Direct responsibility for leading a varsity level Esports program. Additional responsibilities to include, but not limited to, promoting the Esports varsity program, recruiting Esports athletes, strategic coaching, practice planning, game preparation, oversight of the new Esports facility, budget management, scheduling, team travel (as needed), equipment/apparel purchasing, staff supervision (if applicable), academic monitoring, and general supervision of student-athletes. Manage consultant relationships for game offerings. All staff positions on campus support students and will be involved in student-focused activities. This is a 10 month position with appointment dates.

Job Duties:

• Organize, develop, and administer all aspects of an Esports team.

• Provide overall leadership and vision for the implementation and growth of a new Esports varsity program at Keene State College.

• Establish affiliation with ECAC and National Association of Collegiate Esports.

• Provide leadership for the team; establish coaching strategies and teaching methods to develop student-athletes' skills and teamwork analyze team performance and adjust strategies as needed.

• Recruit players for varsity Esports program

• Ensure ongoing membership for relevant organizations including National Association of Collegiate Esports (NACE), and other regional Esport conferences.

• Supervise additional supplemental coaches as needed to provide expertise in one of the following games.

Recruitment and Promotion of Esports

• Recruit qualified prospective students and coordinate on progress towards annual recruitment goals and scholarship opportunities with the Admissions team and Vice President for Enrollment and Student Engagement.

• Ensure program recruiting, and activities adhere to College and conference policies and procedures.

• Oversee social media accounts for promoting Esports and oversee streaming accounts such as Discord, Twitch, and other associated gaming applications to support live streams of Keene State Esports competitions.

• Develop and organize informational sessions to educate faculty/staff, students, and community about Esports to cultivate awareness and growth of program.

• Seek opportunities to build connections and synergies between Esports and academic programs to showcase student talent in areas that have capacity to closely align with student academic interest such as related project work, internships, and other opportunities for collaboration.

Student Success

• Determine student eligibility for participation and maintain high levels of student-athlete retention and graduation rates to support the academic progress towards degree of student athletes.

• Provide health and wellness education/programming for Esport student-athletes.

• Provide mentorship to students as needed.

Administrative Functions and Operations

• Develop rules and regulations for team membership and establish policies and procedures to govern use of the new Keene State Esports facility.

• Establish a practice schedule and work with NACE to establish a competition schedule

• Coordinate technical assistance with 24/7 vendor support for the Esport gaming facility.

• Collaborate with Director for Transitions and Community Living and other campus colleagues to support the Esports program.

• Budget preparation, requisitioning equipment, fund raising, community service/promoting the program on and off campus and complying with all NACE rules and regulations

• Scheduling, travel arrangements, as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree

• One year experience as an sports coach for an Esports team or Esports athlete with demonstrated expertise in one of the following five Esports game titles: League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Valorant, Rocket League, and/or Overwatch

• Coaching experience

• Demonstrated knowledge of esports rules and regulations

• A valid driver’s license and ability to travel

• Experiece working in Higher Education

• Experience working in Higher Education.

• An established high ELO ranking in at least one of the following five Esports game titles: League of Legends, Super Smash Bros, Valorant, Rocket League and/or Overwatch.

• Experience in recruiting college athletes.

• Working knowledge of intercollegiate esports rules and regulations.

• Experience coaching and supporting the development of student-athletes.

• Experience coaching Esports at the collegiate level.

Applicant Instructions: 

Applicants should be prepared to upload the following documents when applying online within the My Experience: Resume/CV section of the application: (Maximum of 5 Documents)

• Resume/CV

• Cover Letter

• Contact Information for 3 Professional References

Applications that are missing any of the required items may not move forward for consideration. Additional uploaded documents not requested in the position announcement will not be reviewed.

This position falls within the collective bargaining unit for the Keene State College Staff Association (KSCSA), an affiliate of the National Education Association of New Hampshire (NEA-NH). This is a 10-month position, with an anticipated salary of $44-45k annually.

Keene State College is located in the scenic Monadnock region of Southwest New Hampshire and is an affiliate of the University System of New Hampshire. Located approximately 2 hours from Boston or Hartford CT, and 4 hours from New York City, the region contains many opportunities to enjoy outdoor recreation, cultural events, and a strong sense of community. To learn more about Keene State College, the University System of New Hampshire, and the Keene community, please
visit: https://www.keene.edu, https://www.usnh.edu/ or https://www.ci.keene.nh.us.

EEO Statement

The University System of New Hampshire is an Equal Opportunity/Equal Access employer. The University System is committed to creating an environment that values and supports diversity and inclusiveness across our campus communities and encourages applications from qualified individuals who will help us achieve this mission. The University System prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or marital status.

Compensation Pay Range:

The pay range for this position is listed above. Actual offer will be based on skills, qualifications, experience, and internal equity, in addition to relevant business considerations. More information on benefits can be found here: USNH Employee Benefits | Human Resources

Location: