Athletic Director

The Blake School seeks a highly skilled Athletic Director to lead our PK-12 athletics program starting in the 2026-27 school year. The successful candidate will be a strategic leader who will advance Blake’s commitment to educational excellence through athletics. This role requires a strong operations manager, an adept relationship-builder and an educator who believes athletics teaches character, fair play and leadership skills.

Blake offers a highly competitive salary and benefits packages, as well as significant support for local and national professional development opportunities. We are especially interested in candidates whose lived experiences and perspectives contribute to our pluralistic community.

The Opportunity

Blake is a PK-12, co-ed independent day school of 1,300 students located on two campuses in the greater Minneapolis area. In seventh grade, students become eligible for organized sports. All Upper School students play on an athletic team for at least one season in grade nine and grade ten, choosing from more than 30 athletic offerings. An average of 80 percent of Upper School students annually participate in the athletics program at Blake. The school currently offers 83 different athletic teams with 35 varsity teams.

Blake’s next Athletic Director (AD) will be both a visionary and day-to-day leader of the school’s athletics program responsible for program direction, coach development, operations and student-athlete support. The ideal candidate is a passionate collaborator, grounded in best practices of youth development and has a deep understanding of how athletics support personal growth and school culture. The AD will embrace Blake’s mission and values and commitment to pluralism and be inspired to bring these guiding principles to life through the athletics program.

Duties and Responsibilities

Supervision, Operations and Scheduling

• Lead, supervise and develop three associate athletic directors
• Oversee and manage the athletics budget and partner effectively with Blake’s business office
• Monitor athletics facilities and equipment, maintaining high standards of safety and health and work collaboratively with the school’s buildings and grounds and security teams
• Oversee the scheduling, coordination and use of athletic facilities, partnering closely with the PK-12 chair of physical education and wellness to ensure shared spaces are well-maintained and meet physical education program needs
• Coordinate the scheduling of contests, officials, transportation and staff; ensure coordination of the athletics calendar with the all-school calendar with attention to concurrent school events, campus parking and security
• Supervise home athletic events regularly, including some evenings and weekends

Coaching, Mentoring and Team Culture

• Hire, supervise and support team coaches; ensure alignment between their coaching philosophy and practices and Blake’s mission, values and culture
• Set standards for student-athletes that align with the school’s mission, values and commitment to pluralism
• Mentor and support student-athletes who anticipate playing college athletics
• Collaborate with students, families and alumni to maintain strong, positive connections to Blake through athletics and set expectations for appropriate engagement

Administrative Leadership

• Communicate proactively and respond in a timely manner to all constituents
• Uphold Blake athletics principles and policies as well as the rules, policies and guidelines put forth by the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL)
• Maintain Blake’s positive working relationships with the MSHSL, the Independent Metro Athletic Conference (IMAC) and with ADs from area schools
• Participate in regular IMAC AD meetings and work closely with this group
• Participate in the Administrative Council, Blake’s 12-member senior leadership team
• Communicate proactively and respond in a timely manner to all school constituents, including students, colleagues, alumni and families
• Report to Blake’s Head of School and keep the HoS informed and up-to-date on athletics matters
• Partner with colleagues on projects related to fundraising, alumni events and media outreach

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Health, Fitness, Education or related field
• Seven years experience working with or teaching students
• Background in athletic training or extensive coaching experience
• Involvement in professional organizations affiliated with high school athletics
• Experience with budgets and finances for an athletic department; hiring and overseeing coaches; scheduling and organizing multiple teams; overseeing athletic facilities.
• CPR/First Aid/AED certification

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in Athletic Administration
• Prior work in an independent school setting
• Knowledge of Minnesota State High School (MSHSL) rules and regulations
• Knowledge of NCAA sports, collegiate athletics and the pathway for high school student-athletes to play at the collegiate level

The search advisory committee will begin reviewing resumes on Tuesday, Jan. 20. Blake will cover travel and lodging costs for finalist candidates visiting from out of town.

Salary: $150,000-$165,000 depending on relevant experience. Blake benchmarks all administrative salaries with current data from the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and Independent School Data Exchange (INDEX).