Full-Time Founding Staff Position · Reports to the Principal · Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in Athletic Training, Human Ecology, Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, or Kinesiology · Board of Certification (BOC) Athletic Trainer Certification (or near completion) required · Illinois Athletic Trainer Licensure required or ability to obtain prior to employment · CPR, AED, and First Aid certifications required; CSCS preferred · Athletic training experience preferred (e.g. high school, collegiate, or sports-medicine setting) · College-preparatory, independent, Jewish day or faith-based school experience is a plus. Being Jewish is not a requirement for this role. Fewer years but exceptional craft? We hire for mastery, not seat time.

Are you a passionate athletic trainer who believes health, wellness, and physical performance are essential components of student success? Do you thrive on helping student-athletes perform at their highest levels while ensuring their safety and well-being? Are you excited to build comprehensive sports and fitness programs within a rigorous college-preparatory environment? If so, Davis School Chicago wants to hear from you.

The Dream Team

Davis School Chicago is a proudly Jewish, college-preparatory high school opening in fall 2027 in downtown Chicago, in a state-of-the-art building at the heart of a great city for learning. Every adult at Davis Chicago is an educator and a culture-builder. We hold two expectations at the same time: deep human warmth and uncompromising intellectual excellence. High health and high results, never one at the cost of the other. This is a summary of the characteristics that describe our dream team. Please read the full Profile of the Ideal Davis Chicago Educator and more information about our opportunities before you apply.

To thrive here you are:

• Warm and intellectually formidable. Genuinely kind and seriously bright. We hire for intellectual horsepower; only sharp minds grow students to their full potential.

• You bring the room to life. Passion people feel, loud or quiet, with the range to teach, support, and lead.

• A builder who owns it. Startup grit, a real growth mindset, open about mistakes, gives the gift of feedback, and the drive to create what doesn’t exist yet.

• Teach how to think, not what to think. Rigor, evidence, and a love of hard questions, including the controversial ones. Students reach their own conclusions.

• Rooted in tradition, built for what’s next. Ancient wisdom and modern tools, AI included, aimed at today's problems.

• Unapologetically Jewish. Israel has a right to exist; that is not up for debate. Everything else is fair game, including spirited debate about Israel’s actions. You’re excited to help build a proudly Jewish, pro-Israel school.

What Davis Chicago Needs

Davis Chicago is hiring a certified, versatile Athletic Trainer and Fitness Manager to keep every student active and every student-athlete safe, strong, and competing. This role directly supervises students in the gym and fitness center before, during, and after school hours. The person in this role supports and monitors student physical activity participation in the school’s physical education (PE) and health curriculum that is provided and delivered by a partner organization.

Who Thrives in This Role

• Warm, Relational, and High-Performing – Kind, emotionally intelligent, intellectually rigorous, and committed to excellence.

• A Calm First Responder – Clinical judgment under pressure, trusted by athletes, coaches, and parents.

• A Builder of Healthy Habits – Makes the gym and fitness center a place students actually want to be.

• An Entrepreneurial Builder – Thrives in ambiguity, solves problems, and creates programs, systems, and traditions from the ground up.

• A Curious and Courageous Thinker – Embraces learning, evidence, critical thinking, and meaningful debate.

• Rooted and Forward-Looking – Honors tradition while embracing innovation, technology, and AI.

• Committed to Jewish Life and Community – Values Jewish identity, the diversity of Jewish thought, and meaningful engagement in Jewish life.

• A Collaborative Culture-Builder – Balances accountability, care, and results while elevating everyone around them.

The Role

The Athletic Trainer & Fitness Manager is responsible for leading the school's fitness program and managing the day-to-day operations of the gym, fitness center, weight room, and athletic training facilities. This individual will provide comprehensive injury prevention, evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation, and emergency care services to student-athletes while promoting wellness and physical performance across the school community.

The successful candidate will develop systems and programs that support student-athlete health and athletic excellence while ensuring fitness facilities are safe, organized, and effectively utilized. As a founding staff member, the Athletic Trainer and Fitness Manager will help establish policies, procedures, traditions, and partnerships that support the long-term success of the athletic program and broader school community.

