibilities (planning, organization leadership, budget, personnel, staff supervision, program evaluation, facility management, operations) in a complex regulatory, legal, policy, and political environment
  • Ability to work with diverse constituencies
  • Strong communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills
  • Ability to handle multiple work priorities
  • Ability to organize and plan projects effectively
  • Ability to exercise good judgment
  • Ability to implement a comprehensive program risk management plans

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States on a full-time basis without need now or in the future for sponsorship for employment visa status.

Work Location

• Location: 2111 Volunteer Blvd Knoxville, TN 37996
• Onsite, Hybrid, or Remote: Onsite with occasional remote work

Compensation and Benefits

• UT market range: MR 12
• Find more information on the UT Market Range structure here
• Find more information on UT Benefits here

Application Instructions: To express interest, please submit an application with the noted below attachments. To be assured of full consideration, completed applications with all requested materials should be submitted on or before September 1, 2025

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• List of 3 Professional References

About The College/Department/Division:

RecSports is within the Division of Student Life at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The mission of the RecSports department is to provide & engage our students & community with holistic recreational experiences that cultivate wellness and the Volunteer Spirit through programs, facilities, services, & employment.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has shaped leaders, changemakers, and innovative thinkers since its founding in 1794. The university is home to more than 38,000 students and 10,000 statewide employees—the Volunteers—who uphold the university’s tradition of lighting the way for others through leadership and service.

UT Knoxville offers over 900 programs of study across 14 degree-granting colleges and schools. As Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university, its footprint spans the entire state. The university holds the highest Carnegie classification for research activity and has deep partnerships with industry leaders and the US Department of Energy’s largest multidisciplinary laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The Knoxville campus serves and recruits for UT Knoxville, including the Institute of Agriculture and the Space Institute, as well as the UT Institute of Public Service.

UT Knoxville considers its employees its number one asset. With values that focus on work-life balance, compensation, and innovation leadership, all Vols are supported to advance professionally. Employees have access to career development and coaching, continued education, and an extensive list of development and training possibilities. The Volunteer employee experience implements structures and practices that attract and retain a diverse community and that support a culture where everyone matters and belongs.

The university holds a strong commitment to its land-grant mission of learning and engagement, with a tradition of service and leadership that carries that Volunteer spirit throughout the state and around the world. It has been ranked nationally as “Best Employer for New Graduates,” “One of America’s Best Large Employers,” and “Best Workplace for Women,” and has been designated as “Best Place for Working Parents” by Forbes Magazine.

Apply today and join the Tennessee Volunteer community!