Manager, Sports Development

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.

The NWSL office is growing to meet the demands of the changing global landscape of professional women's soccer. We are looking for individuals who desire to make an impact on the future of sport in the United States and internationally.

Position Description

The Sporting Department of the National Women's Soccer League was established in January of 2023, with the broad goal of making the NWSL the best league in the world. To support the buildout of the department, we are looking for a strategic thinker with a keen knowledge of soccer. This person will provide operational, strategic, and administrative support to the Chief Sporting Director. The ideal candidate will have the ability to exercise sound judgement, possess strong written and verbal communication skills, be detail-oriented, and will have outstanding organizational skills. This person will work directly with the Chief Sporting Director to oversee the strategic sporting layout of the NWSL and provide administrative support.

Primary Responsibilities

Sport

• Assist CSD (Chief Sporting Director) in establishing guidance on league-wide sporting and technical topics.
• Develop procedures, policies and programs to identify, attract, retain and develop the world's best players, coaches and referees.
• Create database for staff hiring, including identifying future candidates for technical/sporting directors and coaches, and maintaining a database for teams to access.
• Collect and disseminate best practices for team academies / development systems, talent identification and management.
• Provide the appropriate administrative support to the Chief Sporting Director to ensure efficient operation of the department.

Competition

• Monitor league competition policies and procedures.
• Assess valuations for player loans and transfers.
• Serve as the staff liaison to the league's technical/sporting directors and head coaches, coaches' staff and advise on coaching requirements.
• Support the creation of the league's multi-year schedule footprint. Collaborate and advise on season planning, competition format, facilities.
• Lead deck creation, agenda setting, writing minutes and administration follow-ups for all Competition Committee and the Technical Task Force meetings.

Science / Development

• Work with Chief Medical Officer / Medical Director to ensure that league and teams develop best in class sports science for female-specific sport training and treatment.
• Manage league-wide player data analytics program.

Minimum Qualifications

• 3 years of experience as a Sporting/Technical Director or equivalent in club, collegiate or professional sporting organization.
• Excellent verbal, written and diplomatic communication skills.
• Excellent senior stakeholder management skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite or related software.
• Experience in the soccer landscape, whether as a player or coach, with a coaching license.
• Excellent understanding of the women's /girls' soccer landscape, including the rules and regulations in the US.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience coordinating across multiple departments to align around a common goal.
• Able to translate a strategic plan into a set of deliverables.
• Strong professional presence/image that positively represents the league both internally and externally.
• Strong leadership skills
• Strategic Thinker
• Collaborative Team Player
• Guided by strong moral and ethical principles.
• Pursues lifelong development and learning.
• Communicates in a direct, open, and honest manner.

Salary: $85,000 -$95,000/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.