Position:

The Director of Community Relations is part of the Marketing and Communications Department for Minnesota United FC (MNUFC), a sports business located in the Twins Cities area of Minnesota and a member of Major League Soccer (MLS), the top tier soccer league in North America.

Job Description:

The Director of Community Relations will leverage soccer as a catalyst for building connections, promoting inclusivity, and driving positive change. With a focus on soccer, youth enrichment, diversity & inclusivity, and greener goals, they will not only develop strategic initiatives but also take a leading role in the implementation of those initiatives to make a tangible difference in communities across Minnesota and the surrounding areas.

This is a full-time position based in Golden Valley, MN reporting to the Senior Director, Public Relations.

Essential Duties:

Develop and manage strategies that align with the club’s mission statement for building and maintaining programs and campaigns that fall under the club’s four community pillars: Soccer, Youth Enrichment, Diversity & Inclusivity, Greener Goals.
Ensure alignment of MNUFC community relations strategic initiatives across the club.
Serve as the face of MNUFC CR internally and externally, serving as a liaison for all things community engagement for the club.
Build and foster positive relationships with local leaders, community partners, stakeholders, businesses organizations and peers throughout the local market and MLS.
Oversee player-community appearances activities with Marketing and community partners, including partner appearances, community events and postgame opportunities with fans.
Support the development of talking points, scripts and run-of-shows for events held with players, coaches, alumni and executives.
Work directly with players to build their personal brand in the community and target initiatives for causes most important to them.
Collaborate with Corporate Partnerships department to enhance partner relationships.
Work with Experiential Marketing team on opportunities to connect with both MNUFC-run community events and local events through the Twin Cities metro area.
Lead, influence and drive change through executing initiatives and programs using cross-functional teams.
Interface with the supporter group’s charitable arm, including but not limited to attending quarterly WonderWall board meetings.
Inform Marketing and Communications team of activities and initiatives to amplify community efforts.
Oversee donation requests and fulfill, as needed.
Assist in other duties as assigned.

Requirements:

5 – 7 years of experience working in Community Relations, government, civic duty, or related field. Experience in advertising, public affairs, fundraising, public speaking a plus.
Excellent communication skills, with the ability to multi-task and solve problems in a high-stress, fast-paced live event/production environment.
Experience coordinating special events.
Ability to organize large amounts of information and present top-level summaries.
Excellent leadership and organizational skills.
Ability to motivate and inspire others.
Balanced analytical and creative thinking.
Able to work flexible hours including nights, weekends and holidays.
Ability to thrive as part of a team.
Computer skills required: Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point, and Outlook).

Preferred:

Previous experience in professional sports.
Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus, but not required.

Company Profile:

MNUFC is a professional soccer club playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top tier of soccer in North America, and which operates under the oversight of the U.S. Soccer Federation, a member of FIFA. The Club is headquartered in Golden Valley, MN. Soccer operations are located at the MNUFC Training Center in Blaine, Minnesota, and the team plays its home matches at Allianz Field in St. Paul, MN.

MNUFC is a progressive employer that values group and personal excellence, individual commitment, shared responsibility, diversity and respect for all people. Its mission includes community engagement and betterment through the expression of the values of soccer, the premier sport of the world. The Club promotes an open work environment with collegial and supporting work dynamics that foster positive individual and group performance, and the opportunity for career advancement.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

Director, Community Relations