Director of Athletics

The Rivers School — a 6-12 co-ed independent day school in Weston, MA, just outside Boston — seeks professionals who are looking to join a dynamic, innovative, and welcoming school community.

The Rivers School – a co-ed independent day school in Weston, MA, just outside of Boston – seeks an innovative, dynamic, and compassionate leader to serve as our next Director of Athletics. With strategic and administrative oversight of a deeply student-centered and highly successful athletics program and department, the director of athletics serves as a key member of the administrative team and partners with colleagues across campus to bring to life our institutional philosophy of Excellence with Humanity. The director of athletics reports directly to the assistant head of school for special projects and meets regularly with the head of school. 

 

Excitingly, Rivers is currently positioned to build upon a strong and well-supported athletic community. In a highly-competitive interscholastic setting, Rivers consistently wins both NEPSAC and ISL championships, sending on numerous graduates each year to Division I NCAA programs. Notably, during the 2023-2024 school year, Rivers was the only school in New England to qualify for the playoffs in every eligible fall and winter sport.

 

Additionally, Rivers is a thriving educational institution with an innovative new head of school leading our community to co-create the next chapter of success through our next strategic plan. Less than 20 miles from Boston, Rivers serves 530+ students in grades 6-12, over 30% of whom self-identify as BIPOC. Athletics compliments both a rigorous academic program and a robust arts program that includes the well-renowned River School Conservatory. Across all of these interconnected areas, students are encouraged to find their passions and pursue them vigorously, with caring educators empowering them to become the best version of themselves.

 

The director of athletics will work closely with the head of school and other senior leaders to set the strategic vision and plan for our athletics program in the context of Rivers’ larger mission and strategic objectives. This requires the director of athletics to bring a depth of skills and experience around effective leadership and management of others, innovative and collaborative problem solving, support for holistic health and wellness, and effective practice advancing equity and access.

 

Qualifications and Characteristics

 

The ideal candidate for the director of athletics should bring a blend of professional experience and personal qualities that exemplify The Rivers School’s philosophy of Excellence with Humanity. While no one person will embody all of them, the successful candidate will exemplify many of the following qualifications and attributes:

 

• Administrative leadership experience, preferably in athletics at the secondary school level or higher;
• Strong relationship-building skills and ability to connect with constituencies across a dynamic and complex organization (students, families, colleagues);
• Ability to build, retain, coach, and energize staff, manage and develop high-performing teams, set measurable strategic objectives, and mobilize staff to ensure positive impact;
• Unwavering commitment to and an understanding of student-centered and holistic education, inclusive of the vital connection between teaching and coaching;
• Experience defining clear roles and responsibilities, establishing transparent decision-making processes and channels, laying out plans with key metrics and deliverables, and executing against those deliverables;
• Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to and experience in advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.

 

Interested candidates should submit a CV with cover letter via the application link below. This opportunity will be open until it is filled. Inquiries, nominations, and referrals should be sent to Jim Long (he/him), Assistant Head of School for Special Projects, at j.long@rivers.org. 

 

Rivers encourages interest from candidates who will enrich the diversity of identity, experience, and perspectives among our professional and school community. We recognize that skilled and innovative individuals follow a variety of pathways in life, and we enthusiastically invite applications from those who may have experience that meets our qualifications in non-traditional ways. Rivers offers BIPOC affinity, LGBTQ+ affinity, and white allyship spaces for professionals, as well as institutional professional development to support and enrich our work around equity and access.