The Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Mississippi is seeking dynamic and talented individuals to help us achieve our vision of being a flagship collegiate recreation program. We will be hiring in the following program areas  for the 2026-2027 academic year:

Fall 2026 Start Date:

• Aquatics
• Facility Operations
• Intramural Sports & Sport Clubs
• Marketing
• Membership Services
• Student Development

Spring 2026 or Fall 2026 Start Date:

• Athletic Training
• Outdoors

Qualifications: Acceptance into the University of Mississippi Graduate School in pursuit of a Master’s degree* in a related field. Students pursuing online graduate degree programs will not be eligible for a graduate assistantship. For a complete list of programs offered and application deadlines visit this link.

*Applications for the open Athletic Training graduate assistantship will be accepted for Master’s level or Doctorate level candidates. 

Application Procedure:  All qualified applicants should submit their cover letter, resume, list of three professional references, GPA, GRE scores (if necessary for preferred program), and preferred academic program to the contact indicated for the respective positions listed below. Preference will be given to applications received by December 1, 2025. Applications will be accepted until position(s) have been filled.

*Please do not apply through bluefishjobs.com as those applications will not be considered.*

All positions are expected to..

1. Maintain a valid CPR/First Aid/AED certification and valid CPR/First Aid/AED instructor certification. Graduate Assistants are expected to teach a minimum of 1 class per year for student employees.
2. Facilitate professional development experiences for student employees through the participation in the Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum.
3. Serve on one departmental committee and actively contribute to accomplishing set charges.
4. Assist the overall mission of the department by supporting departmental special events and completing other duties as assigned including evening and weekend work.

Position-Specific Responsibilities

Graduate Assistant - Aquatics: 

• Assist in the management, administration and supervision of the Aquatics program and Turner Center Natatorium. 
• Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of instructional programs and services.
• Assist in the oversight of pool management, policy development, and the organization of risk management courses.
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Lifeguards and Program Assistants.
• Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Aquatics program.

Qualifications:  
American Red Cross Lifeguard certification is required. American Red Cross Lifeguarding Instructor (LGI) and/or American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor (WSI) certifications, and experience in campus recreation aquatics programming is preferred.  

Contact:  
Nick Longhorn, Assistant Director of Aquatics
ndlongho@olemiss.edu 

Graduate Assistant - Athletic Training:

• Assist with minimizing the risk of injury through awareness, education, and prevention strategies for sport club athletes. 
• Provide onsite coverage and care of injuries and illnesses at Sport Club home events, Sport Club practices, Intramural Sports special events, and departmental events when available and/or necessary.
• Implementation and oversight of Return to Play and concussion protocols for Sport Club athletes and conducting appointment-based evaluations which may lead to on-campus referral for rehabilitation.
• Assist in the oversight of the Sport Club Safety Officer Program, which includes leading CPR/First Aid courses, maintaining certification records, creating training materials, and developing policies and procedures as necessary. 
• Responsible for budgeting and inventory management of athletic training supplies and equipment. 
• Assist in the oversight and management of sport club athlete baseline concussion testing.

Qualifications: 
Must be a certified Athletic Trainer at the time of the application submission or currently enrolled in an Athletic Training program with a Spring 2026 anticipated graduation and plans for completing the Athletic Training certification exam no later than the March/April 2026 BOC exam. Must be licensed, or eligible to be licensed in the state of Mississippi.

Contact: 
Nick Bosley, Athletic Trainer
nbosley@olemiss.edu

Graduate Assistant - Facility Operations:

• Assist in the management, administration, maintenance, and supervision of the South Campus Recreation Center, the Thomas N. Turner Center and the Blackburn-McMurray Outdoor Sports Complex. 
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Field Crew, Facility Attendants, Facility Managers, and Program Assistants.
• Assist with the scheduling of Campus Recreation facility spaces, facilitating special events & the coordination of RV parking services for home football games.
• Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of programs and services.

Qualifications:
Demonstrated experience in campus recreation programming, scheduling, facility operations & management, customer service, leadership and working on a team.

Contact: 
Jason Shirkey, Associate Director of Campus Recreation
jmshirke@olemiss.edu 

Graduate Assistant - Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs: 

• Assist in the management, administration, and supervision of the Intramural Sports and Sport Clubs program.
• Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of all offered sports and activities. 
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Intramural Sport Officials, Sport Club Monitors, Supervisors, and Program Assistants.
• Responsible for the oversight and development of  multiple Sport Club organizations and their officers. 
• Assist in policy and procedure development, budget planning, league/tournament scheduling, and sport/event programming. 
• Provide on-site event coverage for both Intramural Sports activities and Sport Club competitions. 
• Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Intramural Sport & Sport Club programs.

Qualifications:
Experience in officiating Flag Football, Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Floor Hockey and Softball is preferred. Experience in Sport Club participation/management/supervision and adaptive/inclusive programming is also preferred.

Contact: 
Gabby Sokol, Assistant Director of Intramural Sports & Sport Clubs
gesokol@olemiss.edu

Graduate Assistant - Marketing: 

• Oversee the creation and distribution of digital and print marketing materials while collaborating with professional staff, graduate assistants, and student employees from various program areas to determine strategic program promotions.
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Marketing Program Assistants and Marketing Representatives.
• Assist with maintaining the department website, closed circuit television ads and manage social media sites while utilizing analytics and insights to evaluate effective strategies to reach our target audience.
• Identify partnership needs for the department, as well as build, maintain, and evaluate advertising partner relationships. 
• Assist with coordinating and leading various outreach efforts such as special events, campus and community tours, presentations, and tabling events.

