Director of Talent Identification: Women’s Youth National Teams

Description

U.S. Soccer Overview

The U.S. Soccer Federation exists in service to soccer. Our aim is to ignite a national passion for the game. Because we believe that soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good.

We understand the importance and the power of teamwork, on and off the pitch. That is why we work closely with our Federation partners and members, to inspire, support and guide every level of the game: from the grassroots to the National Teams. We want to bring soccer into every home and every community, right across America. Because we believe that soccer can transform lives like no other sport. Soccer can represent the best of U.S.

U.S. Soccer is in a period of significant growth, with ambitious plans for U.S. Soccer in the near and far future. We are, therefore, looking for dynamic servant leaders to join us on this journey: in service to soccer. Applicants must be able to demonstrate visionary leadership, analytical decision-making, professional flexibility, and an empathic management style that builds bold teams and delivers globally significant results.

Position Description

The Director of Talent Identification: Women’s Youth National Teams is responsible for the development and oversight of a comprehensive and aligned Talent ID plan, effectively applying the mission, objectives, strategies, and tactics to identify the next generation of future women’s national team stars. This person is responsible for leading and guiding the Women’s Talent ID Regional Managers, while cultivating a collaborative and inclusive culture.

Primary Responsibilities

• Commits to the vision, mission, strategy and policies of U.S. Soccer
• Leads a world class women’s Talent ID staff and the overall strategic plan and programs
• Supports the personal and professional development of the Talent ID Regional Managers by providing formal and informal feedback and ownership of individual development plans
• Oversees an aligned and systematic scouting pathway to identify, monitor and recommend players to continuously expand and improve the girls and women’s national team’s player pool
• Applies U.S. Soccer Talent Identification philosophy and framework
• Monitors the evolution of the women’s national and international landscape and pathways to effectively oversee the development of all strategic components of Women’s Talent Identification, through a female lens
• Leads a collaborative, holistic, and methodical decision-making process for all TID and YNT camps
• Collaborates with WNT Assistant Coach/Player Scout Manager regarding pathway planning and transition of YNT highest potentials to senior national team
• Builds effective and supportive relationships with all sporting departments and develops strong connections with Youth National Teams, High Performance, and Analytics, to support an interdisciplinary approach
• Collaborates with TID Operations Manager and Head of Talent ID to regularly review and evaluate the program’s effectiveness, identify trends and apply data and analytics to help refine plans and drive strategy for scaled regional model and budget planning
• Contributes to Sporting initiatives and provides TID expertise and leadership for The U.S. Way projects: Key Qualities, Position Profiles, Dual and Multiple Nationals, Post-Camp Player Assessment
• Communicates and collaborates with our members and their leaders to support our U.S. Way objectives for a scaled and unified Talent ID strategy
• Supports Coaching Education and the Talent ID Education Lead with the development of a specialized Talent ID Education Pathway

Responsibilities of the position are based on leadership and oversight of four key areas: Aligned Youth National Team Scouting Pathway, Scaled Regional Structure & YNT Scouting Network, Talent ID Programs, and Player Monitoring Systems (Technology and Digital Platforms)

Aligned Women’s Youth National Teams Scouting Pathway

• Building supportive and effective professional relationships between Talent ID Managers and Women’s Youth (and senior) National Teams (Head of Development and Coaches)
• Assigns Managers to specific age group cycles as player scouting leads
• Oversees TID/YNT Player Pathway requirements and Depth Charts Mechanisms for the Women’s Youth National Teams
• Assures quality and compliance for player selection process, methods, and roles
• Facilitates age group hand-off meetings and player selection audits
• Conducts formal player benchmarking reports post major tournaments (Concacaf, World Cups)
• Attends key days at YNT age group camps to support Talent ID Managers and YNT Coaches with in-camp assessment process and to gain intimate knowledge of current player pool (on and off field), to support player comparison, recommendation and selection process
• Attends weekly TID/YNT age group zoom meetings to coach managers and guide and support pre/post camp process of continuous monitoring, review and (de) selection of players for camps
• Oversees Dual and Multiple Nationals program for W-YNT
• Supports communication process with clubs regarding calendar, visits, player call-ups and releases

Scaled Regional Structure & YNT Scouting Network

• Applies data drive approach to regional scaling model expansion
• Empowers and supports Talent ID Managers with their responsibility to build and manage a quality, diverse and reliable network of independent/part-time YNT Scouts, across their designated scouting markets (support recruitment and hiring of new scouts in identified areas of need)
• Makes final approval when hiring new YNT Network Scouts
• Monitors TID Managers regional scouting activity and club visits based on TID strategy and plan, with support from TID Operations
• Ensures quality control within the YNT Scouting Network and collaborates with TID Education Lead and Talent ID Managers to support mentoring system for educating and developing YNT scouts
• Leads strategic decisions on assigning managers, and scouts to key events and tournaments as part of annual scouting calendar
• Communicates with and supports members to (further) develop their own Talent ID programs

Talent Identification Programs (Local, Regional, and National)

• Oversee all aspects of local Talent Identification Centers, Regional Mini-Camps, and National TID Programs: vision, objectives, strategies, annual plan, and alignment with YNT calendar and The U.S. Way objectives
• Ensures uniformity and technical consistency with all guidelines, protocols, and procedures across all TID Centers, Regional Mini-Camps and National Camps programs.
• Supervises and supports Talent ID Managers in the execution of their role (attends regional mini-camps and key TID Centers)
• Leads Talent ID National Camp in collaboration with U-15 YNT Coach

Player Monitoring Systems (Technology and Digital Platforms)

• Oversees and contributes to ongoing development and application of a vertically and horizontally aligned platform with tools, templates, and mechanisms to supports continuous assigning, reporting and monitoring of players (and scouts) over time and drives accurate, systematic, and evidence-based decision making
• Applies quantitative and qualitative scouting methods
• Collaborates with analysts, managers, and coaches and delegates responsibilities to build and maintain video resource library of position profiles, traits and key qualities across all age groups and international world class role models

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• U.S. Soccer A License (or UEFA A License)
• Experience as a leader and relationship builder (club or Federation)
• Minimum 5 years applied experience in Talent Identification
• Expert knowledge and understanding of current talent identification and development—theory, systems and practice (domestic and international standards)
• Knowledge of the domestic soccer landscape and player pathways
• Ability to think critically and problem solve
• Excellent written and verbal communication combined with a professional demeanor
• Ability to develop constructive and cooperative working relationships and regular communication with key leaders and stakeholders across the entire ecosystem
• Effective planner, exceptional time management skills and ability to prioritize workflow
• Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments
• Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission
• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook)
• Able and willing to travel
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including evenings and weekends as needed

Desired Qualifications

• Passion for soccer
• Master’s degree
• Bilingual (English and Spanish)
• U.S. Soccer Talent Scout License or international equivalent
• Proficient with data, video editing and scout technology platforms (i.e., Opta, Hudl, Sportscode, Wyscout, etc.)
• Thorough institutional knowledge of U.S. Soccer’s mission, goals, technical plan, policies, practices, and procedures
• Previous experience with a club or national team program

U.S. Soccer offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture, and an atmosphere for professional development.

U.S. Soccer is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, citizenship, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, genetic information, military status, political belief, or any other characteristic protected under the law. This policy applies to all our employment practices within our organization. We strongly encourage women, people of color, LGBTQIA, veterans, parents, and persons with disabilities to apply.