George Mason University's Division of University Life is seeking an experienced, highly motivated, team-centered, and forward-thinking individual for the role of Executive Director for Mason Recreation. George Mason University has a strong institutional commitment to the achievement of excellence and diversity among its faculty and staff, and strongly encourages candidates to apply who will enrich Mason's academic and culturally inclusive environment.
About the Position:
The Executive Director is responsible for providing overall management, supervision of professional staff, and coordination of the administrative, programmatic and facility operations for a comprehensive recreation department. George Mason University and Mason Recreation are committed to inspiring an inclusive atmosphere that fosters well-being for the University's diverse students and community through experiences, education and engagement.
The Executive Director for Recreation will be a high-level collaborator who provides leadership and direction for a variety of initiatives to include strategic planning, budgeting, personnel management, facility operations and maintenance, project management policy review and development, well-being, staff and student development, program development/review, and assessment.
About the Department:
Mason Recreation is a dynamic organization that includes a strong team consisting of 24 full-time professionals and over 400 student staff members. We support multiple programs including The EDGE: Team Development and Experiential Learning challenge course located on Mason's Sci Tech Campus, Outdoor Adventures, Fitness, Intramural Sports, Club Sports, Aquatics, and Well-Being. Our Fairfax campus facilities include the Recreation and Athletic Complex (RAC) (125,000 square feet), the Aquatics and Fitness Center (AFC) (91,000 square feet), Skyline Fitness Center (11,000 square feet), four fields (natural grass and turf), tennis courts, and nature trails.
Responsibilities:
Day-to-day management, supervision of professional staff, to ensure quality in facility operations, programs, and overall success of recreation services;
Oversight and planning of the unit budget which stewards sound fiscal practices to include revenue generation and appropriate management for the renovation, expansion, and general improvement of comprehensive recreational facilities;
Collaborate with university colleagues in the creation, marketing, growth, support, and management of Recreation programs;
Provide direction, support, and serve on various committees and task forces related to Mason's Well-Being initiatives. Create and maintain other collaborative efforts with Mason and community constituents, to include sustaining the department's Advisory Board;
Provide strategic leadership for unit goals, objectives, and policy planning and development;
Provide direction for the establishment of student learning outcomes for student employees, leaders, and participants. Stimulate the assessment and evaluation of all programs and services;
Oversight of staff who serve as primary liaisons with departments such as: Intercollegiate Athletics, ROTC, and the Sport, Recreation, & Tourism Management (SRTM);
Effectively handle multiple projects and tasks independently with consistent follow-through; and
Work effectively with students and professional staff from diverse backgrounds.
Required Qualifications:
Master's Degree in kinesiology, sports management, health education, recreation administration, business administration, student affairs or related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;
Considerable full-time leadership and administrative experience (typically obtained in 5 years) related to recreation;
Experience with budget development and management, capital project planning, renovation and renewals, and assessment practices to inform the decision-making process;
Supervisory experience, and a record of success leading, mentoring, and managing full-time professional staff;
Keen knowledge of student development, recreational sports best practices, student learning outcomes assessment, and strategic planning;
Keen knowledge of and commitment to support Well-Being within the department and in the campus community;
Demonstrated experience with risk management, policy development, facility and equipment inspections, staff training and supervision, emergency procedures, etc.;
Ability to work effectively on a highly diverse campus with a commitment to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion;
Ability to build strong partnerships, management and coordination of shared-use facilities in a fast-paced environment; and
Effective interpersonal, oral, written, and public communication skills.
Salary: Salary starting at $110k, commensurate with experience.
Location: Fairfax, VA
Mason Ad Statement:
Great Careers Begin at Mason!
George Mason University is an innovative, entrepreneurial institution with national distinction in both academics and research. Mason holds a top U.S. News and World Report
George Mason University is a public, comprehensive, research university established by the Commonwealth of Virginia located in Northern Virginia, outside of Washington, D.C. Mason was initially founded as a branch of the University of Virginia in 1949, and became an independent institution in 1972. George Mason University is an innovative and inclusive academic community committed to creating a more just, free, and prosperous world.
