Marketing Manager, Surf Nation + San Diego Surf Soccer

Do you have a passion for soccer? Do you love brand storytelling through marketing and social media? Are you a person that thrives being creative, working in fast paced environment?

Surf Soccer is the premier youth soccer organization in the United States, with 50 affiliate clubs across the country, representing over 40,000 athletes within our Surf Nation family. Since its inception in 1977 in San Diego, we have grown exponentially, driven by our mission to provide the "Best of the Best" experiences and opportunities for every player through our clubs, events, and facilities.

We are seeking an experienced Marketing Manager to support both the broader Surf Nation program and the San Diego Surf club. This individual will play a key role in advancing the brand, supporting our players through the player pathway, promoting our initiatives, and engaging with our extensive community of coaches, athletes, families, and partners. If you have a passion for soccer, sports marketing background, and experience working events, we want to hear from you! (Bonus points if you're familiar with the club youth soccer space)

As the brand steward for Surf Soccer, you will build strong relationships with club marketing leads across the Surf network. This requires not only exceptional communication skills and a positive, fun attitude, but also the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while maintaining attention to detail. The ideal candidate will have a passion for soccer, bring a solution-oriented mindset, and the ability to think strategically about how to elevate the Surf brand across various platforms. You’ll report directly to the Director of Marketing at Pioneer Sports & Entertainment.

NOTE: This is an on-site position located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. We do not offer hybrid or remote work options - please only apply if you're seeking an in-person role. The job will involve some weekend social media coverage highlighting Surf club performance and Surf alumni currently playing at the National Team and Pro levels. The job also includes attending soccer tournaments hosted by Surf Sports Events, such as Surf Cup, Club America Cup, Man City Cup, and College Cup, where many of our Surf Nation clubs compete.

Responsibilities

• Implement daily marketing strategy in collaboration with key leads across Surf Nation and San Diego Surf.
• Create (3) monthly newsletters for Surf Nation, San Diego Surf, and Football Focus (Surf Nation Coaches).
• Oversee @SurfSoccerNation and @SurfSoccerClub Instagram accounts, coordinating weekly social media coverage and photography for tournaments or special events.
• Collaborate with the Creative Department on marketing asset requests, including club/team/player announcement templates, on-field branded items, uniform and fanwear designs, social media templates, and more.
• Manage new club announcements and brand transitions to Surf, including writing press releases/blog posts, managing GoDaddy domain and hosting/DNS updates, website rebranding/updates, and providing high-level social media guidance.
• Create and execute online retail campaigns for Surf fan wear through Surf.SoccerPost.com, leveraging Klaviyo and Shopify.
• Provide marketing support for Surf Nation Tournaments/Events:

1. Develop (2) Surf Nation Tournament packages for clubs (e.g., flyers, medals/trophies, merchandise, email/social support).
2. Support (2) Surf Select events: Champions League tournament and National ID Camp (annually held in San Diego).

• Work with videographer to produce the annual Nike uniform release video, new club announcements, tournament recaps, and come up with new video ideas to enhance marketing efforts year-over-year.
• Lead marketing for the annual Surf Nation Summit (January 2025 event at Nike World HQ).
• Ensure ongoing website updates for SurfSoccerNation.com and SurfSoccer.com.
• Stay up-to-date on the latest youth soccer league news and Surf club performance celebrating Surf players committing to colleges, getting called up to National Teams, and those who have gone Pro.
• Evaluate and feature Surf Nation partners offering special value or promotions for clubs and events.
• Track and report marketing KPIs driving brand awareness, growth, and engagement using Social platforms, Email CRM tools, and Web updates. Primary tools include: Click-up, Sprout Social, Brandfolder / Canva, Emma / Mailchimp, WordPress.
• Provide senior leadership support by ensuring alignment on priorities and maintaining clear communication, anticipating needs, and delivering consistent updates.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Advertising, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
• 5-7 years of marketing experience, with a strong focus on strategy, execution, and digital marketing.
• Knowledge of the business of soccer, and passion for the sport. If you already know soccer, you're following the news, are familiar with the big names and exciting events, get fired up talking about the growth of soccer in the United States! Bonus if you have an understanding of the youth soccer landscape, various leagues, and club soccer system.
• Project management mindset with proven ability to multitask and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment.
• Exceptional verbal, written, and organizational communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences.
• Meticulous attention to detail, with a strong commitment to meeting deadlines and delivering high-quality work.
• Excellent collaboration and interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.