1. Athletic Training

• Provide preventative care, injury assessment, emergency response, treatment, and rehabilitation services for student-athletes.

• Develop and implement injury prevention programs, return-to-play protocols, and wellness initiatives.

• Evaluate athletic injuries and coordinate referrals to physicians, specialists, and healthcare providers when appropriate.

• Apply athletic taping, bracing, and other preventative measures to reduce injury risk.

• Communicate regularly with students, parents, coaches, physicians, and school administrators regarding athlete health and participation status.

• Attend athletic practices, competitions, and school-sponsored athletic events as required.

• Develop and maintain emergency action plans for athletic venues and facilities.

• Build the sports medicine program to the standard of NATA’s Appropriate Medical Care for Secondary School-Age Athletes.

2. Fitness Center and Facility Management

• Oversee the daily operation, safety, and maintenance of the school's gym, fitness center, weight room, and athletic training facilities.

• Establish and enforce safety procedures, operational guidelines, and equipment usage policies.

• Supervise student use of and be physically present in fitness and training facilities before school, during designated periods, and after school.

• Manage equipment inventories and coordinate maintenance, repairs, and replacement of fitness and athletic training equipment.

• Ensure facilities are clean, organized, safe, and aligned with best practices in risk management.

• Assist with budget planning, purchasing decisions, and long-term equipment and facility improvement initiatives.

• Train students, coaches, and staff on proper equipment use and safety procedures.

• Oversee the fitness activity components of our health and physical education program.

3. Strength, Conditioning, and Performance

• Collaborate with coaches to develop strength, conditioning, and performance enhancement programs for student-athletes.

• Educate students on nutrition, hydration, recovery, injury prevention, and healthy lifestyle practices.

• Support the development of training programs that improve athletic readiness, performance, and long-term health outcomes.

• Monitor athlete progress and provide guidance on safe physical development and conditioning practices.

4. Community and Culture Building

• Contribute actively to the vibrant culture and mission of Davis School Chicago.

• Partner with coaches, faculty, and administrators to support athletic, wellness, and school-wide initiatives.

• Help create a culture that values health, fitness, resilience, teamwork, and personal responsibility.

• Participate in student activities, faculty meetings, professional development, and community events.

5. Family Engagement and Collaboration

• Communicate regularly and effectively with families regarding student health, injuries, treatment plans, and wellness goals.

• Collaborate with coaches, school counselors, and faculty to support student success and well-being.

• Build strong partnerships with local healthcare providers, physical therapists, physicians, and sports medicine professionals.

• Partner with school leadership to advance athletic department goals, student wellness initiatives, and strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s preferred in Athletic Training, Sports Medicine, Exercise Science, or Kinesiology.

• Certification: BOC Athletic Trainer Certification required; Illinois licensure required or ability to obtain; CPR, AED, and First Aid required; CSCS preferred.

• Experience: Certified Athletic Trainer in a secondary school, collegiate, or comparable athletic setting is preferred.

• Skills: Concussion protocols, emergency action planning, injury prevention programming, and clear communication with families.

Core Competencies

1. Sports Medicine: prevention, evaluation, treatment, and return-to-play; care built to NATA standards.

2. Gym & Fitness Center Leadership: physical presence / supervision, programming, safety, and culture.

3. Strength and Conditioning: performance development for every athlete.

4. Communication and Care: athletes, families, coaches, and physicians.

Compensation and Benefits

The anticipated annual salary range for this position is $58,000–$80,000. Placement within the salary range is determined by relevant experience and qualifications. In addition to base salary, the position is eligible for a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, holiday pay, medical insurance, and a 401(k) plan with employer match.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer

How We Hire

Our process is thorough and we believe that hiring is a dual decision-making process; you are vetting us as much as we are vetting you. Our process includes focused conversations with the people you would work with, a battery of assessments we use for your development as much as for selection, and interview rounds both in-person and virtually. We move quickly, and we tell you where you stand.

Is this you?

This isn’t for everyone. If it’s you, it may be the best work of your life. Read the full Profile of the Ideal Davis Chicago Educator, then apply.