Senior Director, Communication
- Chicago Fire FC
- Chicago, IL, USA
- 10 Mar, 2025
Full time
Communications & PR
Leadership & Management
MLS
Job Description
Chicago Fire Football Club is a Major League Soccer team that was founded in 1997. Under new ownership, the Club recently returned to Chicago’s iconic Soldier Field, opened a new 50,000-square foot office in the heart of the city, and will unveil a premium state-of-the-art Performance Center in January 2025. With tremendous growth and expansion, the Club is laying the foundation for an audacious and ambitious vision that will transform the brand and the company in the coming years.
At Chicago Fire Football Club, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.
Position Overview:
Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking an accomplished and dynamic Senior Director of Communications to lead and evolve the Club’s communications strategy across both sporting and business operations. This role is critical to driving local and national media engagement, elevating the Club’s visibility, and telling its story with impact.
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, with a dotted line to the Director of Football and Head Coach, this leader will oversee the Club’s media relations and earned media strategies. The ideal candidate will be a strategic storyteller with strong media relationships and an understanding of both traditional and emerging media, driving consistent and meaningful coverage.
This role offers a rare opportunity to craft & shape the public narrative of one of Major League Soccer's most iconic franchises. We seek a leader passionate about storytelling and committed to driving coverage that grows our brand locally and nationally.
Job Responsibilities:
At Chicago Fire Football Club, we’re on a mission to entertain, serve, and unite Chicago by delivering excellence on and off the pitch to ensure a world-class experience. As a club we let our values guide everything we do: we uphold uncompromising integrity, show respect for all at all times, never settle for less, constantly innovate, and hold ourselves relentlessly accountable.
Position Overview:
Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking an accomplished and dynamic Senior Director of Communications to lead and evolve the Club’s communications strategy across both sporting and business operations. This role is critical to driving local and national media engagement, elevating the Club’s visibility, and telling its story with impact.
Reporting to the Chief Marketing Officer, with a dotted line to the Director of Football and Head Coach, this leader will oversee the Club’s media relations and earned media strategies. The ideal candidate will be a strategic storyteller with strong media relationships and an understanding of both traditional and emerging media, driving consistent and meaningful coverage.
This role offers a rare opportunity to craft & shape the public narrative of one of Major League Soccer's most iconic franchises. We seek a leader passionate about storytelling and committed to driving coverage that grows our brand locally and nationally.
Job Responsibilities:
- Communications Strategy: Develop and implement comprehensive communications strategies for both sporting and business operations.
- Sporting Communications: Oversee the sporting communications strategy for Chicago Fire FC (along with Chicago Fire FC II and the Chicago Fire Academy) in collaboration with Sporting Leadership.
- Brand Communications: Lead brand communications initiatives, ensuring consistent messaging that supports the Club’s brand & business growth.
- Proactive Storytelling: Pitch compelling stories about the team, players, brand, and community to local and national outlets, driving earned media both across sporting and business initiatives.
- Spokesperson Role: Serve as a spokesperson as needed on both sporting & business matters, in strong consultation with Sporting & Business leadership.
- Leadership & Development: Manage and mentor a team of three, building their skills and enhancing the Club’s overall communications capability.
- Media Operations: Manage all media operations at both training and game days, including credentialing, press conferences, and post-game coverage.
- Content Collaboration: Partner with content, video, and design teams to amplify storytelling.
- Community Impact: Promote the work of the Chicago Fire Foundation and player-driven community initiatives.
- Crisis Management: Lead communications during crisis situations, ensuring consistent messaging.
- Media Training: Oversee media training for players and staff across Chicago Fire FC, Chicago Fire FC II, and the Chicago Fire Academy, and with both Sporting & Business leadership teams.
- League Relations: Act as the primary club contact for MLS communications
- Internal and External Messaging: Draft key communications materials including press releases, talking points, and internal memos.
- Conferences & Events Strategy: Oversee the Club’s presence at events, conferences, and panels, ensuring alignment with key Club messaging and strategic objectives.
- Relationship Building: Maintain relationships with local and national media, spanning traditional and emerging platforms (e.g., blogs, Substacks, podcasts).
- Reporting & Analysis: Track media coverage and produce reports on earned media impact.
- Completion of other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:
- 7+ years of progressive communications experience, including 3+ years managing teams.
- Strong local and national media network
- Exceptional writing and public speaking abilities.
- Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment
- Proven experience partnering with marketing, digital, and content teams.
- Experience with media monitoring tools and digital platforms.
- Ability to travel for away games
- Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all home games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in sports communications, specifically soccer
- Conversational Spanish language fluency
Compensation:
- This role offers a salary range of $115,000-$135,000
- This role is classified as Full-time, exempt
- This role is bonus eligible based on club wide goals
- Additional benefits & perks: https://www.chicagofirefc.com/careers
Please note:
- Chicago Fire FC is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. Our diversity initiatives start with the recruitment and selection process; therefore, we’d like to welcome all diverse candidates to apply to opportunities within our Club.
- CFFC is committed to providing equal employment opportunity and maintaining a workplace for employees and applicants for employment that is free from discrimination. The Company does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship, age, veteran or military status, disability, sexual orientation, sexual orientation or expression, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law. This policy governs all aspects of employment, including hiring, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and access to benefits and training.
- If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process, please contact the People and Culture Department at peopleandculture@chicagofirefc.com to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.
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About Chicago Fire FC