U.S. Soccer Overview

We are U.S. Soccer and we are the future of sport in the United States. Our mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. We embrace diversity, technology and global connections to drive the growth of our sport and serve our athletes and fans. We seek motivated, passionate, skilled people who can think, create and work on a team. 

U.S. Soccer is a growing company that looks for team members to grow with it. U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture and an atmosphere for professional development.

The Federation’s core principles set organization-wide standards to identify and foster our culture and inform how we interact and hold each other accountable. These principles guide U.S. Soccer: We Win Together. We Aim High. We Champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. To be successful as a USSF employee, it is critical to demonstrate and live up to these principles every day and with every interaction with peers, stakeholders, and partners. 

The Federation’s core values are the individual attributes and characteristics that staff embody to uphold the organization’s principles and succeed. These values guide our employees: Integrity. Commitment. Teamwork. Respect.

Position Description 

Reporting to the Chief Advancement Officer, the Vice President, Major and Principal Giving will lead a growing, national major gifts team. This person will help build a robust, best-in-class program including guiding team members through the development of individual strategies for prospects and donors, and reimagining the major gifts program structure, activities, and motivations. They will manage and grow a personal portfolio of major donors and work collaboratively across departments to develop thoughtful, relevant strategies in an environment with both annual and campaign fundraising goals. They will be a leader in efforts to expand an institution-wide focus on philanthropy.

Primary Responsibilities

• Lead major gifts department strategy, managing and mentoring a national (remote work) fundraising staff in the development of strategies, programs, and individual plans for major donors, including growing the team from three to ten people
• Work closely with Chief Advancement Officer, CEO, and other executive leadership to understand, cultivate, and present federation programming and initiatives to major gift prospects, guiding the development of fundraising strategies necessary for success
• Build and manage a personal portfolio of 50-100 multi-million figure donors and prospects, fundraising towards a campaign, special initiatives, and an annual multi-million dollar goal with incremental portfolio increases expected annually
• Guide and manage major gifts team and strategy, developing metrics and KPIs for performance measurement, setting benchmarks towards growth, and supporting team growth and success
• Ensure execution of successful, best-in-class philanthropy efforts through partnership with team members, including processes and standards in identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship stages
• Grow major gifts revenue and portfolios, guiding efforts and strategy to identify and qualify new prospects, particularly in priority regions being developed, and develop gift planning strategy
• Collaborate with advancement staff to build and promote a data-driven approach to balanced, effective portfolios and strategic pipeline efforts towards new major gifts prospects
• Conduct major gifts meetings and oversee strategic efforts 
• Analyze and report on progress and outcomes of team on regular basis
• Promote a culture of philanthropy across federation staff, stakeholders, and across entire organization
• Support overall goals of the advancement team
• Other duties as assigned

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in related field required
• Minimum 10+ years of experience in front-line, major gifts fundraising; with proven ability to fundraise seven-figure gifts and above
• Minimum 5+ years of experience managing a team of fundraisers; major giving team preferred
• Superior interpersonal, listening, and relationship-building skills
• Experience scaling fundraising activity preferred
• CFRE Certification valued
• Experience in gift planning valued
• Experience in Salesforce valued
• Experience in sports nonprofit environment valued
• General knowledge of soccer
• Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments
• Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission
• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook)

U.S. Soccer is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, military status, political belief, or any other characteristic protected under the law. This policy applies to all our employment practices within our organization. 

We strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQIA, veterans, parents, and persons with disabilities to apply.