Director, Media Partnerships

Description

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 on a team. 

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 

The Media Partnerships team works directly with all linear and digital media partners in the U.S. and globally to drive value and growth across U.S. Soccer’s media business. The Director of Media Partnerships will be responsible for managing and leading strategic media partner relationships and provide best-in-class day-to-day support for media, digital, social partners, and all new distribution channels. This individual will be a key driver of how U.S. Soccer’s live and ancillary content is viewed across media platforms and will lead the Federations tune-in strategy. The Director will focus on driving viewership of U.S. Soccer’s programming, increasing reach and overall relevancy across our partners’ ecosystems.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the strategic relationships with all domestic and global media partners
• Identify and secure regular senior executive engagement (USSF + Media Partners) to ensure U.S. Soccer is front and center, top of mind with each media partner
• Collaborate with media partners and internal stakeholders to ensure the first-in-class delivery and presentation of the U.S. Soccer brand across all matches and key federation initiatives  
• Drive organizational efforts to ensure successful tune-in campaigns that maximize broadcast engagement across all platforms
• Own and foster senior partner relationships to understand business goals and objectives for all partners 
• Oversight and management of partnership deliverables for all media partners and U.S. Soccer 
• Collaborate with internal stakeholders, including, Partnerships, Communications, Marketing, Content, Events, Consumer Products and Sporting, to ensure media partner integration across all key areas of the organization
• Work closely with Partnership Marketing team to optimize media and corporate partner engagement, including financial investment and promotional support
• Work with Content team on ancillary content ideas and development of non-live U.S. Soccer content
• Coordinate with Content Distribution lead on the transition from new business to partner management
• Deliver recaps on consumption, ongoing programs, and annual reporting for all partnerships 
• Dive deep into the nuances of viewership metrics to uncover insights and learnings that will improve performance over time
• Identify media trends, emerging platforms and recommend new business strategies as a part of playing an active role in department strategic planning
• Additional responsibilities as assigned

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Minimum of 8-year experience in strategic partner management
• Minimum of 5-year experience in media and broadcast space
• Knowledge of sports and entertainment space, including scheduling, events, sponsorships, and contracts 
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills 
• Exceptional time management skills and ability to prioritize workflow 
• Ability to develop relationships with senior-level marketing executives 
• Experience in presenting to senior leadership and teams 
• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, team environment
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. 
• Bilingual (English and Spanish) – able to read, write and speak Spanish proficiently preferred