George Mason University has 37,000 students from all 50 states and 130 countries and a residential population of more than 6,000 students. Mason is a vibrant and dynamic community of scholars. 80% of our students are employed within six months of graduation. Nearly two-thirds of the 140,000 Mason alumni live and work in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Mason is a young university that, in just a short time, has made impressive strides in size, stature and influence. Today, as Virginia’s largest public research university, we are setting the benchmark for a bold, progressive education that serves the needs of our students and communities. To that end, we have 10 schools and colleges devoted to a variety of study.
Mission.
We prepa...re Mason students for the demands of work, social responsibility, and life in an ever-changing global society. University Life's mission statement is core to our work. We support every student at Mason, from orientation through graduation.
George Mason: Patriotism Personified.
George Mason, for whom our university is named, was one of the greatest of the founding fathers of the United States. Mason drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, which became a model for the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights.
We Are in Virginia. But We Serve the World.
Mason is committed to creating a more just, free and prosperous world. Located in one of the most important political, economic and intellectual hubs in the world, we accept our responsibility to serve others: to help our students succeed, enrich the life of our community, and contribute to solving some of the most complex global problems of our time.
Washington, D.C.: Land of Opportunity.
Mason’s main campus is in Fairfax, Virginia, just 15 miles outside of Washington, D.C. The nation’s capital is easily accessible by car or public transportation.
At Mason, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: a beautiful wooded residential campus and outstanding college experience, as well as numerous internship and recreational opportunities that only a world-class urban setting like D.C. can offer.
You can intern with National Geographic or the Justice Department, visit the numerous museums with your Art History classmates, take a selfie in front of Lincoln Memorial, catch a Nationals baseball game, kayak along the Potomac, or check out the many neighborhoods where you’ll discover lots of great shopping, places to eat, art galleries, music venues, and much more. You can attend events and hear nationally recognized speakers. You’ll run out of time before you run out of things to do.
There’s more to explore. Students participate in a field trip to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., organized by the Office of International Programs and Services.
In just a short drive, you can be hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains or walking the boardwalk in either Ocean City, Maryland, or Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Our closest airports are Dulles International Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport, and Mason is easily accessible by public transportation. Free shuttle buses help you get to the nearest Metro station in Vienna, Virginia, just a short distance from our Fairfax Campus. The Arlington Campus is within walking distance of the Virginia Square-GMU stop on the Orange Line.
Enriching Work Environment.
We will invest in recruiting, retaining, and developing talented and diverse faculty and academic and professional staff. We will create a vibrant campus life in which all members can grow and thrive.
Diversity.
Diversity is one of our core values; everyone is welcome here. Mason was recently named the most diverse university in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.
We bring together a multitude of people and ideas in everything that we do. Our culture of inclusion, our multidisciplinary approach, and our global perspective makes us more effective educators and scholars.
While at Mason, you’ll be making your own decisions and forming your own view of the world. Engaging with diverse groups of individuals, including students, faculty, and staff, will enrich this experience. You will learn from them, and they will learn from you.
We have a variety of communities here, and you're sure to find a group of people who are like you. The great thing is you'll also be embraced by communities of people who are not like you. At Mason, you'll be in a place where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
Interacting with people from a variety of backgrounds will:
•Widen your outlook of the world,
•Show you how to work and collaborate with people of differing views,
•Expose you to new perspectives from people with disparate life experiences, and
•Give you the social skills to interact with all kinds of people.
Diversity also enhances learning and creative thinking by prompting the study of new material and the awareness of fresh viewpoints. The power of many perspectives will boost your capacity to explore original ideas and solutions. Seeing issues in a new way heightens your creativity and problem-solving abilities.
Another benefit: As our nation becomes more diverse, students who learn in a diverse environment will be more competitive in an increasingly global economy. You’ll enhance your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to develop nuanced solutions to real-world problems.
Campus-Wide Accessibility.
Accessibility @ mason provide information regarding the physical access of all campuses and online accessibility of programs and services. Information for disability related services and resources available to all employee, students, and visitors the entire university include physical access to buildings, parking policies, and emergency evacuation procedures.
Accessible.
We are an open and welcoming community. We partner with public and private organizations in our region and around the world. We proactively engage with our community. We define our success by how many talented students with potential we serve, not how many we leave out.
Social and Cultural Venues.
Our venues bring world-class performances to the community through vibrant concerts and events. Community members are invited to take part in many artistic and cultural offerings at Mason. Spaces are also available to rent for your next event.