Legal - Club Compliance and Welfare Manager

About Orlando City and Orlando Pride:

With two major professional teams, Orlando City and Orlando Pride, the Orlando City Soccer Club (OCSC) has established itself as one of the preeminent Clubs in professional soccer.

Orlando City joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as the league's 21st franchise in November 2013, becoming the first MLS team in the Southeast. The Lions began league play in March 2015. In 2019, Orlando City re-launched Orlando City B (OCB) to bridge the gap between its successful youth development academy and the First Team.

The Orlando Pride, OCSC’s National Women’s Soccer League franchise, began play in 2016 – bringing professional women’s soccer to Orlando for the first time.

Orlando City and Orlando Pride play at Exploria Stadium, a 25,500-seat soccer-specific stadium built in 2017 and located in the heart of Downtown Orlando.

With a footprint across the central Florida region and a roster comprised of international and home-grown talent, Orlando City and Orlando Pride boasts global relevance through its assemblage of world-class athletes.

Position: Club Compliance and Welfare Manager

Department: Legal

Reports To: Legal Department

FLSA: Exempt; Full-Time

WHAT SETS YOU APART

• This role is responsible for ensuring that soccer within the Club and its operations is safe, enjoyable, and inclusive for all its participants and staff.
• Serves as an advocate to enact both proactive and reactive practices to create a safe environment.
• Oversees and ensures organizational safety, safeguarding of players, and compliance standards; such measures may include, but not limited to, educating and investigating matters of harassment, abuse, discrimination, retaliation, malnutrition, and psychological damage.
• Focuses on building a “soccer for all” culture and a trauma-informed environment where abuse of any form is not tolerated, and safety and wellness is prioritized.
• Develops and drives continuous improvement and trains on matters related to player and club safety through strategy, policy, standards, education, guidance, and effective management of prevention and response.
• Drives communication and collaboration between the Academy, OCB, and First Team, with their players and parents, Front Office, and all respective leagues to ensure adherence to Club, League, and other regulatory and governing bodies (i.e., U.S. Soccer, Concacaf, FIFA, USOPC, Center for SafeSport) on safety and wellbeing protocols and protection of players and minors.
• Works closely with the Legal Department and People & Culture Department with collaboration of the VP of Soccer Operations and Academy Director.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Act as the Player Safety Officer for the Club and all of its related entities and serve as a mandatory reporter to the leagues, federations, and local government, as applicable.
• Ensure Club operations are conducted in compliance with all Club, MLS, U.S. Soccer, Concacaf, FIFA, and governmental risk management policies, regulations, and requirements, including SafeSport initiatives, and ensure that any changes to such requirements are implemented across the Club.
• Implement and monitor player welfare services for the Academy and other youth programming.
• Act as a liaison and provide support for players’ families related to creating a safe soccer environment.
• Work with Club staff and external support to ensure effective operation of academic programming: including, forming relationships with local schools, the counties, and ensuring such programs compliance with Florida educational requirements (i.e., SAI Academy).
• Serve as point of contact and investigator for all safety and welfare concerns, including safeguarding issues.
• Support welfare risk analysis, which includes risk identification and development of appropriate mitigating actions, processes, procedures, and activities.
• Provide support to matches, clinics, camps, tournaments, events, and other programs to ensure that welfare principles are applied appropriately across these elements of the business, including occasional travel with relevant programs.
• Champion and build upon the existing safeguarding program and monitor progress.
• Produce quarterly reports and an annual review of the welfare program to Club leadership teams.
• Support any relevant host family or other residential programs, including drafting policies, recruitment, background screening, vetting, reviewing, and monitoring.
• Collaborate with the People & Culture department with conducting background screenings and SafeSport implementation.
• Maintain accurate records in respect of training, screening, and concern referrals and ensure all sensitive data and information is held securely and in accordance with data protection regulations.
• Maintain up-to-date safeguarding knowledge and skills through regular training and professional development.
• Serve as a subject matter expert and resource on player and organizational health and safety.

• Offer quality and accessible counseling, advice, support, and guidance to individuals across the organization working on safeguarding issues in their programs.

• All other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required; focus in Psychology, Education, Social Work, or Criminal Justice preferred.
• 5+ years of relevant experience with social care-related areas, employee health and safety, safeguarding and child protection, or trauma-informed investigations.
• Comprehensive understanding of trauma-informed safeguarding prevention and investigative processes.
• Capacity to produce reports and written materials in safeguarding to a high standard.
• Ability to handle confidential information sensitively and with integrity.
• Detail-orientated, self-motivated individual with outstanding analytical skills and ability to make targeted recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work with a diverse group of individuals, including minors.
• Strong skills in the areas of conflict resolution, conducting investigations, and problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to identify: (i) behavior that is harmful, (ii) at-risk players or staff member, (iii) vulnerable populations, and (iv) distinguish thresholds of poor practice or abusive behavior.
• Knowledge of children's social care systems, contemporary safeguarding practice and legislation, government guidance, SafeSport, and other policies and procedures to create a positive culture.
• Working knowledge and understanding of inclusion, equality and anti-discrimination legislation, policy, and practice.
• Ability to work consistently in an area where emotionally distressing and sensitive issues and cases may arise.
• Experience adapting to unpredictable circumstances, prioritizing responsibilities, assessing situations fairly, and multi-tasking effectively.
• Willingness to work and learn in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial, high-performing work environment independently as well as collaboratively.
• Exceptional time management skill and ability to prioritize workflow.
• Desire to participate in ongoing professional development in safeguarding, welfare, criminal and care sectors.
• High level of resilience with the ability to be impartial and remain calm under difficult circumstances.
• Ability to deliver high-quality work and execute under pressure and deadlines.
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours, including evenings and weekends, as needed.
• Able and willing to travel, as needed.

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.