Position Summary:
Reporting to the Director of Athletics, the Athletics Operations Manager provides broad operational leadership and administrative oversight for a large, complex interscholastic athletics program at Phillips Academy, a 9–12 boarding school of 1160 students in Andover, Massachusetts. This position supports the daily execution of dozens of interscholastic sports and related programs by coordinating departmental operations, game-day logistics, team travel, facility use, equipment-room functions, budget administration, vendor coordination, and communications.
The Operations Manager serves as a central operational resource for students, coaches, families, faculty, staff, officials, visiting teams, vendors, and campus partners. The successful candidate will be highly organized, service-oriented, technically capable, and able to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced, student-centered environment. This role requires sound judgment, strong communication skills, careful attention to detail, and a collaborative approach to supporting safe, efficient, welcoming, and mission-aligned athletic experiences.
Essential Functions/ Primary Duties and Responsibilities:
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Department Operations and Administration
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Manage the daily operational workflow of the Athletics Department, ensuring that administrative systems, communications, schedules, records, supplies, and departmental processes function efficiently and consistently.
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Serve as a primary point of contact for students, families, faculty, staff, coaches, officials, visiting teams, alumni, vendors, and visitors, providing responsive, professional, and student-centered service.
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Oversee the student athletic sign-up/add-drop process for every team
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Provide high-level operational support to the Director of Athletics and department leadership, including correspondence, reports, presentations, and departmental communications.
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Management oversight of Head Equipment Manager and administrative office staff.
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Coordinates the daily and weekly scheduling, timing and faculty usage for all athletic programs, interscholastic and LIFE Sports
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Game-Day, Event, and Facility Operations
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Coordinate logistics for home athletic contests and special events, including schedules, staffing needs, venue preparation, visiting-team support, officials, equipment, signage, supplies, and post-event follow-up.
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Work collaboratively with coaches, athletic trainers, facilities staff, campus safety, dining services, communications staff, and other campus partners to support safe, efficient, and well-coordinated practices, contests, tournaments, and community events.
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Support scheduling and use of athletic facilities, fields, courts, locker rooms, meeting spaces, and related resources, helping to resolve conflicts and communicate changes in a timely manner.
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Team Travel and Logistics
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Plan and coordinate team travel logistics, including transportation, lodging, meals, itineraries, tournament and event registrations, entry fees, roster information, emergency contacts, and related documentation.
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Communicate travel plans clearly and proactively with coaches, families, students, campus partners, transportation providers, hotels, dining services, and other vendors as appropriate.
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Preseason Trip Coordination
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Support the planning and coordination of athletics preseason trips in partnership with the Learning in the World office, coaches, families, students, and other campus partners.
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Assist with trip logistics, including transportation, lodging, meals, itineraries, registration materials, student rosters, emergency contacts, required forms, risk-management documentation, and communication with participants and families.
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Help ensure preseason trips align with Academy policies, student safety expectations, travel protocols, budget guidelines, and the educational mission of the athletics program.
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Budget, Purchasing, and Business Operations
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Assist the Athletic Director with administration of the Athletics Department operating budget, including expense tracking, purchasing, invoice processing, reimbursements, budget reconciliation, reporting, and preparation of budget materials.
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Maintain accurate financial and operational records and ensure transactions comply with Academy policies, procedures, purchasing guidelines, and internal controls.
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Coordinate with vendors and campus business partners on procurement, contracts, supplies, equipment, uniforms, awards, services, and other operational needs.
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Equipment Room and Inventory Oversight
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Oversee the Head Equipment Manager and ensure equipment-room operations, including inventory systems, uniform and equipment distribution, collection, maintenance, replacement planning, laundry coordination, storage, and related vendor relationships.
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Coordinate season-end and year-end awards, record updates, championship banners, and other recognition or historical recordkeeping processes.
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Systems, Records, and Communications
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Maintain accurate operational records, schedules, databases, rosters, forms, reports, and departmental files, using technology to improve efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility.
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Support internal and external communications related to athletic operations, schedules, events, travel, facility use, and departmental procedures.
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Compliance, Safety, and Risk Management
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Support departmental adherence to Academy policies and applicable school, league, and regulatory expectations related to student safety, travel, supervision, purchasing, confidentiality, records, and facility use.
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Exercise sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive student, family, personnel, medical, financial, and operational information.
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Perform other duties as assigned by the Director
Minimum Job Qualification:
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Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree in sport management, athletics administration, business administration, education, or a related field preferred.
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Three to five years of progressively responsible experience in athletics administration, operations management, event operations, business operations, facilities coordination, student services, or a related field.
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Experience supporting interscholastic, collegiate, club, or recreational athletics operations strongly preferred.
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Demonstrated experience coordinating logistics across multiple teams, programs, facilities, schedules, events, and stakeholders.
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Experience managing staff employees.
Knowledge Skills, and Abilities Required:
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Strong understanding of athletics operations, game-day logistics, team travel, facility scheduling, equipment management, and budget administration.
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Excellent organizational, project-management, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deadlines across multiple sports and seasons.
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Strong financial acumen, including experience with purchasing, invoice processing, expense tracking, reconciliation, and basic budget reporting.
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Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams; ability to use spreadsheets, shared files, databases, and collaboration tools to manage information accurately.
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Experience with scheduling software, student information systems, enterprise resource planning systems, inventory systems, or athletics management platforms preferred.
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Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly with students, families, coaches, faculty, staff, vendors, officials, and campus partners.
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Ability to exercise sound judgment, discretion, confidentiality, and professionalism when handling sensitive student, family, personnel, medical, financial, and operational information.
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Ability to lead through influence, build trust, and collaborate effectively across departments in a residential school environment.
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Demonstrated commitment to student development, inclusive community, exceptional service, and the educational value of athletics.
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Ability to remain calm, flexible, solutions-oriented, and responsive during high-volume periods, schedule changes, weather disruptions, or event-related challenges.
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Warm, welcoming, and professional demeanor with strong interpersonal skills and a commitment to working effectively with a diverse community.
Supervisory Responsibilities:
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Provide day-to-day direction to assigned staff, student workers, or temporary event support personnel as needed, including scheduling, training, workflow coordination, and performance feedback in consultation with the Director of Athletics.
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Develop and maintain strong working relationships with Academy offices and departments, including the Dean of Students Office, Dean of Studies Office, Learning in the World, Office of the Physical Plant, Sykes Wellness Center, Campus Safety, Business Office, Registrar’s Office, Paresky Dining Services, and other campus partners.
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Oversee the Head Equipment Manger
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Supports the on-boarding of adjunct coaches
Phillips Academy is committed to equal employment opportunity and providing reasonable accommodations to applicants with physical and/or mental disabilities. We value and encourage diversity and solicit applications from all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, military service, application for military service or any other characteristic protected by law. Any offers of employment will be contingent upon successful CORI/SORI and fingerprinting background checks as well as unrestricted authorization to work in the United States.
