Senior Manager, On-Field Licensing

U.S. Soccer Overview

We are U.S. Soccer and we are the future of sport in the United States. Our mission is to make soccer the preeminent sport in the United States. We embrace diversity, technology and global connections to drive the growth of our sport and serve our athletes and fans. We seek motivated, passionate, skilled people who can think, create and work well in a team environment.

U.S. Soccer is a growing company that looks for team members to grow with it. U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture and an atmosphere for professional development.

The Federation’s core principles set organization-wide standards to identify and foster our culture and inform how we interact and hold each other accountable. These principles guide U.S. Soccer: We Win Together.We Aim High.We Champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. To be successful as a USSF employee, it is critical to demonstrate and live up to these principles every day and with every interaction with peers, stakeholders, and partners.

The Federation’s core values are the individual attributes and characteristics that staff embody to uphold the organization’s principles and succeed. These values guide our employees: Integrity. Commitment.Teamwork.Respect.

Position Description

U.S. Soccer is seeking a Senior Manager, On-Field Product to join our industry-leading team to help drive the growth of soccer in the United States and be a leader within U.S. Soccer’s growing commercial team. Consumer Products is a key driver of fan engagement and brand messaging. As such it is critical that every product partner and every product line aligns with our fan segments and properly reflects our brand positioning. The ideal candidate is one who is organized, confident, detail oriented, and resourceful. A genuine interest in the overall sports licensing and retail space is key.

Primary Responsibilities

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Licensing related:

• Manage the relationship and communication with On-Field licensees across the Federation.
• Supervise the product development process with Nike for all On-Field products, including but not limited to jerseys, pregame tops, theme tops and travel apparel.
• Oversee jersey name and number provider and work closely with equipment staff on all orders.
• Work closely with the referee department and OSI, our referee apparel provider.
• Assist in monitoring product assortment plans, tracking market trends and identifying gaps.
• Compile and maintain licensing reports and financials including sales forecasts, product portfolio, licensee recaps, etc.

Cross-departmental integration:

• Assist in identifying opportunities to incorporate product within all applicable commercial, media and marketing programs and initiatives.
• Act as lead point of contact for all internal requests and questions for on-field licensed product to service internal stakeholders and external partners.
• Take a lead role in coordinating internal and external meetings with applicable partners.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field of expertise.
• 7 years of experience in consumer products related industries, e.g., retailing, product development / manufacturing and/or intellectual property licensing. A background in, and passion for, soccer, sports and/or entertainment is a plus.
• Strong analytic skills and experience interpreting quantitative and qualitative data and research
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Able and willing to travel up to 50% of the time for partner meetings, key matches, etc.
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including evenings, weekends & holidays.
• Able and willing to lift and move items weighing up to 30 pounds.

Desired Qualifications

• Creative thinker with an ability to track and leverage marketplace trends.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects through multi-tasking and prioritizing efficiently.
• Ability to work both independently and as a part of a multidisciplinary team.
• ”Student of the Game” mentality and desire for continual growth.
• Excellent computer skills, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and advanced Excel capabilities.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Multi-lingual a plus.

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.