Sr Marketing Manager, Sports, B2B, and Advancement
UNITED STATES SOCCER FEDERATION 1📌 Core Information
🔹 Job Title: Sr Marketing Manager, Sports, B2B, and Advancement
🔹 Company: United States Soccer Federation
🔹 Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
🔹 Job Type: Full-time
🔹 Category: Marketing/Sports Marketing
📌 Essential Job Details
🚀 Job Overview
This senior leadership role serves as a key business partner within the USSF Marketing team, collaborating closely with Sporting, Soccer Growth, and Advancement departments. You'll lead B2B marketing strategies to drive relevancy for the Federation's national teams, participation growth initiatives, and donor engagement. The position also spearheads a new strategic focus on B2B marketing opportunities at industry forums, requiring both excellent cross-functional collaboration and an entrepreneurial mindset to build new capabilities from the ground up.
ASSUMPTION: Based on the reporting structure to the VP of Integrated Marketing and the requirement to work across multiple departments, this appears to be a senior strategic position rather than primarily tactical execution. The job category is assumed to be Marketing/Sports Marketing based on the focus areas described.
📋 Key Responsibilities
- ✅ Lead go-to-market (GTM) marketing plans targeting specialist audiences across U.S. Soccer, with focus on participation growth, inclusivity, referee development, and Extended/Youth National Teams
- ✅ Architect and operationalize business strategies to grow U.S. Soccer's relevancy at marquee conferences, symposiums, forums, and targeted events
- ✅ Serve as marketing advocate for underemphasized areas of the Federation
- ✅ Present and sell-in proposals, business cases, and investment opportunities to senior management
- ✅ Spearhead strategic plans with cross-functional teams (Content, Communications, Partnership Marketing, Media, CRM, Growth Marketing) and agency partners
- ✅ Oversee creative briefs to ensure impactful assets are created on time and on budget
- ✅ Contribute to the Integrated Marketing calendar to align promotion planning with budgets and goals
- ✅ Establish robust campaign evaluation processes with recommendations for future planning
- ✅ Support key internal events including Annual General Meeting and Commercial & Advancement summits
- ✅ Collaborate with Communications leads to ensure campaigns are amplified to maximize reach
🎯 Required Qualifications
Education: Not specified
Experience: 5-7 years of full-time experience in B2B marketing at a sports property, brand or agency
Skills:
- Knowledge and passion for soccer in the U.S.
- Experience in sports marketing, B2B marketing, fundraising, and events
- Strategic marketing and commercial thinking abilities
- Entrepreneurial mindset with creative storytelling skills
- Track record of developing marketing strategies that grew sports participation
- Experience formulating campaigns for philanthropic audiences
- Comfort with B2B sales
- High emotional and intellectual intelligence
- Experience writing and delivering briefs for creative teams
- Strong analytical abilities to derive actionable insights
- Budget management experience
- Digital marketing channel expertise (search, social, display, CRM, influencers)
- Expert knowledge of social media platforms
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to influence, energize teams, and build collaborative relationships
- Experience identifying sports trends at regional and national levels
💰 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: Not specified
Benefits: Not specified
Industry Comparison: Not specified
ASSUMPTION: Senior marketing roles in sports organizations in major US markets typically range from $100,000-$150,000+ depending on qualifications and specific expertise, but this is an industry estimation only and not stated by the employer.
📌 Applicant Insights
🔍 Company Context
Industry Position: U.S. Soccer Federation is the official governing body for soccer in the United States, overseeing 27 national teams and working to develop the sport at all levels nationwide.
Company Size: Not specified
Company Stage: Established organization in a period of significant growth with ambitious plans for the future
ASSUMPTION: As the national governing body for soccer, USSF is a well-established organization with significant resources and partnerships, but exact employee count is not provided. The listing mentions they are in a "period of significant growth," suggesting this is an expansion phase for the organization.
📊 Role Analysis
Career Level: Senior
Reporting Structure: Reports to the VP, Integrated Marketing, Brand & Operations
Team Size/Composition: Not specified
Growth Opportunities: Opportunity to build a new function from the ground up with visibility to senior management; positioned to contribute to major upcoming events including FIFA World Cup 2026, FIFA Women's World Cup 2027, and LA Olympics 2028
ASSUMPTION: This role likely involves both direct execution and strategic oversight given the breadth of responsibilities, though specific team management responsibilities aren't explicitly mentioned.
🌍 Location & Work Environment
Office Type: Not explicitly stated
Geographic Context: Atlanta is a major sports hub and home to numerous professional teams and sporting events. It has a growing soccer culture with Atlanta United FC being one of the most successful MLS franchises.
Work Schedule: Non-traditional hours including evenings, weekends & holidays; travel up to 10% of the time to domestic U.S. Soccer controlled matches
Regional Considerations: Atlanta's cost of living is moderate compared to other major US cities, with good transportation infrastructure and diverse neighborhoods
ASSUMPTION: Given the requirement to travel to matches and work non-traditional hours, this appears to be primarily an in-office role with some travel rather than remote, though specific work arrangement details aren't provided.
💼 Interview & Application Insights
Typical Process: Sports marketing roles at this level typically involve multiple interview rounds, including initial HR screening, department head interviews, panel discussions, and possibly a strategic presentation
Key Assessment Areas: Strategic thinking, cross-functional collaboration skills, marketing expertise, sports industry knowledge, ability to influence without direct authority, entrepreneurial mindset
Application Tips: Highlight experience with strategic marketing planning, cross-functional team leadership, and sports-related B2B initiatives. Showcase quantifiable results from past marketing campaigns, especially those that grew participation or engagement.
