General Manager, Football / Senior Associate Athletic Director

Job no: 501414
College / VP Area: Athletics & Recreation Svcs
Work type: Staff
Location: Newark
Categories: Athletics, Full Time

PAY GRADE: 36E

CONTEXT OF THE JOB:
The General Manager (GM), Football will focus on roster construction, recruiting, and leadership responsibilities. The position requires a strategic thinker who can balance short-term needs with long-term planning in roster management and resource allocation. Key responsibilities include talent acquisition and retention, budget management, player evaluation, and maintaining relationships with various stakeholders. The GM will work closely with the head coach, recruiting coordinator, and other staff members to implement the program's vision. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in sports management, financial acumen, analytical skills, and a deep understanding of NCAA rules. This role demands excellent communication abilities, leadership skills, and the capacity to make decisions under pressure while navigating the complex landscape of college football administration.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Roster Construction

• Responsible for partnering with the Head Coach on the creation and implementation of the overall strategy of the roster construction and resource allocation balancing short-term needs with long-term planning. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Identify talent needs and advise on how to balance transfer acquisitions with high school prospects
  • Assist in making appropriate financial offer decisions.
  • Analyzing trends in the transfer market.
• Responsible for football student-athlete negotiations related to roster budget conversations.
• Responsible for developing and driving outcomes that lead to successful talent acquisition and retention. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Creation of a financial approach/strategy that aligns with the program strategy.
  • Direct conversations with the student-athlete regarding their financial package.
  • Responsible for the strategic tracking and management of the roster budget.
• Work with partners across the department and university to create contract templates and appropriate department-wide practices and policies.
• Work with coaches and other staff as appropriate to evaluate and identify player value through comprehensive assessment and analyzing prospects' on-field performance beyond traditional stats, accounting for factors like strength of schedule, system fit, and historical performance of similar transfers.

Recruiting

• Partner with recruiting coordinator and Assistant GM on the monitoring of high school and transfer prospects. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Track through a database of available players and create profiles on prospects.
  • Evaluate players entering the transfer portal for fit with the team's needs and positions.
  • Provide coaches with information on potential transfer targets.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with agents, high school head coaches, and NFL scouts.
• Partner with operations team to assist in coordinating the recruitment process. This includes but is not limited to:
  • Set up campus visits.
  • Assist in developing recruitment strategies.
  • Assist with the communication with prospects as needed.
• Responsible for analyzing recruitment data to understand trends of offers made, commitments accepted, and on-field performance to inform future strategies and processes for both current members of the roster and those who are not on UD roster.
• Understanding of road recruiting schedule and potential footprint expansion with move to FBS.

Leadership

• Responsible for the management of the Assistant GM/Director of Player Personnel, creating clarity and clear responsibilities for their role.
• Responsible for the development and management of the roster budget and all funding components including scholarships, Cost of Attendance, Alston awards, revenue share, and NIL.
• Serve as a liaison to the appropriate athletic department staff and university administration, helping to communicate and implement the head coach's vision.
• Responsible for working with the Associate Athletic Director, Business Intelligence and Analytics, and other staff as appropriate on the evaluation of software and systems, and the creation of business processes that will support the implementation and management of all elements of roster construction.
• Partner with external relations team on revenue-generating opportunities that support roster budget growth.
• Responsible for partnering with the 302 Collective on NIL opportunities for football student-athletes that includes events, business, and donor engagement.
• Responsible for working with the Sr. Associate Athletic Director, Sport Administration to ensure alignment with practices and policies for all 22 varsity programs around roster budget management, player valuation, and consistent systems and processes.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in sports management or related field preferred.
• Financial acumen and negotiation skills: experience managing roster budget, contract negotiations, and overall budget management.
• Extensive experience in college football administration or professional sports management.
• Strategic thinker who can balance short-term needs with long-term program building.
• Strong analytical skills and proficiency with advanced sports analytics, statistics, and data-driven decision making.
• Excellent communication and leadership abilities, ability to manage diverse personalities.
• Understanding of NCAA rules and regulations.
• Ability to work collaboratively and effectively with coaches, players, agents, and university administrators.
• Marketing and Public Relations experience.
• Ability to make decisions under pressure.