Posting number: 27-00282
Department: 282 Iowa Department of Education
Job classification: Activities Specialist 2
Posting type: Open
Categories: Human Services, Project Management
The Activities and Athletic Specialist serves as the leader and primary administrator of the athletics and activities department at the Iowa School for the Deaf. The Activities and Athletic Specialist is responsible for ensuring that the activities and athletic programs at ISD are aligned to the core educational philosophies, beliefs, and values of the institution.
Position Type: Full time, 10-month
Location: Council Bluffs, IA
Reports to: Director of Student Life
Essential Responsibilities:
• Serves as the leader and primary administrator of the athletics and activities department at the Iowa School for the Deaf (ISD) with an overarching focus on promoting sportsmanship and welcoming competing teams and guests.
o Represents the school in all athletic business at League, Conference, and State meetings.
o Ensures that all interscholastic policies and procedures comply with the rules and bylaws of the Iowa High School Athletic Association and Iowa Girls' High School Athletic Union.
o Works with the health center to schedule physical examinations in accordance with the State High School Association's requirements.
o Maintains permanent records for each sport, such as wins and losses, outstanding records, letterpersons, etc., and reports them to the local and national publications.
o Recommends the cancellation or postponement of contracted contests because of non-playing conditions after consulting with the Director of Student Life and head coach.
• Manages all logistical requirements associated with ISD’s athletics and activities program.
o Develops all interscholastic game schedules, youth sports schedules, maintains copies of the contract form, and approves the publication of all schedules.
o Makes arrangements and requisitions for all interscholastic events, including transportation, lodging, and meals, when required.
o Manages contracts with game officials and coordinates the use of ISD’s athletic facilities with the Director of Student Life.
o Secures the required medical personnel at larger athletic events. Serves as the tournament manager for all league and tournament playoff activities that are assigned to ISD.
o Coordinates with the campus leadership regarding homecoming and large-scale school events.
• Provides comprehensive oversight for the planning and execution of all after-school youth activities and the full summer programming schedule, encompassing all logistics, staffing, and registration management. Coordinates activities within the student life department to synchronize facility allocation, transportation, and activity scheduling with existing student life routines.
• Manages and supervises all staff members and volunteers working on behalf of the athletic department. o Evaluates candidates for coaching assignments and makes selection recommendations to the Director of Student Life.
o Observes coaches sufficiently to make future recommendations regarding job expectations and coaching assignments.
o Interprets ISD’s athletic policies to provide guidance for coaches.
o Resolves conflicts among individuals working on behalf of the athletic department.
o Coordinates with the Director of Student Life on all requests made by the coaching staff to attend coaching clinics.
o Recruits and schedules volunteers to take admission and provide other forms of assistance at home games.
o Attends all home athletic contests and/or arranges for proper supervision during home athletic contests.
• Maintains and manages all fiscal records related to ISD’s athletic program.
o Works in conjunction with the Director of Student Life to develop the annual budget for the athletic program and summer camps.
o Seeks and finds ways to sustain funding of the athletics and activities program. o Supervises the sales of any athletic supplies and jackets to qualified athletes through the athletic office.
o Monitors game management for all home interscholastic contests and ensures an accurate deposit of all gate receipts when admission is charged.
o Assists the administration in the preparation and distribution of complimentary passes and monitors its impact on the overall financial health of the athletic program.
• Ensures that all athletic facilities and equipment are well-maintained and in good working order.
o Coordinates the repair and maintenance of athletic fields and gymnasiums, including physical education facilities, with the Facilities Director.
o Provides recommendations to the Director of Student Life for the improvement of ISD’s facilities.
o Receives equipment requests, evaluates such requests, approves appropriate orders, and sends orders to the Director of Student Life.
o Implements a system of cleaning, repairing, and storing all athletic equipment and maintains a perpetual inventory of all equipment.
o Requests keys to athletic facilities, gymnasium, and locker rooms for coaches, and collects all keys at the end of the season.
• Works in coordination with the Outreach Coordinator, Communications Director, and other staff members to promote all interscholastic sports by utilizing sports brochures, press, season summaries, and notable athletic performances by teams or individuals.
o Encourages staff and parent support of the athletic program by maintaining an athletic booster club.
o Plans, organizes, and supervises all athletic award programs with the booster club, with the approval of the Director of Student Life.
o Sends reminders of upcoming events to staff members, schools, and game officials.
• Maintains records for all student-athletes participating in ISD’s athletic program.
o Determines scholastic eligibility of all candidates for athletic teams on a weekly/grading period/semester basis and for certifying their eligibility on the proper state forms.
o Records all athletic suspensions and expulsions from teams and ensures that each athlete has been granted due process prior to imposing discipline.
o Retains all records related to medical examinations, insurance forms, parent consent forms, and payments for each athlete.
• Engages in an ongoing process of continuous improvement of ISD’s athletics and activities program.
o Conducts an annual evaluation of all athletic-related programs and summer activities in order to identify areas of improvement in the program.
o Annually reviews all athletic-related policies and procedures and presents recommended changes to the Director of Student Life.
• Supports the Department of Education and ISD/IESBVI priorities through performing other duties as assigned.
Desired Experience and Skills:
E-Verify and Right to Work
The State of Iowa participates in E-Verify, a federal program that helps employers confirm the employment eligibility of all newly hired employees. Within the required timeframe, new hires will be verified through the E-Verify system to ensure authorization to work in the United States. The State of Iowa also complies with the federal Right to Work laws, which protect employees’ rights to work without being required to join a labor organization. For more information, please visit www.e-verify.gov
Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in art, the behavioral/social sciences, industrial therapy, music, occupational therapy, physical education, recreation, rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation, or other closely related fields, and experience equal to two years of full-time work in an activities program.
2) A total of six years of education and/or full-time experience at a level comparable to Activities Assistant, where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in art, the behavioral/social sciences, industrial therapy, music, occupational therapy, physical education, recreation, rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation, or other closely related fields equals one year of full-time experience.
3) All of the following (a, b, and c):
a. One year of full-time work experience in and activities program; and
b. A total of four years of education and/or full-time experience (as described in part a), where thirty semester hours of accredited college or university coursework in art, the behavioral/social sciences, industrial therapy, music, occupational therapy, physical education, recreation, rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation, or other closely related fields equals one year of full-time experience; and
c. A total of one year of graduate-level education, where twenty-four semester hours of accredited graduate college or university coursework in art, the behavioral/social sciences, industrial therapy, music, occupational therapy, physical education, recreation, rehabilitation, therapeutic recreation, or other closely related fields equals one year.
4) Current, continuous experience in the state executive branch that includes eighteen months of full-time work as an Activities Specialist 1.
Within a period of time after hire, as determined by the appointing authority, employees in this class may be required to obtain a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) and endorsements.
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