Director of Swimming & Diving

About the Role

This full-time position reports to an assigned sports administrator and is responsible for providing leadership and supervision for all aspects of an NCAA Division I swimming and diving program. The Director of Swimming and Diving oversees the program in accordance with NCAA Division I, Conference, and Merrimack College rules, regulations, and policies.

Responsibilities

• Oversee all aspects of the swimming and diving program, demonstrating effective communication, planning, organizational skills, decision-making, and visionary leadership.
• Recruit quality student-athletes to meet specified enrollment goals, including evaluating talent, visiting and communicating with prospective student-athletes and parents/guardians, planning on-campus visits, and completing compliance-related forms.
• Determine athletic scholarship allocation for prospective student-athletes within requirements set by athletic administration.
• Organize, plan, and conduct effective team practices and individual skill instruction sessions.
• Prepare individual student-athletes and the team for competition.
• Build a competitive Division I schedule and communicate it in advance for approval.
• Demonstrate fiscal responsibility in managing the department-approved budget.
• Meet program revenue goals through camps, clinics, alumni engagement, and the athletic department’s Friends and Family program.
• Collaborate with Athletics leadership on strategic growth initiatives, facility utilization, and program expansion, including the potential addition of a men’s program.
• Currently oversee the women’s swimming and diving team, with the possibility of adding oversight of a men’s team in the future.
• Support the holistic development of student-athletes—athletically, academically, and personally—while monitoring academic progress.
• Represent the program with professionalism, sportsmanship, and integrity.
• Build a community of fans and supporters for the swimming and diving program.
• Foster and maintain a culture committed to NCAA rules compliance.
• Participate in departmental activities, including staff meetings, compliance education, and training.
• Fulfill additional responsibilities as assigned by the sports administrator or Director of Athletics.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
• 1-2 years of experience coaching swimming and diving, preferably at the collegiate level.
• Demonstrated commitment to supporting the academic success, personal development, and well-being of student-athletes.
• Ability to cultivate a team culture rooted in fairness, honesty, respect, and sportsmanship, aligned with NCAA and institutional values.
• Passion for swimming and diving, and for mentoring student-athletes both in and out of the pool.
• Outstanding interpersonal, leadership, and relationship-building skills, with strong verbal and written communication.
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills, including prioritization and meeting deadlines.
• Strong work ethic and commitment to competitive excellence while upholding integrity.
• Professionalism in representing the institution, athletics department, and program.

About Merrimack College

The only Catholic, Augustinian institution of higher education in New England, Merrimack College is a private, independent, coeducational institution with over 4,100 undergraduate and 2,500 graduate students from 48 states and 63 countries. The College offers more than 160 career-focused programs across six schools: arts and sciences, engineering and computational sciences, nursing and health sciences, education and social policy, the Girard School of Business, and the graduate school of counseling and social work. Merrimack is a NCAA Division I athletic institution and is ranked 38th in the Regional Universities North category by U.S. News & World Report.

Merrimack College is committed to building an accepting and respectful community inspired by its Catholic faith and Augustinian tradition of seeking truth through inquiry and dialogue. Candidates should describe in their application how they will foster a culture that supports this mission.