AFT Staff, 60% Time, Athletics & Recreation Coordinator

Whatcom Community College (WCC) is a public associate and applied baccalaureate degree-granting institution with an accomplished faculty and staff who serve 7,604 students annually on its beautiful 72-acre campus in Bellingham, Washington. Whatcom offers transfer degrees, applied baccalaureate degrees, professional and technical training programs, basic education, job skills, and community and continuing education classes. Programs and courses are offered through in-person, hybrid, and online modalities to promote access for a diverse student population. The College is committed to equal opportunity and believes diversity of experiences and cultures enrich our campus community. The College is accredited by The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

About Our Community

Whatcom's campus is located in Bellingham (population 95,960), a city regularly rated on "best of the Northwest" lists. Bellingham is midway between Seattle, WA and Vancouver, B.C., Canada, surrounded by the rural landscape of Whatcom County (population 226,850). The area features historic neighborhoods, waterfront cities, farmlands, and mountain towns, all within a few dozen miles. Known for outdoor activities, Bellingham and Whatcom County offer opportunities for kayaking, hiking, snowboarding, visiting galleries, watching live theater, and more.

About the Role

The Athletics and Student Recreation Center Coordinator provides administrative, operational, and staffing support for Whatcom Community College's Athletics and Recreation Department. This position works collaboratively with Athletics and Recreation staff to ensure the effective day-to-day operation of both areas. The Coordinator may supervise student employees and other part-time staff and plays a key role in maintaining a safe, welcoming, and well-functioning environment for students, employees, and community users.

This position reports to the Director for Athletics and Recreation.

Responsibilities

• Provides support for intercollegiate athletic events, including scheduling, training, and supervising game-day staff and volunteers, and assisting with all event operations as needed.
• Assists with coordination of team travel logistics, including transportation, lodging, meal arrangements, and travel authorizations.
• Supports athletics administrative functions, including student-athlete eligibility processes and compliance with NWAC and institutional requirements.
• Assists with procurement, purchasing, and other administrative processes to ensure Athletics and Recreation departments have necessary goods and services to operate effectively.
• Supports fundraising, marketing, and promotional activities for the Athletic Department and Student Recreation Center.
• Provides excellent customer service to Student Recreation Center (SRC) patrons, including front desk coverage, ID checks, facility tours, orientations, and responding to inquiries.
• Assists with the daily operation of the Student Recreation Center, including staffing support, scheduling, supervision of student employees, and evening and weekend coverage as assigned.
• Ensures SRC employees are properly trained on Standard Operating Procedures, including use of the membership management system (Fusion), and assists with maintaining accurate records such as waivers and memberships.
• Assists with planning, coordination, and implementation of SRC programs and activities, including intramural sports, fitness classes, wellness programs, and drop-in recreation opportunities.
• Serves as SRC supervisor as needed or scheduled, including evenings and weekends, and provides administrative support for athletic and SRC operations during those times.
• Participates in safety, risk management, and mandatory reporter training and procedures, and helps ensure a safe and compliant environment for participants, staff, and visitors.
• Serves as a college-approved van driver as needed to support athletic travel and events.
• Creates and supports digital content and communications using graphic design, video editing, and related technologies, including game-day production tools such as scoreboard systems.
• Manages and updates the Athletics website (whatcomorcas.com), ensuring content accuracy, timeliness, accessibility, and ADA compliance, including announcements, stories, and post-game content.
• Supports sports information functions, including game statistics, event coverage, social media content, announcements, and post-event reporting.
• Attends required meetings, trainings, and professional development activities and adheres to all departmental and campus policies and procedures.
• Performs other related work of a similar nature and level.

Skills

• Knowledge of and proficiency with personal computers, Microsoft Office Suite, and database or membership management systems used for program operations.
• Strong verbal, listening, writing, problem-solving, and interpersonal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders.
• Skill in providing high-quality customer service, with a strong commitment to responsiveness, accuracy, and customer needs.
• Ability to work effectively both independently and collaboratively in team environments, demonstrating reliability, initiative, and accountability.
• Knowledge of or experience working in a collegiate recreation or intercollegiate athletics environment.
• Ability to stay current with emerging digital communication tools, social media platforms, and trends to support marketing, outreach, and engagement efforts.
• Ability to actively contribute to a work and learning environment that treats everyone with respect and dignity, while engaging diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences to enhance the College's mission, vision, and promise.

Working Conditions

Work is performed in both an office setting and a student recreation/fitness facility (SRC), with regular movement between administrative work and active facility areas such as gym floors, fitness spaces, and equipment storage. May assist with basic equipment setup, organization, and maintenance, and may lift or move equipment typically up to 25-50 pounds. Work may involve exposure to moderate to loud noise during peak recreation, athletic events, and programming. Requires standing for extended periods while performing front desk duties, facility supervision, or event support.

Qualifications

• Associate's degree from an institutionally accredited college or university in Recreation Management, Sports Management, Athletic Administration, Physical Education, Kinesiology, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
• Two years of experience with collegiate athletics, campus recreation, fitness center operations, student services, or a related field.
• OR equivalent combination of education and experience sufficient for the person to perform the duties.
• Ability to work evening and weekend hours.
• Ability and willingness to safely operate a passenger van, as needed, to support athletic and recreation programs.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree from an institutionally accredited college or university in Recreation Management, Sports Management, Athletic Administration, Physical Education, Kinesiology, Business Administration, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.
• Two years of demonstrated supervisory experience, including hiring, training, scheduling, and evaluating student or part-time staff in a related setting.
• Knowledge of Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) rules and eligibility requirements.
• Ability to take action to learn and grow, and to meet the needs of others.

Requirements

• Employment contingent upon passing a criminal background check and sexual misconduct review.
• Current CPR and First Aid Certification or ability to obtain certifications within the first 30 days of employment.
• Possession of a valid state of Washington driver's license and insurability.
• Occasional travel to meetings, conferences, and training sessions may be required.

Pay

This is a 12-month, 60% time AFT (American Federation of Teachers) Staff represented position with an annual salary range of $30,600.00 (60% of $51,000.00) to $32,149.20 (60% of $53,582.00).

Schedule

Monday-Thursday 1:30 PM-6:30 PM; Friday 2:00 PM-6:00 PM. Occasional alternative hours or weekend work may be required and scheduled in advance.

Benefits

• Full benefit package, including health, dental, life, and long-term disability insurance, and a retirement plan.
• Accrues 60% of 8 hours per month of sick leave and 60% of 16 hours per month vacation leave.
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program if working full-time, with Direct Loans and on an eligible repayment plan.
• Eligibility to participate in the Whatcom Community College Employee Tuition Program, which provides a tuition waiver for available and eligible WCC courses.