Graduate Assistant, Student Athlete Development

Graduate Assistant, Student Athlete Development

The Student‑Athlete Development (Dukes Lead) team at James Madison University is hiring a Graduate Assistant for the 2026‑27 academic year, with the possibility of extension into 2027‑28. This part‑time position (20 hours per week during the academic year) supports student‑athlete development, career readiness, community service, human development, and leadership growth. The assistant receives a stipend, a tuition waiver, and a professional development stipend.

Applicants may apply prior to admission, but must be accepted into a graduate program before an offer is made. Preference is given to those admitted to the Sport and Recreation Leadership concentration.

Situated in the heart of Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.

JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full‑time instructional faculty.

JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.

• Support programming for student‑athletes in alignment with the office’s core values of Equip, Engage, & Empower with a particular emphasis on career readiness, community service, human development, and leadership enhancement.
• Proactively connect and engage with campus departments, organizations, faculty, and staff to facilitate a positive working relationship, implement relevant programming, and create leadership opportunities for student‑athletes.
• Provide personalized education to student‑athletes in groups and one‑on‑one settings as it pertains to their career interests.
• Monitor and document community service requests, activities, and student‑athlete engagement.
• Support student‑athlete leaders in their facilitation of the Student‑Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). This includes recruiting student‑athlete leaders, providing strategic direction for the organization, and supporting event planning functions.
• Assist with JMU Student‑Athlete Development storytelling, including, but not limited to, website communication, social media strategy, and marketing designs.
• Research industry tools, programming, and practices to best support student‑athletes.
• Coordinate student‑athlete nominations/applications for applicable scholarships, awards, and experiential learning opportunities.

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education.
• Highly organized with attention to detail; excellent computer skills; ability to work independently in a fast‑paced environment and meet established deadlines; excellent oral and written communication skills.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Enrollment or acceptance into a James Madison University two‑year graduate program.
• Preference will be given to those with formal acceptance into the Sport and Recreation Leadership graduate program, Sport and Recreation Concentration.
• Candidates pursuing graduate degrees in adult education/human resource development, counselor education, educational leadership, psychology, sport and recreation leadership, or related fields are encouraged to apply.
• Strong interest in working in intercollegiate athletics.
• Knowledge of NCAA rules and regulations.

• The student must be conditionally or unconditionally accepted into a graduate program.
• Students who are provisionally accepted will not be eligible until they achieve conditional or unconditional acceptance into their program.
• The student must have an official transcript on file indicating…