Player Services Manager - NWSL Players Association

The NWSL Players Association (“NWSLPA”) is the labor union that represents women’s professional soccer players in the NWSL, the top women’s domestic professional soccer league in the United States. The NWSLPA is led by Players, for Players, and is a proud affiliate of the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the United States. More information is available at www.nwslplayers.com.

Position Description: The Player Services Manager oversees a range of activities aimed at supporting and advocating for players, ensuring their needs are met, rights are protected, and their overall experience is enhanced. They serve as a key liaison between players, agents, and league stakeholders, focusing on player welfare, contract and league compliance, and fostering positive relationships within the sport. All NWSLPA Staff serve as an advocate for and resource to NWSL Players.

Duties:

• Serve as the first point of contact for Players & Agents to answer practical questions concerning their contracts, League Rules, or the Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Collect facts and information relevant to enforcing the Collective Bargaining Agreement
• Support Player Representatives in the performance of their duties
• Track injuries and Player data
• Identify opportunities to improve the Player experience
• Analyze themes and trends to identify and propose actionable solutions to protect player health, wellness, and performance
• Empower NWSL Players to know and exercise their rights
• Support NWSLPA Player Education programs
• Closely monitor Player transactions
• Assist with the administration of the NWSLPA Agent Registration Program
• Support the work of NWSLPA Leadership to maintain our union as a formidable force in the labor movement and in the American soccer landscape
• Foster positive relationships between the NWSLPA and all Players
• Perform other duties as assigned

Key Skills:

• Excellent communication and organization skills
• Empathic listening skills
• Ability to synthesize complex information and distill it into easy to understand guidance
• Team-first and player-first mentality
• Self-starter who also knows when to ask questions or seek guidance
• Willingness to work remotely, travel, and work nontraditional hours to meet the demands of professional athletes
• Flexibility to do tasks as assigned to contribute to a small but fierce labor union still in its growth stage
• Understanding of the significance and role of a labor union, particularly in the professional sports context
• Experience and comfort working with lawyers, creating and formatting documents for legal purposes, and isn’t daunted by legalese
• Familiarity or willingness to learn workers compensation rules and processes, injury rehab, and return-to-play protocols
• Prior experience with union organizing or political campaigns is a bonus
• Candidates with backgrounds in trauma-informed advocacy, counseling, or health and wellness fields are welcome and encouraged to apply
• Navigate confidential matters with discretion, maturity, and judgment.

• Annual base salary commensurate with experience
• 401K with an employer-match up to 3% (offered through the AFL-CIO Deferred Compensation Plan and managed by Prudential)
• Health insurance benefits for employees (offered through the AFL-CIO’s Pension Board plan with United Healthcare). Dependents may be added to the same plan at employees’ cost
• Professional development fund up to $2,000
• 10 business days paid vacation / time off in the first year of employment; 15 business days paid vacation / time off each year thereafter
• 12 weeks paid parental leave after first full year of employment

Proficiency in at least one language in addition to English.