Head of Recruitment

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 (Club) is seeking a dedicated Head of Recruitment to lead the Club’s efforts in identifying, recruiting, and acquiring world-class talent for the Club. This role will be developing and executing a recruitment strategy that aligns with the Club’s competitive ambitions, including long-term team building, contract negotiations, and high-level scouting. This role will oversee a comprehensive scouting network, conduct player evaluations, and collaborate closely with coaching staff to align recruitment efforts with the team's competitive goals and playing philosophy. The Head of Recruitment will report to the Director of Football and Head Coach.

Job Responsibilities:

1. Talent Acquisition Strategy: Architect and execute a comprehensive talent acquisition strategy that positions the Club as a leader in player recruitment in domestic and international markets, securing top level talent that meets both immediate competitive needs and long-term objectives.
2. Negotiate Contracts and Player Transfers: Lead negotiations on salary, bonuses and contract terms with player representatives for players targeted by Club leadership.
3. Roster Planning: Evaluate the balance (including but not limited too: age, experience salary and succession planning) and positional needs in the squads of the professional teams.
4. Recruitment Strategy: Develop and implement a targeted recruitment strategy for the Club that aligns with the club’s competitive objectives and playing philosophy.
5. Scouting Network Management: Build and oversee a robust worldwide scouting network focused on identifying and evaluating players who can enhance the Club’s performance.
6. Performance Analysis: Utilize data and video analysis to assess player performance and inform recruitment decisions, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of potential signings.
7. Collaboration with Coaching Staff: Work closely with the head coach and technical staff to understand specific team needs and ensure that recruitment efforts meet tactical requirements.
8. Player Evaluation: Leverage advanced analytics, performance data, and video analysis to inform player recruitment decisions, ensuring that all acquisitions are based on objective performance metrics and fit within the Club’s playing philosophy.
9. Stakeholder Engagement: Establish and nurture strategic relationships with agents, players, clubs, and other stakeholders to enhance recruitment efforts and facilitate negotiations. Act as primary point of contact for all player acquisition processes and negotiations.
10. Reporting and Documentation: Prepare detailed reports on scouting findings and player evaluations for presentation to coaching and technical staff.
11. Compliance and Regulations: Ensure that all recruitment activities comply with MLS regulations, international transfer rules, and internal Club policies, maintaining the highest ethical standards and fostering a culture of transparency and fairness.
12. Budget Management: Oversee the management of the recruitment budget, while ensuring cost-effective strategies are employed in acquiring talent for the first team.

Qualifications:

1. 10+ years of experience in senior-level recruitment and player acquisition within a professional sports organization.
2. Strong knowledge of global and domestic football landscape, including player development pathways, league regulations and transfer markets.
3. Strong expertise in contract negotiations, including salary structures, transfer process, and managing financials.
4. Proficiency in utilizing data analytics and performance metrics to drive decision-making in player recruitment.
5. Demonstrated success in managing high-performance teams, with exceptional leadership and people management skills.
6. Fluency in Spanish is strongly preferred.
7. Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
8. Ability to adapt in a fast-paced environment.
9. Travel and ability to work weekends/flexible hours required.
10. Ability to work non-traditional hours, in non-traditional settings, including all games (or other work events) that fall on nights, weekends, and/or holidays.

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 to let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

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