Details at a Glance
TIME COMMITMENT
Full Time ScheduleJOB TYPE
ContractSTART DATE
August 8, 2022APPLICATION DEADLINE
July 25, 2022EXPERIENCE LEVEL
Mid-level/Managerial
SALARY
USD $48,500 - USD $64,000The Opportunity
Soccer Without Borders (SWB) is seeking to add a dynamic teammate to help us build an entrepreneurial new program model called SWB Assist. Celebrating the pass more than the goal, SWB Assist leverages what we’ve learned from 16 years of direct service to support our partners to advance their own social inclusion goals. Through capacity building, inclusive design and strategy consulting, partnerships and exchanges, and shareable tools, SWB Assist will advance gender equity and social inclusion worldwide. The SWB Assist Manager will play a crucial role in building this new program, joining a small but mighty team seeking to take the best of SWB and share it with other soccer for good and sports-based youth development programs and partners.
The Organization
As one of the few global languages, soccer has the power to shape the world for the better.
Soccer Without Borders (SWB) uses soccer as a vehicle for positive change, providing under-served youth in the U.S. and abroad with a toolkit to overcome obstacles to growth, inclusion, and personal success. Founded in 2006, Soccer Without Borders is a leading non-profit in the sport-for-development sector, recognized by the FIFA Diversity Award, the Lipman Family Prize from the Wharton School of Business, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award, and two Beyond Sport Collective Impact Awards. With a focus on social inclusion of newcomer youth and girls, our holistic programs provide participants with a platform for positive engagement, an avenue for personal growth, and a toolkit for a brighter future.
The Candidate
We are interested in bringing on an entrepreneurially minded generalist who will push our team and SWB Assist forward and committed to finding the right fit for this unique moment. We will consider applicants with a wide range of backgrounds and experience levels, including education, education technology, program and project management, coaching, and/or sports-based youth development.
We value transferable skills, lived experience, and diverse perspectives. We will be evaluating applications and interviewing candidates with the following attributes in mind:
- You are a coach at heart, eager to take responsibility for mobilizing others and driving challenging projects to completion.
- You feel at home in a dynamic team environment, and are comfortable bouncing between multiple projects with different teammates.
- You are interested in translating your experiences working directly with youth, or with technology, to creating tools and resources to support program practitioners.
- You believe that sport can shape and influence outcomes for youth and are a passionate advocate to that end.
- You are a skilled and creative facilitator with experience in virtual and in-person facilitation of diverse groups.
- You are a strong verbal and written communicator, and are comfortable using different platforms (email, Slack, G-Suite, Zoom, Canva, etc.) to support your communication goals.
The Position
This role will contribute meaningfully to the growth and impact of Soccer Without Borders Assist. SWB Assist is responsible for designing and implementing Switch the Pitch, a collective impact initiative launched as part of Common Goal’s Anti-Racist Project. Switch the Pitch is a first of its kind movement to activate the US Youth Soccer community toward anti-racist education, inclusivity and collective action. At the heart of Switch the Pitch is a nationwide social impact League, kicking off fall of 2022, in which youth teams and clubs complete activities, earn points, unlock incentives and engage in friendly competition.
The Assist Manager will play a leading role in SWB’s stewardship of Switch the Pitch, ensuring successful completion of the pilot, overseeing communication with participating coaches, revising and improving Switch the Pitch content, managing the website, gathering feedback and measuring impact. In addition to leading SWB’s efforts on Switch the Pitch, the Assist Manager will support several Assist initiatives in an operational, implementation and facilitation capacity. Examples of SWB Assist projects include the SOMOS Equidad Goal 5 Accelerator, the Supporting Newcomer Afghan Youth Workshop Series, the Breaking Barriers Academy, and King County Play Equity Accelerator.
Together with other team members, the SWB Assist manager supports the implementation of the strategic goals of Soccer Without Borders, and is encouraged to balance these primary responsibilities with opportunities to leverage their unique talents and interests in support of these goals.
Opportunities for growth and learning
Soccer Without Borders supports all staff to advance their technical, interpersonal, and leadership skills through in-house training, collaborative projects, direct service opportunities, and paid professional development hours. With a diverse staff spread over multiple locations, continuous learning opportunities through shared experiences, discussions, and trainings are frequent. Some opportunities that are offered regularly include:
- Creating Belonging series focused on social inclusion and social justice topics most relevant to Soccer Without Borders’ mission
- Domestic and international program hub visits
- Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee participation
- Play Proud and Parents at SWB employee resource groups
- Budget and program planning training series
- Management training series
- Urban Soccer Symposium attendance
- Trauma-informed coach training
Compensation Philosophy
Soccer Without Borders values all contributions to the mission and prioritizes internal compensation equity over external benchmarks. We invest our resources in mission delivery first and foremost, and view resource development and stewardship as a full team effort. We approach staff wellness and benefits holistically, investing in staff development, training, professional growth opportunities, travel opportunities, wellness days, team-building, and empathetic work environments in addition to base compensation and benefits. This whole-person approach has led to an average annual retention rate of over 90% for full-time staff. In short, we work hard to live our values and are seeking a teammate who aligns with this philosophy. Manager-level pay at SWB ranges from $48,500-$64,000. Benefits include a health care reimbursement, 401k plan, 15 paid holidays, paid family and medical leave, paid sick and vacation leave up to 4 additional weeks, and paid sabbatical leave after 5 years.
Surrounding Supports & Reporting Structure
SWB Assist is a part of the Soccer Without Borders Advancement Team, which includes the Advancement Director, Executive Director, Assist Regional Director (Africa), Director of Communications, and Development Manager. This position will report directly to the Director of Advancement. The SWB Advancement team is decentralized, and the Assist Manager will have the opportunity to work closely with a wide range of teammates, while leveraging the support of any development, M&E, or finance personnel as needed to execute the responsibilities of the role.
While we would prefer this position be based at one of our SWB Hub locations in Oakland, Baltimore, Boston, or Denver, we are also open to considering fully remote candidates with proven success with independent roles.
Application Process
To apply for this position, please send a resume and cover letter (can be in the body of the email) to Lucas Richardson, lrichardson@soccerwithoutborders.org. If you are an experienced candidate who is interested in requesting an informational interview to explore if the position could be a fit before applying, please reach out to Lucas explaining your interest and questions, and include a resume or LinkedIn profile.
Soccer Without Borders encourages persons of any race, ethnicity, faith, sexual orientation, gender identity, and background to apply. Unfortunately, SWB is not able to provide visa sponsorship. Soccer Without Borders believes that diverse perspectives and lived experiences make our team stronger and are actively strengthening our inclusive and anti-racist staffing practices. Our current team comes from 13 countries and speaks 19 languages, including 40% who are program alumni. We look forward to meeting you!