Qualifications:
At least one year of involvement as an undergraduate student in marketing, campus recreation, sports marketing, or a related field is required. Effective oral and written communication skills are required. Experience with photography and/or videography, utilizing editing software, and project management/content design platforms (Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop, Canva, Trello, CapCut, Cascade, etc.) is preferred.

Contact: 
Autumn Robbins, Coordinator of Marketing
agrobbi1@olemiss.edu

Graduate Assistant - Membership Services: 

• Assist in the management, supervision, scheduling as well as the day to day operation and administration of membership services. 
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Member Service Representatives.
• Assist with Faculty/Staff and Community memberships, locker management, and the coordination of RV parking services for home football games.
• Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Member Services program.

Membership Services Graduate Assistant will have the opportunity to gain experience within the facility operations component throughout their assistantship.

Qualifications:
Demonstrated experience in customer service as well as knowledge and experience in training and supervision of employees. Experience in membership services or facility management/operations, leadership and experience working in a team environment.

Contact: 
Yvonne Moody, Assistant Director of Memberships & Operations
ynmcclur@olemiss.edu

Graduate Assistant -  Outdoors: 

• Assist in the management, administration, and supervision of the Outdoors program, including direct oversight for adventure trips, the rental office, the climbing wall, and outdoor challenge course. 
• Recruit, train, supervise, schedule, and evaluate Outdoors Representatives, Supervisors, Challenge Course Facilitators, Trip Leaders, and Program Assistants.
• Responsible for scheduling and supervision of facilities, including the Climbing Wall, Challenge Course (high and low ropes), Gear Rental Office, and South Campus Rail Trails.
• Serve as the point of contact for internal and external inquiries related to group reservations, facility rentals, special events, and other requests.
• Facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of education programs and instructional clinics related to outdoor recreation, special events, and staff development . 
• Support the marketing, promotion, and evaluation of the Outdoors program.

Qualifications: 
An outdoor education certification related to Wilderness First Aid, Climbing Wall, or Challenge Course is preferred but can be obtained during the appointment. Previous experience in an outdoor recreation setting and technical skills in various disciplines such as backpacking, climbing, biking, paddling, high and low ropes course administration, climbing wall maintenance, belay training, and/or route setting is also preferred.

Contact:  
Maya Sortino, Assistant Director of Outdoors 
mnsortin@olemiss.edu 

Graduate Assistant - Student Development: 

• Assist with leading departmental student staff development efforts such as the Student Employee Professional Development Curriculum, performance management processes including evaluations and accountability procedures, and the Student Employee Leadership Council.
• Support the hiring and onboarding process of student employees including, but not limited to, enhancing recruitment initiatives, coordinating required trainings and certifications, leading orientation sessions, and sharing pertinent resources.
• Oversee various processes related to the departmental use of WhenToWork and Workday for staff scheduling and time recording.
• Assist with departmental engagement, recognition, and assessment as it relates to student employment including current staff and alumni.

Qualifications:
Prior experience serving as a student employee in an on-campus, collegiate recreation setting is preferred.

Contact: 
Amanda Jessee, Associate Director of Campus Recreation
aaj@olemiss.edu

About The University of Mississippi

The Department of Campus Recreation at the University of Mississippi is a dynamic organization that serves over 24,000 university constituents. The department strives to be a flagship program on our campus, in our state, and nationally in the field of collegiate recreation. As the largest employer of students at the university, the department emphasizes student employment as a high-impact practice. Campus Recreation also has a showcase recreation center that provides multiple resources for holistic well-being. The South Campus Recreation Center, which was recognized with a NIRSA Outstanding Facility award, opened in the fall of 2019. The 100,000 SF facility includes several innovative elements, including a 6,000 SF functional training zone (4,000 SF inside, 2,000 SF outside). The centerpiece of the facility is north Mississippi’s only indoor climbing wall. There is abundant fitness space (25,000 SF), three fitness studios, two basketball courts, a multi-activity court, walking/jogging track, a classroom with a demonstration kitchen, and a convenience store. Services for wellness education, outdoor programming, and personal training also have dedicated spaces. Two fields for intr...amural sports, sport clubs, and informal recreation are located adjacent to the facility. The Thomas N. Turner Center, which houses the natatorium, four basketball courts, jogging track, racquetball courts, fitness center, group fitness studios, and academic classrooms/labs, is a 155,000 SF facility that is centrally located on the university’s main campus. Outdoor facilities include the 12-acre Blackburn-McMurray Outdoor Sports Complex (includes 4 Intramural fields, 2 Sport Club fields, 2 sand volleyball courts, outdoor fitness rig, and 23-hole disc golf course), 3 outdoor tennis courts, 8 outdoor pickleball courts, the Rebel Challenge Course, and South Campus Rail Trail. Graduate assistants have outstanding professional development opportunities such as involvement in professional staff meetings, annual budget preparation, operation of two recreation facilities and multiple outdoor spaces, direct supervision of student employees, and leadership on a variety of departmental committees. Our graduate assistants have served in several NIRSA leadership roles, including national student leader, state student leader, and student lead-on committees. There are academic programs that suit a variety of interests. The department has excellent relationships with the Higher Education, Sport and Recreation Administration, Exercise Science, and Athletic Training programs and highly encourages graduate assistants to pursue practical, co-curricular educational opportunities. For more information, please visit www.olemiss.edu/campusrec The University of Mississippi provides equal opportunity in any employment practice, education program, or education activity to all qualified persons. The University complies with all applicable laws regarding equal opportunity and affirmative action and does not unlawfully discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based upon race, color, gender, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, citizenship, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or genetic information.

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