Executive Director of Front Office Strategy and Operations

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.

1. Serve as a senior advisor and strategic partner to the Director of Athletics on roster economics, athlete compensation, resource allocation, and front-office operations;
2. Develop long-term strategies related to revenue sharing, NIL alignment, roster planning, and financial sustainability;
3. Develop and oversee sport-specific compensation frameworks and budget allocation strategies;
4. Monitor revenue-share forecasting, scholarship allocation, retention risk, and future compensation exposure;
5. Build centralized reporting systems and operational frameworks supporting student-athlete resource allocation and decision-making;
6. Collaborate closely with the Football General Manager and personnel/recruiting leadership within men’s and women’s basketball;
7. Establish communication cadence, reporting standards, and organizational workflows across player personnel ecosystems;
8. Analyze market trends, peer benchmarks, transfer activity, and roster dynamics to support decision-making;
9. Lead or assist in negotiations involving athlete agreements and compensation structures;
10. Build and maintain relationships with agents, advisors, NIL representatives, and external stakeholders;
11. Support coaches and personnel leaders in balancing competitive priorities with financial sustainability;
12. Create unified analytics and reporting systems that provide leadership visibility into roster allocation, compensation exposure, scholarship utilization, and athlete retention;
13. Develop KPIs related to compensation efficiency, roster planning, NIL alignment, and resource allocation;
14. Strengthen workflows, communication structures, and operational discipline across athletics;
15. Foster a collaborative, solutions-oriented culture across Kansas Athletics’ front-office ecosystem;
16. Lead organizational design initiatives related to athlete compensation and front-office operations;
17. Represent Kansas Athletics professionally with external stakeholders, industry groups, and strategic partners;
18. Other duties and responsibilities, as assigned by the Director of Athletics.

Required Qualifications:

• 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;
• Demonstrated experience in roster/resource management, athlete compensation strategy, contract negotiations, or front-office operations;
• Strong understanding of the evolving collegiate athletics environment, including NIL, transfer portal dynamics, and revenue-sharing structures;
• Familiarity with NCAA governance, conference operations, and athlete compensation structures;
• 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;
• Background in football or basketball operations, player personnel, salary-cap management, contract administration, analytics, or sports finance;
• Experience within Power Conference athletics or professional sports organizations.