Position Summary
The Vice President of Sporting Operations & Strategy will work closely with the President/General Manager to oversee all aspects of the sporting operations, including strategic approach, scouting and recruitment, performance analysis, team operations, medical and performance, and player development. This position will serve as a bridge between the coaching staff, the President/General Manager, and other departments to ensure alignment and the successful execution of the club’s sporting goals. This role operates at both a strategic and operational level, setting standards, building and maintaining frameworks, and supporting soccer decisions across the organization.
Primary Responsibilities
Staff Management
- Support the hiring of the sporting staff.
- Supervise and develop sporting staff, including the implementation of a high-performance working environment.
- Ensure consistent communication and alignment across sporting departments.
- Establish staff development plans and long-term department planning to foster internal leadership pathways and promote long-term stability within the sporting leadership structure.
Playing Methodology
- Work with the President/General Manager and Head Coach to define and maintain the club’s playing philosophy, principles of play, and ensure clarity and consistency across the organization.
- Translate philosophy into clear positional profiles, role expectations, and performance benchmarks for players.
Technical & Coaching Support
- Work closely with the Head Coach and technical staff on key tactical areas, including game strategy, player development, training, opposition analysis, and in-game decision-making.
- Partner with the Head Coach to manage and oversee the roles and responsibilities of the technical staff. Ensure performance management and communicate technical staff matters to the President/General Manager.
- Serve as a point of contact between the technical staff and the President/General Manager, ensuring alignment between coaching decisions, player development, and club objectives.
Player Development
- Support design and oversight of a comprehensive player development framework, including individual development plans (IDPs), role progression, and evaluation standards.
- Support a holistic approach to player development across technical, tactical, physical, and psychological dimensions in partnership with medical and performance.
- Codify a clear technical DNA that promotes consistency, shared language, and long-term continuity.
- Partner with the President/General Manager in formalizing a partnership with Michigan Futbol Academy (MFA) and building an integrated player development pathway.
Roster Planning
- Work with the President/General Manager to establish the roster construction plan, including the intentional distribution of spend through the playing squad.
- Serve as a partner to the President/General Manager on roster decisions and succession planning.
- Support roster decisions with prepared presentations and reports to guide sporting leadership decision-making.
Scouting & Recruitment
- Lead player signing decisions, including the sourcing and evaluation of targets.
- Build the infrastructure and processes that will lead to high-probability decisions, including player databases, position profiles, evaluation rubrics, and data integrations.
- Participate in advanced-stage player evaluations and recruitment discussions, including agent and club interactions as appropriate.
- Act as a touchpoint to agents and other clubs on deal flow and negotiations.
Strategic Initiatives
- Collaborate with the President/General Manager to develop and implement a cohesive sporting strategy for the club, ensuring alignment with long-term goals and club vision.
- Work closely with sporting operations leadership to ensure alignment across coaching, performance, operations, and recruitment.
- Provide technical leadership over the player identification and evaluation framework, ensuring clarity of standards and decision criteria.
- Ensure all sporting operations comply with league rules and club policies, maintaining high standards of integrity and governance.
Required Skills & Qualifications
- At least five years of experience in a leadership position.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Sports Management (or related field) and/or USSF License (or international equivalent.
- Must be proficient in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
- Experience operating in a high-performance professional soccer environment.
- Proven ability to lead and align multidisciplinary technical teams.
- Experience shaping or stewarding a playing philosophy and player development framework.
- Strong understanding of professional soccer, with MLS, MLS NEXT Pro, or USL experience preferred.
- Track record of effective collaboration with coaching, recruitment, and performance functions.
- Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal), and the ability to establish, maintain, and invest time in a wide variety of internal and external relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams and foster a collaborative work environment.
- Commitment to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization and the sport.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working within the professional soccer landscape.
- Experience coaching or educating coaches in the professional soccer landscape.
- Strong business and financial acumen, including budgetary planning and delivery.
- Conversational Spanish-language proficiency.
- A strong passion for the growth of professional soccer in the United States.
Essential Functions
- Develop and maintain courteous, effective, and professional working relationships with employees at all levels of the organization as well as with sponsors and their contacts.
- Must be able to follow company policies and procedures.
- Must maintain appropriate levels of confidentiality concerning partner and club matters.
- Must be punctual and timely in meeting all requirements of performance, including but not limited to attendance standards, work deadlines, and all scheduled meetings.
- Must adapt, with minimal or no advance notice, to changes in how business is conducted and work is accomplished.
- Always meet or exceed the club standards of professionalism.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Dynamic interpersonal skills and approachable personality.
- Works well under pressure while maintaining a positive attitude.
- Must be a reliable team player who thrives in a collaborative environment.
- Ability to make sound decisions and exercise independent judgement and discretion with integrity and accountability, while working in a fast-paced, high-demand, and sometimes strenuous environment.
- Must be able to multi-task while managing time successfully.
