Director of Scouting & Recruitment

Under the direction of the General Manager (GM) and Technical Director (TD), the Director of Scouting & Recruitment will be responsible for player identification. They will coordinate a team of scouts to build a club-owned database of in-depth player information and assessment, from early identification to advanced scouting evaluations, reporting, ranking, and projection of potential player acquisitions for all professional levels of the club. 

The Director of Scouting is responsible for quality assurance of the work created by the Scouting Department, and, alongside the TD, they will also oversee the development of the club's scouting processes, targeting, scheduling, and logistics.  Finally, they will be responsible for the individual development of the club's scouting staff.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic and operational leadership of player recruitment across the first team and any potential reserve and/or feeder teams, creating a unified approach that provides a competitive advantage

1. 1. Create a long-term strategy (rolling 3 years) by which to guide roster development and legacy planning. 
   2. Support the GM with managing ongoing contract negotiations, which are fully compliant with Angel City and NWSL rules and regulations.
   3. Present regular updates (weekly) to the GM, ownership, and other heads of departments.
   4. Develop and maintain productive relationships with counterparts in NWSL (league and clubs). 
   5. Oversee the planning and execution of the NWSL draft
   6. Travel as needed for player scouting, identification, and recruitment 
   7. Develop and maintain productive relationships with NWSL and international clubs for the purpose of:
      1. Player Identification
      2. Player Recruitment
      3. Potential Player Acquisition
      4. Outgoing and incoming Loans 
      5. Exhibition/friendly games

2. Creation and delivery of a comprehensive player identification and evaluation system, which includes detailed, evidence-based positional profiles aligned to club playing principles, depth charts and player grading systems, video and live observation of players.

1. 1. Implement positional player KPIs and assist the Technical Team in tracking and execution that align with the vision.
   2. Develop scouting templates and procedures supporting Angel City's style and philosophy - consistent template for watching games and evaluation criteria.
   3. Manage resources around three core areas of intelligence gathering
      1. Video - In-person watching of games (number per week tba) and utilizing video providers (statsbomb/wyscout/instat) to watch broadcast footage (number per week tba).
      2. Data - via objective providers and subjective video analysis.
      3. Ears - local market intelligence via the scouting network and relationships with agents, players, and coaches.

3. Development of Scouting networks and processes across all relevant markets which deliver regular, consistent, and reliable reporting of players from initial identification to final confirmation

1. 1. Agree appropriate budget for building an international scouting network for the 3-year horizon and outline the business case to the General Manager.
   2. Develop strategies and allocation of resources for coverage by region:
      1. North America Professional Leagues
      2. North America Collegiate 
      3. Central & Latin America
      4. Europe
      5. Asia and Australasia
      6. Africa

4. Oversee the development of a comprehensive philosophy & operational implementation of the salary cap and contract management, which is aligned with the club vision and maximizes competitive advantage.

1. 1. Work with the GM and Finance lead to manage the annual budget for players and liaise with NWSL for ongoing communication.
   2. Agree to a 3-year rolling budget so visibility on the next two years can be factored into longer agreements.

5. Close working relationships with internal personnel, coaches, staff, external players, and agents to gather intel on potential targets and the scouting strategy of opponents.

1. 1. When necessary, communicate with player agents regarding all prospective players.
   2. Manage new relationships with agents to maximize the Club's network and strengthen its ability to recruit high-level players.
   3. Maintain excellent relationships with all agents.

Other Essential Duties

• Serve as a resource to the club's technical staff on all matters pertaining to player scouting, recruitment, and monitoring of potential players of interest
• Assist the GM, TD, and coaching staff with the development of a methodology and guidelines for scouts to use in identifying players
• Create, direct, and implement education and development programs to prepare scouts to identify players suitable to the Angel City FC style and philosophy
• Develop scouting templates and processes designed to support recruitment tailored to Angel City's playing style and philosophy
• Assign staff scouts to relevant regions and levels and assist in player targeting and cross-checking of identified players
• Develop & maintain an online club database of player information, ensuring depth and quality of information on a broad range of players, including a robust system of player shortlists used to highlight players of particular interest
• Ensure that the Scouting Department is flexible to the evolving needs of the club's professional teams, and has a robust database of player information that can be referenced by all senior staff as part of effective succession planning and adapting to changing circumstances
• Provide targets/options based on club-specific recruitment profiles for GM, TD, and Head Coach to review, encompassing all relevant information from the player's on-field assessments, likely costs, and character references.
• Work with the Video Analyst for advanced scouting and summary report-creating purposes
• Work with the technical staff and scouting staff to enhance Angel City's relationship with domestic and international clubs, colleges, academies, and governing bodies.
• Oversee all NCAA scouting and help manage the club's college scouting network, including;
• Production of NCAA depth charts, composed of college players ranked by position, including identifying non-seniors, academy-affiliated players, and international players, distributed to the GM, TD, and coaching staff when necessary
• Help to lead the NWSL Expansion Draft & College Draft processes, including meetings prior to the draft to discuss targets, strategy, and objectives
• Assist Academy scouting and recruitment by contributing to player identification and tracking methodology
• Work with the Academy and 2nd Team's staff members in supporting the recruitment of players to the club's development environment
• Perform annual evaluations of all scouts
• Represent Angel City FC in a professional manner on all club-related travel and scouting trips
• This job description is not intended to be all-inclusive, and the Director of Scouting will also perform other reasonably related business duties when required, as assigned by their immediate supervisor and other management.

Additional Duties

• Identify target markets along with the GM, TD and Head Coach, at both professional and collegiate or youth levels 
• Contribute to the identification and hiring of regional scouting staff
• Provide education on club scouting processes and technical guidance on scouting tools and software to all scouts
• Coordinate and oversee international scouting operations
  Oversee domestic scouting operations including growing the clubs knowledge of NWSL, USL Super League, NCAA, & National Team players
• Oversee, guide, and communicate effectively with scouting staff to ensure scouting objectives, profiles and timelines are clear
• Create connections with representatives (agents, families etc) of recruitment targets, as appropriate, to ensure rules and procedures are followed and player experience is maximized
• Communicate effectively with staff at all levels of the club
• Organize scouting meetings to ensure all targets and important scouting matters are discussed with the clubs technical staff
• Ensure consistent, accurate presentation of all scout reports, as well as facilitate the process for information flow to the clubs technical staff
• Ensure the GM, TD and Head Coach have everything they need to make informed, educated decisions related to player recruitment.

Qualifications and Experiences

• Five years experience as a scout or equivalent in a professional club or international
• Knowledge of NWSL and American Soccer landscape is required
• Demonstrated administrative and organizational abilities to manage multiple individuals, programs, and priorities, including short-term (event) and long-term planning
• Demonstrated ability to communicate thoughts and ideas to staff and colleagues effectively in a way that is clear and respectful, both orally and in writing
• Ability to manage and communicate with a network of agents and contacts within various levels of soccer, both domestic and abroad
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) helpful (not required)
• Proven working experience in recruiting
• Excellent knowledge of area of expertise (market status, trends, best practices)
• Strong relationship-building skills
• Previous experience with Scouting & Recruitment tools and methods
• Effective negotiation, influencing and communication skills

ACFC Perks & Benefits

• Fully funded comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage
• 401K plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Cell Phone reimbursement
• Snacks and beverages
• Daily catered lunch
• Complimentary tickets to home games
• Bi-annual performance reviews

Compensation

In addition to the benefits above, this role has a pay range between $125k-$135k