Senior Director, Applied Systems and Practices, Kang Women’s Institute

U.S. Soccer Overview  

The U.S. Soccer Federation exists in service to soccer. Our aim is to ignite a national passion for the game. Because we believe that soccer is more than a sport; it is a force for good. 

We understand the importance and the power of teamwork, on and off the pitch. That’s why we work closely with our Federation partners and members, to inspire, support and guide every level of the game: from the grassroots to the National Teams. We want to bring soccer into every home and every community, right across America. Because we believe that soccer can transform lives like no other sport. Soccer can represent the best of US. 

U.S. Soccer is in a period of significant growth, with ambitions plans for US soccer in the near and far future. We are therefore looking for dynamic servant-leaders to join us on this journey: in service to soccer. Applicants must be able to demonstrate visionary leadership, analytical decision-making, professional flexibility and an empathic management style that builds bold teams and delivers globally significant results. 

Soccer Forward Overview  

Soccer Forward, U.S. Soccer’s 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup legacy initiative, is dedicated to improving lives and strengthening communities through the most accessible sport in America. Soccer Forward will be partner focused and driven and staff will engage with key stakeholders in the world of soccer, such as FIFA, Concacaf, NWSL, and MLS, as well as with U.S. Soccer member organizations.  

The Soccer Forward team will create innovative and thoughtful strategies on how Soccer Forward can contribute to U.S. Soccer’s sponsors, media partners and donors. The team will organize, engage, manage and develop relationships with key community and charitable partners, particularly at a national and global level. 

The Kang Women’s Institute Overview  

The Michele Kang Institute for Women is U.S. Soccer’s dedicated platform for advancing the women’s game through science, standards, and innovation. As part of the Soccer Forward strategy, KWI addresses long-standing gaps in female-specific research, training models, health systems, and performance support. 

The Institute leads foundational research on female players’ needs, co-develops evidence-based standards with leagues and clubs, and creates practical education and wellbeing tools for athletes, coaches, and parents. KWI exists to ensure that the growth of women’s soccer is matched by comprehensive, female-centered practices – strengthening systems, elevating player wellbeing, and building a legacy for women and girls across all levels of the game. 

We welcome applicants who are passionate about meaningful impact and thrive in roles that require initiative, collaboration, thoughtful communication, and the creation of clarity within complex systems. If this describes you, we strongly encourage you to apply and ensure your application gives us a clear sense of your strengths, working style, and contribution. 

Position Overview 

The Senior Director, Kang Women’s Institute Applied Systems and Practices is responsible for leading the application of Kang Women’s Institute systems and governance frameworks, including the Operational Best Practice Framework, across Soccer Forward’s women’s initiatives.  

The priority focus of the role is ensuring the Kang Women’s Institute’s (KWI) flagship contribution; the Operational Best Practices Framework (OBPF), is fit for purpose, responsibly governed and proportionately and safely implemented across high-performance, pathway, and community environments. The role sits close to executive leadership and works across U.S. Soccer, leagues, clubs, and ecosystem partners to embed a female-first lens into governance, education, and day-to-day practice across the game. 

As U.S. Soccer and Soccer Forward advance commitment to equity and excellence in the women’s game, this role serves as both a strategic leader and field-facing operator, translating research and applied best practices into operational systems, implementation and learning models, as well as tools that drive durable, system-level change across the soccer ecosystem. 

Near-Term Priority Initiatives 

• Lead the development and application of the KWI OBPF, including how and where it is applied across different women’s soccer environments. 
• Translate KWI research, field insights and partner input into practical operational models that support female-first environments.  
• Establish relationships and work closely with teams, leagues, clubs and ecosystem partners to co-create, test, refine and validate applied approaches in real-world settings. 
• Partner with the education team to ensure learning from applied systems informs the development and application of educational materials. 
• Establish mechanisms to measure adoption, usability, effectiveness, and early impact to inform iteration and scaling. 

Roles and Responsibilities 

Strategic Planning and Execution 

• Provide strategic leadership for KWI applied systems work, frameworks, and priority initiatives aligned to U.S. Soccer’s mission and organizational priorities, including those of the WNT and WYNT.  
• Guide how research, field learning, and partner insights are translated into well-governed applied practices that support female-first environments across high-performance and pathway contexts. 
• Define success metrics, adoption goals, and impact indicators to track progress and inform iteration, learning and prioritization.  

Executive Support and Decision Enablement 

• Serve as a thought partner to the Executive Director on Women’s Game and KWI strategy, positioning, prioritization and sequencing.  
• Prepare executive-level briefings, decision memos, and recommendations related to applied women’s systems and priority initiatives. 
• Surface insights, risks, opportunities and system constraints to support informed leadership decision-making.  

Cross-Functional Coordination and Alignment 

• Act as a convening and alignment point across U.S. Soccer departments that support or influence the development and implementation of applied systems in the women’s game. 
• Partner closely with technical, education, governance, and program teams to ensure the OBPF outputs are sustainably embedded into existing systems. 
• Clarify roles, ownership and sequencing when work spans multiple functions or requires sustained alignment. 

Special Projects and Change Management 

• Support time-bound pilots and early applications of applied systems, working with teams to understand what enables or constrains adoption in practice.  
• Support teams to apply new ways of working by turning high-level change goals into practical guidance and usable tools. 
• Use learning from pilots and early adopters to refine guidance, sequencing, and support for broader uptake and long-term system impact. 

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications

• General knowledge of soccer.
• Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments.
• Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission.
• Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook).sired Qualifications  

Soccer Forward offers a comprehensive compensation package, casual work environment, an inclusive culture, and an atmosphere for professional development. 

Soccer Forward 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.