Chicago Fire Football Club is a Major League Soccer team that was founded in 1997. Under new ownership, the Club recently returned to Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field, opened a new 50,000-square foot office in the heart of the city, and will unveil a premium state-of-the-art Performance Center in January 2025. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the company in the coming years.

At Chicago Fire Football Club, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.

Position Overview:

The Sporting Director will report to the Director of Football and Head Coach, and will oversee the development and implementation of the team’s technical strategy, focusing on player development, coaching support, and talent recruitment.

Job Responsibilities:

Strategic Development: Provide strategic leadership to build and develop the coaching and operations staff, ensuring they meet the competitive needs of the Club.
Coaching Leadership: Lead the coaching direction for the Club, establishing preferred coaching methods and guiding the coaching staff to uphold the integrity of the team's playing philosophy.
Technical Oversight: Meet with coaching staff of the Club to maintain alignment of game model and positional profiles.
Player Recruitment: Assist in the recruitment, negotiation and retention of players and staff to achieve the Club’s goals and sustain competitive performance.
Retention Strategy: Develop and implement a successful coaching recruitment process and retention strategy, ensuring compliance with relevant league rules.
Outgoing Transfer Strategy: Understand the international player transfer market to generate funds from outgoing player transfers and loans.
Development: Oversee the talent development throughout the Club to ensure top talents have evolving individual development programs and are provided the opportunity to progress through the Club’s structure.
Public Relations: Participate in promotional, sponsorship, and public relations activities, including games, clinics, interviews, and media appearances featuring the team and its players.
Operational Excellence: Establish and maintain policies, systems, processes, and practices to ensure sustainable, world-class operational standards.
Compliance and Governance: Adhere to, support, and ensure compliance with club and league policies and regulations.
Relationship Building: Build and maintain positive relationships with media, sponsors, fans, supporters, and stakeholders.
Diversity and Inclusion: Foster a diverse, inclusive, equitable, and accessible work environment that aligns with the club’s values.
Other: Perform additional duties other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

3 – 5 minimum years of experience as Sporting Director or a similar role
Strong knowledge of talent identification and talent development
Attention to detail and organizational skills with the ability to meet firm deadlines
Strong time management and project management skills
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both written and verbal
Conversational Spanish language fluency preferred
Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment
Travel and ability to work weekends/flexible hours required
Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all home games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays

Please note:

Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People and Culture Department at [email protected] to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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