Senior Manager, Digital Content

The Chicago Red Stars are looking for talented sports executives eager to shape the next chapter in Chicago women’s soccer. The Chicago Red Stars are at a critical inflection point as we work to establish the club as a leader in the City, NWSL, and professional women’s sports and pave the way for equity and inclusion through sport. 

To help us achieve our mission, we are seeking creative problem solvers who possess a growth mindset, question everything, and can balance strategic thinking with outcome-oriented actions and real-time decision-making at pace.  We are looking for team-oriented people who strive for perfection but are comfortable operating in ambiguity, and can operate independently but are ferociously collaborative. Our ideal candidates can balance efforts for short-term gains while building for long-term sustainable growth and can serve as pathfinders as we chart a new future for the Club and women’s soccer in Chicago. 

Position Description 

The Sr. Manager, Digital Content will inspire connections and create thumb-stopping entertainment through sport and culture. They will manage the entire lifecycle of Chicago Red Stars content to build the Red Stars brand, generate engagement, grow our soccer community, and create commercial value. They will develop and bring to life new content initiatives and compelling stories for a variety of mediums and formats that create lasting relationships between our brand, athletes, and fans. 

The person in this role oversees content distributed across the Chicago Red Stars’ digital ecosystem, including website, Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and third-party media and distribution partners. They will work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to ensure that content and digital channels are fully leveraged to meet the goals of the organization, our strategic partners, and collaborators. 

The person will be solution-oriented, energized by the fast-paced environment of professional sports, extremely organized, and with a keen ability to balance immediate priorities, problem-solving under pressure, and real-time opportunities with long-term strategy and planning for future growth. 

Key Responsibilities

• Responsible for increasing reach and engagement of Red Stars content (written, graphics, video, etc.) and utilizing owned and operated channels to build the brand, support marketing initiatives, and monetize content. 
• Oversee content production in partnership with creative teams, athletes, and other Chicago Red Stars stakeholders to ensure projects are completed on time, on budget, and meet or exceed organizational expectations/standards. 
• Develop a holistic content strategy and annual content plan that can be deployed and optimized across social media channels, websites, and third-party platforms. 
• Lead brainstorms, ideate concepts, and craft storylines in partnership with the brand, communications, sporting, athletes, and corporate partner leads. 
• Develop written website content. 
• Responsible for managing and socializing content & social media calendars with internal and external stakeholders. 
• Serve as lead between content team and partnership marketing to ensure our ability to maximize value to partners and commercial value for the organization. 
• Manage outside agencies or freelancers when needed. 
• Handle distribution and publishing of content across owned, operated, and third-party media such as broadcast partners and other third-party platforms. 
• Maintain and optimize website content to ensure it is up to date and draws repeat users.
• Leverage data and insights to inform content strategy and planning and critically evaluate content performance throughout the year. 
• Ensure content maintains consistent quality, style, brand expression, and tone of voice per platform to optimize user experience and contribute to the overall brand identity of U.S. Soccer.
• Oversee and be responsible for the professional development of the social media manager. 

Desired Qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in sports, marketing, content, communications, or related fields. 
• Digital and new media acumen – the ability to stay at the forefront of digital content innovations and trends.
• Excellent writer and storyteller. 
• Previous experience in soccer is a plus. 
• Detail-oriented to ensure high-quality work with a lot of moving parts and schedules. 
• Project management experience, crafting content plans, outlining production schedules and timelines, and then executing.
• Experience interacting with players and coaches. 
• Experience utilizing project management techniques and tools, such as Asana, to keep stakeholders on track and deliverables on time and under budget.
• Customer-focused, analytical, and process-oriented; comfortable making data-driven decisions, with a thirst for continuous improvement.
• Proficient in content management systems, video publishing, live streaming, and digital analytics tools. Video and photo editing experience (Adobe products a plus).
• Proficient with Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools, including Bing Webmaster Tools, Google Business Profile Manager, Google Search Console, SEMrush
• Proficient with Web Analytics tools; Google Analytics or Adobe Analytics 
• Self-starter who takes ownership over their work end-to-end; demonstrates initiative in a fast-paced environment.
• A connector – ability to align, coordinate, and execute across multiple stakeholder groups.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, PowerPoint, Word)
• Able and willing to work non-traditional hours including weekends, evenings, and holidays as needed.
• Ability to work in person and travel within the Chicagoland area (offices located in downtown Chicago and stadium located in Bridgeview, IL) 

We are an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.

Job Questions:

1. What interested you the most about the Chicago Red Stars?
2. How many years of related experience do you have for this role?
3. Do you have each of the qualifications listed?
4. Are you available to work evenings, weekends, and occasional holidays?