Director, Audience Insights

Atlanta, GA, United States

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 by supporting members, impacting athletes, and serving 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

We’re seeking an analytics expert to lead our Insights team within the Commercial arm of U.S. Soccer. This individual will be responsible for managing resources effectively, nurturing talent with hands-on analysis, identifying opportunities to evolve, and adding a seasoned touch to key deliverables.

The Director will lead a small team of analysts, as well as external resources, to solve problems and promote data-driven decision-making across every part of the business. They’ll work with each commercial department to understand goals, recommend actions, track performance, and accelerate growth. They’ll also work closely with the Data Science team on sophisticated modeling, forecasting, automation, and data infrastructure.

The Insights team’s goal is to deepen our understanding of USMNT and USWNT fans and inform the strategy/tactics behind every touchpoint with them (Ticketing, Content, Retail, Insiders, Media, Partner Activations, and more).

The ideal candidate will have a deep background in both research and business intelligence, having led formal primary research projects (quantitative and qualitative) and worked extensively with first-party data to derive insights. They’ll also thrive in a forward-facing role, serving as an elegant translator when it comes to packaging and communicating those insights.

Primary Responsibilities

Consumer research: Lead our primary fan research plan, working closely with agency partners to understand fan sizing, segments, and need-states

Industry expertise: Serve as first point of contact and subject matter expert on key industry metrics such as TV viewership, ecommerce sales, digital reach, and Customer Lifetime Value

Deliver insights: Work with Data Science team to translate data into consistent reporting and actionable insights/storylines and inform the decision-making among all business units (Business Ventures, Consumer Products, Events, Marketing, Media, Partnerships)

Data wrangling: Ensure data pipelines are operating and delivering accurate information

Identify opportunities: Provide a strategic lens to all commercial activities, identifying business opportunities, new areas of research/measurement, and ultimately where and how we can better serve the fan

Project management: Budgeting, vendor management, developing research proposals, juggling many projects, delivering on time

People management: Recruiting, hiring, retaining team members who bring diverse, expert skills to the table. Developing talent through timely, effective feedback and management. Harnessing the team’s time and resources to deliver impressive products on time

Requirements Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in Business, STEM, or other analytical field

Demonstrable strategic thinking – consistently sees the big picture, where to go, and how to get there

Sharp analytical skills – methodologically sound, extreme attention to detail, and an eye for finding the signal within the noise

Polished presenter – tailoring the message to the audience, concise yet thorough, impeccably-packaged visuals

At least 5 years of experience in roles focused on market research, business intelligence, and/or audience insights

Deep experience leading high-performing teams – identifying/developing/retaining talent, managing resources vs priorities, and leading by example

Autonomous – you thrive when allowed to manage your time and team toward goals rather than specific tasks

Exceptional time management skills and ability to prioritize based on effort/impact

Extensive experience using syndicated research to inform and sell strategy/tactics internally across orgs (e.g., YouGov, Nielsen, MRI Simmons)

Expertise in digital attribution methodologies and A/B testing to measure performance marketing (e.g., setting up UTMs, conversion pixels, and deciphering the data)

Proven understanding of web and social media analytics tools and metrics (Google Analytics, Blinkfire, Meltwater)

Advanced BI (Tableau or Power BI) and Excel skills (IF functions, macros, array formulas) such that you can develop these skills in others

Familiarity with the linear and OTT television landscape as well as SVOD platforms, including measurement practices

Desired Qualifications

Master’s degree in Business, Analytics, STEM, or other analytical field

Intermediate Python or R skills

Proficiency with RESTful APIs

Strong knowledge of data usage in sports and sports business

Passion for soccer and a solid understanding of the soccer landscape in the United States

Working at U.S. Soccer is a unique opportunity. Employees who work at U.S. Soccer have the

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.

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