Senior Director, Sporting

Job Title

Senior Director, Sporting

Department

Sporting

Location

New York, NY

Reports To

Chief Sporting Director

FLSA Status

Exempt

National Women's Soccer League

Senior Director, Sporting

The National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) is the top professional women's soccer league in the USA, with 14 teams and +300 of the best soccer players globally. In its 12th season, the league continues to grow exponentially. The NWSL is shattering all-time fan attendance records with 2023 season shattering attendance and viewership records. In November 2023, the NWSL made history in announcing a four-year deal as the biggest deal in women's professional sports with four new broadcast partners for the 2024 season: Amazon Prime Video, CBS, ESPN and Scripps/ION.
Position Description

The Senior Director, Sporting will plan and execute a strategy that will provide a state-of-the-art experience for our player population and provide support to the Chief Sporting Director on elements and developments that positively impact the NWSL's sporting strategy. Rooted in global expertise, data-led insights and a holistic approach, the incumbent will establish key metrics, minimum standards, polices and reporting that will increase consistency across our club ecosystems and support NWSL's position as global leaders in professional women's football.
Primary Responsibilities
Sporting:

• Establish and manage systems that develop insights for business intelligence on sport-related data.
• Oversee the creation and implementation of a dashboard that provides supporting data for such insights.
• Responsible for the development of surveying, reporting and analytics cadence that provides a benchmark and robust performance, medical, competition and other relative data.
• Creation of minimum standards across (but not limited to) Teams Training Sites, Stadia, Infrastructure, Coaching, Staffing.
• Create and manage non-commercial Partnerships (game data analysis, sports technology, NGOs, Social and Sporting)

Players:

• On and off the pitch player development strategy including consultancy, mentorship, career readiness and practical experience programs.
• Provide advisory and guidance on NWSL player policies and procedures related to all aspects of the player experience, on and off the pitch.
• Extend this guidance into the youth pathways and supporting structures, in alignment with the League Safety Officer.
• Track and identify trends in club and international football that relate to the player experience, on and off the field.
• Ambassador and spokesperson to attract, retain and develop the best players in the league nationally and internationally for players specific topics.

Minimum Qualifications

• 8+ years of sports management business experience with an advanced degree in Economics, Sports Management or similar from an accredited college or university required.
• Excellent understanding of the athlete experience, unique needs, roles, and responsibilities from the elite level in the international women's football area.
• Excellent knowledge of the women's football global landscape in the highest leagues and top international teams globally.
• Excellent organizational, project management and business intelligence skills.
• Ability to develop and maintain strong relationships with relevant parties, including senior stakeholders.
• Ability to develop strategic plans and translate it into a set of deliverables.
• Ability to develop and maintain a data dashboard and business intelligence reporting tools.
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Desired Qualifications

• Former top female football (soccer) player from a competitive league landscape.
• Demonstrates curiosity to gather business acumen and culture, learns rapidly and eagerly.
• Possesses program management skills including planning work, prioritizing, and managing details, keeping multiple tasks/projects on track, time management, and delivering results with tight deadlines.
• Has excellent oral and written communication skills, and ability to develop and execute a comprehensive and effective communication plan for project roll out across the organization. Ability to adjust style for various audiences to articulate complex issues clearly and succinctly.
• Has proven ability to think and move quickly, manage multiple priorities, and make difficult tradeoffs to meet deadlines, especially in fast-paced ambiguous environments.

What we offer

• An incredible inclusive culture that is committed to diversity.
• Medical, Dental, Vision and Mental health benefits for employees and dependents.
• Fertility Benefits
• FSA for employees and dependents.
• Commuter benefits.
• Short and Long-term disability and life insurance paid by the company.
• Unlimited paid time off, sick days and end of the year office closure.
• 401k with employer match, safe harbor contributions from the company in addition to the employer match.
• Voluntary pet insurance.
• Hybrid work schedule.

Salary: 150-200K, eligible for a bonus based on performance

NWSL salaries are contingent upon candidates' qualifications, functional business needs, and market financials.

NWSL is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee's race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.