ATS Keywords: B2B marketing, sports marketing, strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, campaign management, digital marketing, fundraising, soccer, national teams, GTM strategy
ASSUMPTION: These insights are based on industry standards for senior marketing roles in sports organizations and are not specifically outlined in the job listing.
🛠️ Tools & Technologies
While specific tools aren't mentioned, professionals in this role typically use:
- Marketing automation platforms
- CRM systems
- Digital analytics tools
- Project management software
- Social media management platforms
- Content management systems
- Email marketing tools
- Data visualization and reporting dashboards
ASSUMPTION: These tools represent standard technology used in senior marketing roles and may vary based on USSF's specific tech stack. The listing mentions CRM and social media platforms but doesn't specify particular software solutions.
👔 Cultural Fit Considerations
Company Values: The USSF exists "in service to soccer" with a mission to ignite national passion for the game. They value teamwork, inclusivity, accessibility, and believe soccer can transform lives.
Work Style: Collaborative environment requiring teamwork across multiple departments. The role requires someone who is entrepreneurial, proactive, and solution-focused while embracing change.
Self-Assessment: Potential applicants should consider:
- Are you comfortable balancing strategic vision with tactical execution?
- Do you thrive in cross-functional environments where influence skills are critical?
- Are you passionate about growing soccer in the United States?
- Can you balance serving multiple stakeholders with different priorities?
- Are you comfortable with ambiguity and building new capabilities?
ASSUMPTION: The work style insights are based on the listing's emphasis on cross-functional collaboration and entrepreneurial thinking. The organization explicitly states they are looking for "servant-leaders" who can demonstrate "visionary leadership" and an "empathic management style."
⚠️ Potential Challenges
- Balancing competing priorities from multiple stakeholders (Sporting, Soccer Growth, Advancement teams)
- Building a new B2B marketing function from the ground up may require establishing new processes and proving ROI
- Managing non-traditional work hours including evenings, weekends, and holidays
- Working within the constraints of a national governing body that may have both commercial and mission-driven objectives
- Navigating organizational change during a "period of significant growth"
ASSUMPTION: These challenges are inferred from the role description and the nature of working in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment during a growth phase.
📈 Similar Roles Comparison
This position combines elements of several traditional roles:
- Sports Marketing Director: Similar focus on promoting sports programs, but this role has a stronger B2B and advancement component
- B2B Marketing Manager: Shares the business audience focus, but specifically within the sports context
- Development/Advancement Manager: Includes the donor engagement aspects, but with broader marketing responsibilities
- Brand Strategy Manager: Contains strategic brand positioning elements, but with specific vertical focus areas
ASSUMPTION: This comparative analysis is based on standard industry role definitions and how this particular position appears to combine elements from multiple traditional marketing functions.
📝 Sample Projects
In this role, you might work on projects such as:
- Developing a comprehensive marketing strategy to increase referee recruitment and retention nationwide
- Creating a B2B presence strategy for U.S. Soccer at major industry conferences to strengthen partnerships and influence
- Designing an integrated campaign to promote Youth National Teams to specialized audiences
- Building a marketing framework to support fundraising initiatives that help grow soccer in underserved communities
- Developing content and activation strategies for major upcoming events like the 2026 World Cup
ASSUMPTION: These projects are illustrative examples based on the responsibilities outlined in the job description and are not specifically mentioned as current initiatives.
❓ Key Questions to Ask During Interview
- How does this role contribute to U.S. Soccer's strategic objectives leading up to the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics?
- What are the most immediate priorities for the B2B marketing function in the first 6-12 months?
- How do you measure success for marketing initiatives supporting the Sporting, Soccer Growth, and Advancement teams?
- What resources will be available to build out the B2B marketing presence at industry events?
- How does the marketing team collaborate with other departments to align on strategic priorities and resource allocation?
- What are the biggest challenges or opportunities you see for growing soccer participation in the United States?
ASSUMPTION: These questions are suggested based on the role requirements and organizational context but should be adapted to reflect the candidate's specific interests and experience.
📌 Disclaimer
⚠️ This enhanced job description was AI-generated based on the original job listing. Information has been organized and supplemented with industry-standard insights where details were not provided. All assumptions are explicitly labeled. Applicants should verify all details directly with the employer before making decisions based on this content.
📌 Next Steps for Applicants
If you're interested in this opportunity:
- Customize your resume: Highlight relevant experience in B2B marketing, sports marketing, and cross-functional collaboration. Include specific metrics and outcomes from past campaigns.
- Prepare your portfolio: Gather examples of strategic marketing plans, B2B campaigns, and sports-related initiatives you've led.
- Research U.S. Soccer: Familiarize yourself with current Federation initiatives, national team performance, and strategic priorities.
- Optimize for ATS: Ensure your resume includes key terms from the job description such as "B2B marketing," "strategic planning," "cross-functional collaboration," and specific sports marketing terminology.
- Leverage network: Connect with professionals in sports marketing or at U.S. Soccer to gain insights about the organization's culture and priorities.
- Prepare your narrative: Be ready to articulate how your experience aligns with building B2B marketing functions and driving strategic initiatives in sports organizations.