Director, Business Ventures

Position Description

The Director will join a team of Analysts and Data Scientists focused on optimizing the business, nurturing data-driven decisions, and ultimately driving growth via new partnerships. They’ll also work closely with every unit within the Commercial organization, and some Sporting stakeholders as well, to understand current state and identify collaborative opportunities to unlock more value for U.S. Soccer and its stakeholders. Focus areas will include new properties/platforms and strategic partnerships within the media, technology, high performance, and scouting spaces.

Primary Responsibilities

• Opportunity hunting: Internal audits, market analyses, business cases, and vetting to steer how we allocate time and resources. Making critical connections to nurture partnerships, with an eye toward Sporting technology needs
• Standing up new partnerships: Shepherding new projects from ideation to planning to execution and monetization. These could be commercial-only in nature or also serve broader needs for our soccer staff/players. Organizing and mobilizing cross-functional teams based on the nature of each deal
• Content reach and relevancy: Establishing and managing strategic partnerships with 3rd-party media platforms and creators to extend our reach among soccer fans and new audiences
• Partner management: Managing existing partners and developing new ones. You’ll be the day-to-day contact with critical commercial partners across our new ventures (e.g., The Soccer Tournament)
• Budget management: Working closely with each Commercial unit to track and forecast revenue and expenses. Communicate status across, up, and down the organization

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Business, STEM, or other analytical field
• At least 5 years of experience in roles focused on growth strategy within the technology or media spaces
• Tech background – clear understanding of emerging technology trends within the sports/entertainment space and history of leveraging new technologies to unlock new value for customers/fans
• Strategic thinking – consistently anticipates and sees the big picture, where to go, and how to get there
• Sharp analytical skills – designs quantitative frameworks to solve business problems and finds the signal within the noise quickly
• Proficient with business intelligence tools – advanced BI (Tableau or Power BI) and Excel skills (IF functions, macros, array formulas)
• Detail-oriented – can’t stand sloppiness in execution; details matter more than most others because of what they say about your work
• Preserved polished presenter – tailors the message to the audience; concise yet thorough and combines it with impeccably-packaged visuals
• Self-starter – thrives when allowed to proactively manage time toward goals rather than reacting to specific tasks
• General knowledge of soccer
• Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments
• Ability to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission
• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook)

Desired Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business, Analytics, STEM, or other analytical field
• Passion for soccer and solid understanding of the soccer landscape in the United States