Assistant Director, Student Athlete Development & Letterwinner Engagement

Special Instructions to Applicants:
All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice:
Boasting a 300‑acre, tree‑lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6‑to‑1 undergraduate student‑to‑faculty ratio and a residential college system that supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close‑knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary
The Assistant Director, Student‑Athlete Development & Letterwinner Engagement supports the mission of Rice Athletics and the SOAR Program by leading holistic development initiatives that empower student‑athletes to thrive during and beyond their time at Rice. This position serves as a key architect of the SOAR five pillars (career development, personal enhancement, civic engagement, leadership & belonging, and letterwinner engagement) — assisting with signature programs such as Flight Plan, Beyond the Hedges, Night of the Owl, and the R Association Mentorship Program. The Assistant Director designs and executes experiential programming, supports student‑athlete leadership development, and cultivates strategic partnerships with alumni, campus offices, employers, and community stakeholders. The role also leads efforts to engage and steward letterwinners through mentorship, reunions, social outings, communications, and collaborations with Development and Alumni Relations.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree

• 1+ years of experience in student‑athlete development, career services, player engagement, and/or alumni relations within a college/university athletics environment

  • In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year‑for‑year basis may be substituted

• Experience in program planning, advising, and event coordination

• Possess or obtain a valid Texas driver’s license within 30 days of hire; maintain a clean driving record

Skills:

• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging

• Excellent communication skills: written, verbal, and visual

• Ability to advise and mentor student leaders in one‑on‑one and group settings

• Knowledge of student development theory and application

• Strong event‑planning and program‑management capabilities

• Competence in risk management and student training facilitation

• Comfort using data and metrics for assessment and improvement

• Proficiency with social media platforms and digital engagement tools

Preferences:

• Master’s degree in higher education, sport management, counseling, or a related field

• Two (2) or more years of experience in student‑athlete development, career services, player engagement, and/or alumni relations within a college/university athletics environment

• Experience in alumni relations, development, or external engagement in a collegiate athletics setting

• Experience in collegiate student‑athlete development and career services

Essential Functions

• Assist in all aspects of the Flight Plan program, providing four years of development in NIL education, financial literacy, career and internship exploration, civic engagement, personal wellness, and leadership

• Serve as a liaison to the R Association and assist in coordinating alumni engagement events, reunions, and mentorship opportunities to build meaningful connections between student‑athletes and letterwinners

• Manage career‑readiness initiatives, including internships, externships, employer visits, networking events, job postings, and the promotion of the SOAR office Career Corner communication

• Help develop and maintain the Preferred Employer Program, working with letterwinners and organizational partners to manage student‑athlete internships, full‑time job listings, employer information, and recruiting activities for a wide range of industries

• Assist in managing the SOAR Mentorship Program, including mentor recruitment, student‑athlete matching, platform management, and outcome tracking

• Support and advise student‑athlete leadership groups, including SAAC, PWAA, and affinity groups

• Aid in coordinating civic engagement and community service programming, connecting student‑athletes with impactful service opportunities at Rice and in the Houston community

• Collaborate closely with the Rice Owl Club, Alumni Relations, and Center for Career Development on strategic student and alumni engagements or fundraising initiatives

• Manage event logistics, awards tracking, marketing campaigns, and social media content for student‑athlete development and alumni initiatives

• Collect and analyze data to assess student engagement, post‑graduation outcomes, and program effectiveness; use insights to inform strategy and planning

• Actively recruit and engage alumni, preferred employer partners, mentors, and other stakeholders in the SOAR Network

• Supervise student workers or interns and assist with onboarding new SOAR team members

• Assist in developing a strategic plan to increase the number and variety of alumni engagements

• Perform other duties as assigned in support of the SOAR mission and Rice Athletics departmental goals

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at facstaffada@rice.edu for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.