Manager, Presentation Design and Visual Storytelling

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 serve our athletes and 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 

U.S. Soccer is seeking a Manager, Presentation Design and Visual Storytelling to join our industry-leading team. This role will help drive the growth of soccer in the United States through purpose-driven partnerships. We are looking for a creative talent to join our team to serve as the partnerships lead on presentation development, graphic design and brand storytelling- with a specific focus of visualizing the U.S. Soccer story and the value it can bring to major brands across the country. 

This individual will collaborate, inspire, and build best-in-class presentations and marketing materials by using dynamic visuals, while upholding brand standards. Responsibilities will focus on visual storytelling through powerful and engaging prospective U.S. Soccer brand partner pitch presentations, while working alongside the Partnership Development and Partnership Marketing teams to assist in additional U.S. Soccer creative needs. We are looking for someone skilled in not only visual design, and art direction but also storytelling, brand positioning and data visualization. 

The ideal candidate is artistic, proactive, collaborative, resourceful, dependable, and highly organized – you’re passionate about every aspect of design and believe that no job is too big or small. You are a conceptual, hands-on, creative problem-solver passionate about delivering impactful visuals while sweating the details. You find inspiration everywhere and get excited about sharing your design rationale with compelling storytelling. This individual must have an innate sense of brand, knowledge of consumer marketing, and fit within a collaborative work environment that encourages ideas and contributions from all team members. The individual must be creative, highly organized, and able to work efficiently on multiple projects to meet deadlines. 

Lastly, suitable candidates for the role are ideally commercially determined professionals who have a proven track record in delivering high value work with premium brands through creative design and exploration. Strong candidates will have experience within sport and entertainment properties and thrive working collaboratively with multiple business stakeholders. 

 Primary Responsibilities: 

This individual will be a key contributor to the Partnerships team holistically and will be charged to:

• Manage the design process of partnership presentations, sales materials, and renderings for U.S. Soccer’s prospective and existing partners.
• Collaborate with Partnership Development, Partnership Marketing, and Brand Development teams to create bespoke, visually stunning, and engaging new business / upsell proposals and platforms.
• Interpret brand briefs to develop a deep understanding of a brand prospect’s and/or partner’s DNA and design presentations to reflect brand synergies and positioning.
• Communicate brand partner objectives in conjunction with the U.S. Soccer narrative and go-to-market strategy.
• Enhance renderings for prospects and partners of new proposed platforms, assets, spaces, and signage specific to the Federation.
• Work closely with the Partnership Strategy team to brainstorm and convey partnership opportunities in an organized and creative manner.
• Manage workflow and timelines of projects and communicate efficiently with internal teams.
• Transform insights and data to into easily digestible designs.
• Collaboration with C-Suite Executives on highly visual, engaging presentations to large audiences.
• All other duties as assigned by the team.

 Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field of expertise
• 5+ years of experience in a creative role within partnerships and/or marketing 
• Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop required. Past experience in InDesign, AfterEffects and Premier is a bonus
• A link to an online portfolio showcasing your award-worthy work
• Strong design and conceptual skills
• Ability to maintain an understanding of clients’ brand and design needs
• A “no job is too small” attitude
• Receptive to creative feedback and adaptability in the creative/design development process 
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including evenings, weekends & holidays
• Able and willing to travel up to 10% of the time to all domestic U.S. Soccer controlled matches 

Desired Qualifications

• Strategic hustle and work ethic with diversity of thought
• Pro-active and curious with a bias for action to maximize partner value 
• Proven project management skills are required. Must be able to think strategically and handle multiple projects.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Proven track record of constructing innovative, creative, and digitally minded presentations
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Ability to work independently and as a part of a multidisciplinary team
• Understanding of the ever-evolving sports marketing and media landscape - a background in, and passion for, soccer, sports and entertainment is preferred
• Experience working in sports and/or partnerships is a plus
• Desire to be part of a team
• ”Student of the Game” mentality and desire for continual growth
• Accountable for actions/decisions and does not make excuses
• Multi-lingual a plus