Manager, Strategy

Description

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 Manager, Strategy reporting directly to the Director, Strategy, is a position responsible for supporting major strategic projects and business management efforts that are critical in achieving the long-term organizational objectives of U.S. Soccer. This role would work closely with the President, CEO, leadership team, and Board in driving the highest-impact initiatives while managing all key stakeholder groups. The Manager, Strategy will work cross-functionally with the sporting, commercial, and operational sides of the organization as part of a small team within the U.S. Soccer Strategy group. 

 Primary Responsibilities  

• Support cross-functional teams as part of the Strategy group and in partnership with U.S. Soccer team members to accomplish a broad range of top strategic projects and objectives, including through core project management functions (e.g. project goals, key deliverables, stakeholder management, etc.).
• Perform key qualitative and financial analyses for major projects, with the ability to create analytical insights, package those into effective communication, and use to inform key decisions.
• Collaborate on the delivery of cross-departmental projects and initiatives (e.g., National Training Center, Sporting Strategy) through project status tracking, leading meetings, identifying next steps, and assigning ownership / roles.
• Lend important operational support for key external stakeholder relationships, such as setting meeting agendas, coordinating schedules, and tracking key follow-ups and next steps.
• Support in all aspects of board preparation and external stakeholder management, including key analyses for board topics, finalizing and distributing materials, etc.
• Execute fundamental corporate strategy function in establishing long-term objectives and key results, regularly tracking progress against metrics, and managing internal processes to align business against objectives (e.g., through senior      management meetings, strategy sessions, etc.).
• Establish relationships with peers at key external stakeholder groups, using network and secondary research to establish a set of best practices in critical business and sporting functions.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications  

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 2-4 years professional experience, preferably at a top-tier strategy consulting firm, investment bank, or in sports/media/entertainment
• Outstanding quantitative, financial, research, modeling, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent project management skills
• Proactive self-starter who can work independently and with ambiguity to drive towards set objectives
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
• Ability to communicate with senior executives both inside and outside the organization 
• Strong intellectual curiosity and ability to apply learnings to create new opportunities 
• Ability to spot issues and manage risk
• Desire to be part of a team and drive continual growth of oneself and colleagues
• Ability to manage and drive forward multiple projects while maintaining zero-defect attention to detail
• Demonstrated ability to maintain confidentiality
• 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) 

Desired Qualifications   

• Passion for the sport of soccer 
• A strong understanding of the culture of soccer and its fans across North America
• Knowledge of Sports, Entertainment, Media and Technology industries
• Prior experience working in the sports industry, non-profit, or national governing body
• Ability to anticipate challenges and identify opportunities to support U.S. Soccer’s initiatives
• Fluency both verbal and written in Spanish, or another language, is preferred

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.