Head Coach, Women's Lacrosse

Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) invites applications for the full-time position of Head Coach, Women's Lacrosse. We are seeking a dynamic and energetic leader focused on the comprehensive management of the Women's Lacrosse program and whole-person development of student athletes. This role oversees the program’s growth and success, including operations, recruiting mission-fit student athletes, fundraising, budget management, and staff hiring. The successful candidate will demonstrate a commitment to mentoring and guiding student-athletes in their spiritual, academic, and athletic growth in a Christ-first environment. This is a full-time, 10-month position.

About Palm Beach Atlantic University

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a Christ-first institution located in the heart of West Palm Beach, Florida, within a vibrant and globally connected metropolitan area. PBA competes in 18 intercollegiate sports at the NCAA Division II level as a member of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) and is committed to excellence in athletics, academics, and spiritual formation.

Program Leadership, Recruiting, and Student-Athlete Development

• Supports the mission of Sailfish Athletics to be a premier Christian program competing at the highest level while preparing students to be lifelong leaders and outstanding citizens in their communities.
• Leads all aspects of a competitive program, including daily operations, team practices, competitions, and overall performance.
• Ensures the program’s success by recruiting, developing, and graduating student-athletes who uphold the academic and character standards of the university and department.
• Manages all logistical aspects of the program, including scheduling practices, games, transportation/accommodations and travel itineraries for road games with the approval of the Athletic Director and in coordination with the Assistant to the Athletic Director.
• Mentors student-athletes in their personal and spiritual growth, encouraging a balance of academic, athletic, and faith development.
• Fosters a team culture of self-discipline, respect, and teamwork, while encouraging each student-athlete to thrive in their university experience.
• Prepares, oversees, and manages the program’s budget, ensuring all financial activities are in compliance with university guidelines as well as SSC and NCAA rules and regulations.
• Ensures responsible allocation of funds for travel, equipment, and other program needs, maintaining transparency and accountability in budget management.

Staff Leadership and Supervision

• Recruits and hires assistant coaches and team managers, ensuring competency, and that they effectively contribute to the program and support the growth of student-athletes.
• Supervises, mentors, and guides assistant coaches and team managers.
• Holds regular meetings to ensure support staff have clear direction and expectations for practices and competitions.
• Provides regular feedback to and professional development opportunities for support staff.

Compliance

• Ensures that all aspects of the program adhere to NCAA, SSC, and university rules and regulations.
• Attends mandatory compliance and departmental meetings, stays current on NCAA and SSC policies.
• Represents the university at SSC and national meetings as assigned, contributing to the advancement of the program and university athletics.

Marketing and Fundraising

• In collaboration with the Assistant Director of Athletic Communications, assists in the coordination of program marketing, media, and public relations to increase visibility and support for the program.
• Supports fundraising efforts by engaging with donors, facilitating charitable giving, and helping with fundraising events that benefit PBA Athletics.
• Represents the program and university at community outreach events, alumni gatherings, and other public relations opportunities to build relationships and increase support for PBA Athletics.
• Fosters a positive image for the program within the university and local community by emphasizing the importance of faith, academics, and athletics.

EDUCATION: 

Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred, or equivalent experience. First Aid and CPR certification, required.

EXPERIENCE:

3 years of coaching experience, preferably at the collegiate level, with a demonstrated ability to recruit, develop, and mentor student-athletes; proven success in building a competitive Christ-centered program; expert knowledge of the sport; knowledge of NCAA compliance and regulations.

ESSENTIAL COMPETENCIES (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)

• Customer Service Orientation – Keeps internal and/or external key stakeholder(s), students, parents, faculty, staff and community partners in mind at all times.
• Professionalism – Displays a high level of professionalism, e.g. timeliness, reliability, communication, and work ethic.
• Christ-first Faith – Provides spiritual support to community members, including students, on their Christian faith journey.
• Adaptable/Flexibility – Ability to change or adjust to change.
• Analytical Thinking & Decision Making – Identifies and understands trends and/or issues, connects data points through analysis and logical conclusions/actionable strategies.
• Change Management – Ability to drive and implement change both internally and externally.
• Confidentiality – Maintains the necessary confidentiality and discretion required for the position.
• Conflict Management – Functions professionally and wisely during difficult conversations, while under stress, and while managing challenging situations.
• Continuous Improvement – Implement or brainstorm ways to optimize a process.
• Develops Others – Ability to promote continuous improvement within teams and/or individuals.
• Effective Communication – Expresses ideas and information in a clear and concise manner both verbally and in writing to convey clear, well-articulated messaging across a wide variety of audiences.
• Establishes Trust – Gains the confidence of others by actions and words that promote being honest, forthcoming, and vulnerable.
• Leadership/Influence – Ability to motivate, coach and develop others, as well as influence a group of people to achieve common goals, and implement university strategies. Strong supervisory skills.
• Problem-solving – Anticipates, evaluates, diagnoses, and resolves problems in a systematic and fact-based manner.
• Project and Time Management – Effective planning and priority setting. Ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously while working under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Results Orientation & Accountability – Takes accountability and identifies, executes and drives actions to consistently achieve desired results.
• Self-development – Grow one’s self-awareness, abilities, skills, and/or talent.
• Strategic Mindset – Ability to step out of the everyday details, view the situation from above and provide an objective perspective.
• Teamwork & Collaboration – Creates a climate that fosters commitment to a common vision and shared values that promote cooperation and working together through trust and support of others both departmentally and cross-functionally.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to travel 50% of the time.
• Must be willing to authorize a background check, including a motor vehicle record (MVR) check, as a condition of employment.
• Ability to work non-routine regularly.
• Ability to sit for prolonged periods of time.
• Ability to traverse campus and stairs.
• Ability to lift/move objects up to 25 pounds.

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