U.S. Soccer Overview
The U.S. Soccer Federation exists in service to soccer. Our aim is to ignite a national passion for the game. Because we believe that soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good.
We understand the importance and the power of teamwork, on and off the pitch. That’s why we work closely with our Federation partners and members, to inspire, support and guide every level of the game: from the grassroots, to the National Teams. We want to bring soccer into every home and every community, right across America. Because we believe that soccer can transform lives like no other sport. Soccer can represent the best of US.
U.S. Soccer is in a period of significant growth, with ambitions plans for US soccer in the near and far future. We are therefore, looking for dynamic servant-leaders to join us on this journey: in service to soccer. Applicants must be able to demonstrate visionary leadership, analytical decision-making, professional flexibility and an empathic management style that builds bold teams and delivers globally significant results.
Position Description
The Director of Member Relations is a strategic stakeholder manager with a deep understanding of how to use governance and policy as enablers. This person will be responsible for implementing our member and key stakeholder strategy – in alignment with U.S. Soccer’s strategic pillars – and leading governance and policy needs in support of that scope. They will work closely with the Head of Soccer Growth Strategy, Chief Soccer Growth Officer, Chief Legal Officer, and General Counsel, as well as the CEO, executive leadership, and broader ecosystem stakeholders to carry out key priorities to grow participation in the amateur ecosystem, provide participants positive experiences, and make the game more accessible and diverse than ever before. They are a natural leader and relationship builder, with experience driving mass alignment across diverse stakeholder groups and overseeing project / risk management principles to facilitate complex resolutions. This person will report to the Head of Soccer Growth Strategy and work closely with the Soccer Growth Department day-over-day. This person must embrace our diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging (DEIB) philosophy and serve as an optimistic / high EQ leader with internal and external stakeholders.
Primary Responsibilities
- Serve as a key leader in implementing our member and stakeholder engagement strategy, specifically with how this relates to U.S. Soccer’s bylaws and policies
- Develop and implement a framework to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of governance structures, policies, and bylaws in supporting and aligning member organizations with organizational goals and standards
- Own bylaw and policy management against soccer strategies, including identifying and completing amendments
- Drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups where there are governance implications
- Develop and complete resolutions for complaints, issues, and other pre-grievance scenarios
- Manage governance tasks related to FIFA and Concacaf that are specific to our ecosystem
- Support the member strategy team where needed, such as attending key stakeholder events, servicing grant / financial assistance programs (e.g., Innovate to Grow), and facilitating feedback forums about our soccer strategies
- Contribute to the development and management of stakeholder management key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Co-create customer-centric strategies that balance governance / compliance and benefits with our offerings
- Display expert knowledge of applicable governance and regulatory standards in the amateur soccer ecosystem
Minimum Qualifications
- B.S./B.A. or Master’s Degree from an accredited college or university required
- 7-10+ years of experience working in the amateur soccer ecosystem with demonstrable experience working with U.S. Soccer’s membership
- Must hold a strong belief and experience in growing DEIB in soccer
- Must have experience developing and managing governance-related tasks and understands the connection to large-scale strategies
- Strong understanding of risk management best practices (i.e., risk as it pertains to evaluation and monitoring), with the ability to design and oversee risk management frameworks specific to governance and stakeholders
- Deep understanding of regulations, standards, and policies relevant to the amateur soccer ecosystem
- Strong and empathetic leader with proven ability to drive alignment across diverse stakeholder groups
- Understands the intricacies of administrative and technical soccer best practices that relate to U.S. Soccer’s governance
- Proven problem solver with the ability to drive productive collaboration across diverse teams and departments; this will require distilling complex policy matters for internal and external stakeholders
- Passionate about how U.S. Soccer enables its members / stakeholders to provide the best experiences for all types of participants (e.g., players, organizations, coaches, referees)
- Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments with top-level stakeholders
- Ability to deliver high quality work and execute under pressure/deadlines
- Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook)
Desired Qualifications
- Technical policy or legal-related background
- Served in a member or soccer organization leadership position
- Experience with FIFA and Concacaf’s policies related to U.S. Soccer
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.