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, fun 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

The VP, Safeguarding reports into the Chief Legal Officer and is responsible for player and participant safety matters related to abuse prevention, education, reporting, and response across the U.S. Soccer grassroots and professional landscape. They will shape policy and develop a strategy to monitor player safety and enforce the code of conduct. The VP, Safeguarding will strive to ensure that soccer in the United States is a safe, enjoyable, and inclusive sport for all participants. Player and participant safeguarding includes, but is not limited to, protection against misconduct including, but not limited to physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, neglect, and retaliation. The VP, Safeguarding is also responsible for abuse prevention, including policy, standards, compliance, and education across the U.S Soccer grassroots and professional landscape.

Primary Responsibilities

• Reports to staff, the executive team, and the board of directors on matters regarding player and participant abuse , as well as abuse reporting and response
• Leads U.S. Soccer Federation's safeguarding reporting and response policy and process
• Supports the delivery of all aspects of the U.S. Soccer safeguarding strategy
• Collaborates with and supports U.S. Soccer's organization members, such as its professional leagues (NWSL, MLS, USL, etc.), state associations, and national associations, on reporting and response standards, abuse prevention measures, mitigation of risk, and implementation of safeguarding best practices
• Assists in the enforcement of safeguarding elements of the Professional League Standards.
• Serves as the reporting and response subject matter expert and resource for U.S. Soccer organization members and their safeguarding staff
• Partner to Safe Soccer Clearance product operations
• Oversees safeguarding reporting and response mechanisms together with the Participation Safety Taskforce 
• Works closely with regulatory and governing bodies, including FIFA, USOPC, the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and state and federal agencies on safeguarding matters and ensures U.S. Soccer meets all relevant compliance requirements
• Supports U.S. Soccer's relationship with the U.S. Center for SafeSport in response and resolution of reports, and audit and compliance
• Oversees our abuse and misconduct report intake on U.S. Soccer’s reporting platforms
• Gathers and analyzes data regarding reports of abuse to inform compliance efforts and educational programs
• Advises on the allocation of safeguarding resources
• Supports investigation and resolution of reports of prohibited conduct by the Human Resources Department against participants in U.S. Soccer programs
• Maintains an awareness of national and international safeguarding issues that impact the soccer environment
• Engages in regular training, public advocacy and professional development to enhance safeguarding knowledge and practice
• Collaborates on the creation and implementation of U.S. Soccer Federation's safeguarding prevention and education materials and ensuring that policies meet U.S. Center for SafeSport and U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee requirements
• Supports the delivery of U.S. Soccer safeguarding education and training
• Develops updated U.S. Soccer policies and procedures to aid with the prevention of abuse in partnership with the Safeguarding education and prevention team
• Supports the education of member organizations and participants on U.S. Soccer Federation required safeguarding standards
• Supports the implementation of initiatives recommended by the Participant Safety Taskforce such as development of a safeguarding officer network
• Drives the approach to promote fun, inclusive, and safe soccer environments for all

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or a combination of years of experience and education
• 10+ years of experience with Safeguarding, player health, and safety, or investigatory role
• Experience in advocacy and internal and external coalition building
• Comprehensive understanding of 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 children, their families, and 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
• Qualified to apply strong working knowledge of investigative processes and utilize all appropriate resources
• Capacity to produce reports and written materials in safeguarding to a high standard
• Able to identify behavior that is harmful to players, at-risk participants, and vulnerable populations and distinguish thresholds of poor practice or abusive behavior
• Capable of working 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

Desired Qualifications

• Passion for soccer
• Master's degree in a related area
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) preferred; knowledge of other languages is beneficial
• Relevant experience in safeguarding investigations, social care, or other safeguarding roles
• Experience in high-volume case management, including report intake, investigation, resolution, and tracking
• Experience and competence in presenting and/or delivering training
• Strong knowledge of sports governance, previous experience with a club or national team

Thorough institutional understanding of U.S. Soccer's mission, goals, technical plan, policies, practices, and procedures

Working at U.S. Soccer is a unique opportunity. Employees who work at U.S. Soccer have the following attributes:

• Live our Principles & Values
• Adopt a company-centric approach—Serve the Athlete and the Fan
• Embrace and see learning as a lifelong pursuit
• Possess a growth mindset—keeps an open mind and seeks new challenges
• Practice self-assessment and self-reflection
• Open to criticism and does not make excuses
• Wants to be part of a team that wins
• Has the ability to be firm but fair
• Communicate in a direct, open and honest manner
• Build relationships through genuine interpersonal skills

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.