Head of US Soccer (Remote)

About Us

The Athletic is a digital sports media company that brings true sports fans closer to the athletes, teams and leagues that captivate their attention. We serve a multi-faceted audience that craves a richer connection and understanding with immersive storytelling and a like-minded community of fans. Founded in 2016 and with major operational hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, London and Melbourne, we empower a truly global team of more than 600 creators and cover more than 250 professional sports and collegiate teams across the United States, Canada and the UK. Our newsroom has produced thousands of in-depth reports along with more than 120 podcasts and other forms of premium content. Put simply, The Athletic is at the center of a sports fan’s universe.

About the Role

The Athletic is the most trusted soccer journalism brand in the world, and we are looking for an industry leader and creative visionary to push the U.S. Soccer team into its next successful phase ahead of the 2026 men's World Cup and beyond.

This leader will be tasked with deploying our talented team to focus on the national and international stories that matter most, across news, analysis, features, investigations, audio, video and social.

We want to tell the global stories that matter most, across the men's and women's game; further enhance our brilliant coverage of U.S. national teams; speak directly to fans of Premier League and Champions League clubs who are based in North America, and dive in on the big stories in MLS and NWSL.

The successful candidate would work closely with The Athletic's London office to establish round-the-clock soccer coverage as we cement our position as the place to break and explain news and tell stories like nobody else can.

This is a remote-based role in United States which requires some travel to offices in New York City and London.

Responsibilities

Manage the writers and editors who are part of the U.S. soccer team and ensure regular check-ins so that they are focused, motivated and producing the right stories. Work closely with editor-in-chief and audience team to make sure those commissions match the general direction of the company. Understand which stories we do and which we don’t considering the resources available to us. Commission stories that will offer subscribers an accurate, distinctive, high quality and entertaining experience. Cementing our place as the go-to destination for women’s soccer but developing a newsier edge. Manage the travel budget and make sure it is spent on the right things. Working with U.S. news team. Being part of a global soccer desk. Be involved in negotiations of writers contracts. Work with the commercial team on incoming pitches. Work with heads of audio, video and social to ensure our approach is multimedia. Develop meaningful relationships with leaders throughout HQ.

Requirements

8+ years of experience of sports journalism. A track record when it comes to commissioning writers, attacking big stories and managing editors. Expert knowledge of soccer and an ability to defer to others on gaps in knowledge. A deep understanding of how topics are covered and discussed by fans. And provide a diverse range of content accordingly, ie tactics plus news plus features plus light-hearted plus analysis. Is an excellent leader who enjoys facilitating the personal development of colleagues. Self-starter with great time management skills. Strong attention to detail and highly organized. Ability to execute in the short term while planning long term. Ability to make difficult decisions for the good of the business. Excellent written and verbal communication skills. Evening and weekend work will be required from time-to-time, dependent on sport schedule and news agenda. This is a remote-based role in United States which requires some travel to offices in New York City and London.

The annual base salary range for this role is $100,000.00 - $120,000.00 USD. The total compensation offered for this position may vary based on factors such as education, experience, skills, and location. It may also include non-cash rewards and benefits. The base salary range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.

The Athletic offers unique perks and benefits to all full-time employees based on their country of residence. Our comprehensive US benefits package includes:

- Highly competitive, employer-contributed medical, dental, vision, basic life and disability insurance plans.

- Savings accounts for medical, wellness, and childcare expenses.

- 401k retirement savings plan and employer match.

- Paid time off including paid sick leave, 12 paid holidays, 15 days of accrued vacation to start, and up to 20 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

For international candidates: Our global benefits packages offer similar benefits and perks, competitive to the local market.

The Athletic Media Company is an equal opportunity employer and enthusiastically encourages people from all backgrounds and experiences to apply. The Athletic will consider all applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical and/or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, transgender status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.

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