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The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top professional women's soccer league in the USA, with 12 teams and 300+ of the best soccer players globally. In just its 10th season, the league continues to grow exponentially: In 2022, the NWSL shattered all-time fan attendance records, more than two dozen markets expressed demand for expansion teams, valuations of teams multiplied by double digits, several new C-suite executives were hired, and the league continues to receive unprecedented interest from sponsors and media partners alike. The future of the NWSL has never looked brighter.


Position Description

The Player Safety Officer is responsible for all players' safety matters related to strategy, policy, standards, education, guidance, and effective management of prevention and response across the NWSL. This role importantly serves as the lead player advocate within the NWSL front office, enacting both proactive and reactive reform due to a unique awareness of player concerns. The Player Safety Officer is responsible for ensuring that soccer within NWSL is a safe, enjoyable, and inclusive sport for all its participants. Player safeguarding includes, but is not limited to, protection against physical, sexual, and emotional abuse; neglect; retaliation; exploitation; malnutrition; psychological damage; and severe training.

The ideal candidate will be a natural connector to athletes and their needs with excellent listening, communication and relationship building skills, enabling them to advocate on behalf of players with the league. They will demonstrate a keen awareness of the needs and strengths of players and the versatility to read and respond to a changing environment and diverse perspectives, all from a social justice, intersectional framework of working with and advocating behalf of various communities and with people with differing identities. They will be athlete-centered, demonstrating deep knowledge of trauma, its impact, and the foundational principles of creating a trauma-informed, athlete-centered culture where abuse is not tolerated, and athlete safety and wellness is prioritized.


Primary Responsibilities

  • Lead NWSL Systemic Reform and guide the development of a safe workplace for all players, using the perspectives of players to inform reform and systems change.
  • Support the delivery of all aspects of the NWSL Safety Strategies through in-person training with NWSL players and clubs.
  • Collaborate with the NWSLPA, Player Safety Officers at NWSL clubs, and U.S. Soccer's office of Player Safeguarding
  • Distribute, analyze, and disseminate findings of annual NWSL Player Survey
  • Create an annual NWSL Player Safety Report regarding player safety metrics, implementation of reforms geared toward player safety, player survey feedback, and an action plan for the following year.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert on Player health and safety issues.
  • Serve as a resource for NWSL players, staff, clubs, and stakeholders.
  • Drive the approach to promote fun, inclusive, and safe soccer environments for all while mitigating risk.
  • Work closely with regulatory and governing bodies, including U.S. Soccer, FIFA, USOPC, Center for SafeSport and other soccer governing entities, on safeguarding matters; this also may include building relationships with state and federal agencies.
  • Educate all participants on as well as develop and implement processes, procedures, and guidelines for safeguarding standards.
  • Cooperate and comply with NWSL's health and safety policies and procedures.
  • Maintain an awareness of national and international safeguarding issues that impact sporting environments.
  • Develop and maintain up-to-date safeguarding knowledge and skills through regular training and professional development.
  • Participate in and oversee increasing awareness league-wide of the prevalence of abuse in sport, dynamics of abuse in sport (individual, relational, community, and societal levels of abuse and the ways perpetrators commit abuse and create a culture of abuse among athletes.


Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree or a combination of years of experience and education.
  • 8+ years of experience with social work, employee health and safety, or trauma-informed investigations.
  • Comprehensive understanding of trauma-informed safeguarding prevention and response
  • Ability to work consistently in an area where emotionally distressing and sensitive issues and cases may arise.
  • Proven capacity to listen and understand the perspective of others.
  • Experience working with, building trust with, and advocating for vulnerable groups.
  • Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills, emotional intelligence, discretion, and a high level of confidentiality.
  • Clear and thorough understanding of the role and responsibilities of statutory authorities/agencies.
  • Knowledge of trauma-informed investigative processes and all appropriate resources.
  • Capacity to produce reports and written materials in safeguarding to a high standard.
  • Ability to identify behavior that is harmful to players, at-risk participants, and vulnerable populations and distinguish thresholds of poor practice or abusive behavior.
  • Ability to work in fast-paced and demanding environments.
  • Exceptional time management skills and ability to prioritize workflow.
  • Ability to deliver high-quality work and execute under pressure and deadlines.
  • Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication combined with a professional demeanor.
  • Able and willing to work non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
  • Able and willing to travel up to 30% of the year.
  • Understanding of the historical context of systemic abuse in the NWSL.


Desired Qualifications

  • Has a strong professional and positive presence that well represents the league both internally and externally.
  • Guided by strong moral and ethical principles.
  • Experience and competence in presenting and/or delivering training.
  • Strong knowledge of sports governance and the player experience within the NWSL
  • Pursues lifelong development and learning.
  • Communicates in a direct, open, and honest manner.
  • Accountable for actions/decisions and does not make excuses.
  • Seeks feedback.
  • Practice self-assessment and self-reflection.
  • Successful experience in creating and building trauma-informed, athlete-centered policies, best practices, and training/curricula on athlete safeguarding.


Salary: $125,000 -$150,000/year


NWSL salaries are contingent upon candidates' qualifications, functional business needs, and market financials.


NWSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.

Full-time

Salary: $125,000 -$150,000/year

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