The Executive Director of Front Office Strategy and Operations position serves as a senior executive leader within Kansas Athletics and acts as the Director of Athletics’ lead advisor on athlete compensation strategy, roster economics, resource allocation, front-office operations, and long-term competitive planning. The Executive Director of Front Office Strategy and Operations is a centralized front-office leadership position responsible for integrating football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and broader athletics resource strategies into one cohesive operational model.
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Serve as a senior advisor and strategic partner to the Director of Athletics on roster economics, athlete compensation, resource allocation, and front-office operations;
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Develop long-term strategies related to revenue sharing, NIL alignment, roster planning, and financial sustainability;
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Develop and oversee sport-specific compensation frameworks and budget allocation strategies;
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Monitor revenue-share forecasting, scholarship allocation, retention risk, and future compensation exposure;
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Build centralized reporting systems and operational frameworks supporting student-athlete resource allocation and decision-making;
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Collaborate closely with the Football General Manager and personnel/recruiting leadership within men’s and women’s basketball;
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Establish communication cadence, reporting standards, and organizational workflows across player personnel ecosystems;
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Analyze market trends, peer benchmarks, transfer activity, and roster dynamics to support decision-making;
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Lead or assist in negotiations involving athlete agreements and compensation structures;
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Build and maintain relationships with agents, advisors, NIL representatives, and external stakeholders;
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Support coaches and personnel leaders in balancing competitive priorities with financial sustainability;
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Create unified analytics and reporting systems that provide leadership visibility into roster allocation, compensation exposure, scholarship utilization, and athlete retention;
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Develop KPIs related to compensation efficiency, roster planning, NIL alignment, and resource allocation;
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Strengthen workflows, communication structures, and operational discipline across athletics;
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Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture across Kansas Athletics’ front-office ecosystem;
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Lead organizational design initiatives related to athlete compensation and front-office operations;
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Represent Kansas Athletics professionally with external stakeholders, industry groups, and strategic partners;
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Other duties and responsibilities, as assigned by the Director of Athletics.
Required Qualifications:
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Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university;
- Minimum 6 years of progressive leadership experience in collegiate athletics, professional sports, athlete representation, sports finance, player personnel, NIL, or related industries;
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Demonstrated experience in roster/resource management, athlete compensation strategy, contract negotiations, or front-office operations;
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Strong understanding of the evolving collegiate athletics environment, including NIL, transfer portal dynamics, and revenue-sharing structures;
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Familiarity with NCAA governance, conference operations, and athlete compensation structures;
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Excellent written, oral and inter-personal communication skills, and ability to work independently and work as part of a team; ability to handle multiple tasks;
- Ability to work an irregular schedule including evenings, weekends, and holidays.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master’s degree, law degree, MBA, or related advanced degree;
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Background in football or basketball operations, player personnel, salary-cap management, contract administration, analytics, or sports finance;
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Experience within Power Conference athletics or professional sports organizations.
