Job Title: Community Relations Associate
Department: Community Relations and FC Cincinnati Foundation
Reports to: Manager of Community Relations
Position Summary:
The Community Relations Associate will understand the importance of strong communication skills and adhering to tight deadlines. Creativity, hard work, positive attitude, strong attention to detail, dedication, and passion for the Cincinnati community are musts. This is a part-time (up to 30 hours per week on average) position with roughly 50% of the time spent on FC Cincinnati Foundation (FCCF) programming and event implementation and roughly 50% coordinating in-bound community relations requests and FC Cincinnati appearances. The Community Relations Associate will work roughly 30 hours per week on a semi-regular schedule and should expect regular non-traditional hours on weeknights and weekends. Staff are expected to work FC Cincinnati home games and FCC Youth Soccer Camps. The anticipated duration of this position is June 11, 2024- February 28,2025.
What You'll Do:
- Coordinate and fulfill in-bound requests for donations
- Work player and mascot staff appearances at events in the Greater Cincinnati area
- Assist, and in some cases, run FCCF soccer programming during gym classes and after school programs
- Participate in Community Outreach opportunities creating more awareness for the FC Cincinnati and FC Cincinnati Foundation brands
- In partnership with staff, prep, execute, and follow up for all FC Cincinnati Foundation events
- Assist in implementation of FCC community relations activations and FCCF initiatives
- Assist with the preparation and execution of FCC Youth Soccer Camps
- Other duties as assigned
What You'll Need:
- Enrolled in an undergraduate program or Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Communications, Event Management, or related field
- 1 year of experience in community relations, including internships, for a non-profit, professional, or collegiate team, or community/social responsibility role with a business
- Ability to work outside of regular business hours including but not limited to weekends and holidays as required by the FCC game schedule, special events, and projects
What You'll Bring:
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with key business partners, program participants, and donors by building personal credibility and solid trust
- Good knowledge of soccer and ability to instruct children participating in FCCF programming
- Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication skills with adults and children
- Ability to self-motivate and self-direct; possess strong time management and organizational skills
- Community-mindedness both internally, ability to work well with a team, and externally in community programming
- Dedication to being a team player with a positive attitude and excellent oral and written communication skills
Why You'll Love FCC:
- Discount off merchandise in team store
- Community volunteer opportunities
- Professional development opportunities
- Frequent team building opportunities
- Employee recognition programs and referral programs
About FC Cincinnati
FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. The club’s diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Carl H. Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph. Founded in 2015 by Lindner and President/Co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC began play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads. FC Cincinnati entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019 and opened the club’s 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood in 2021. FCC won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. FC Cincinnati is one of Sports Business Journal’s “Best Places to Work in Sports 2023,” named to the Honor List as one of “75 Great Sports Companies to Call Home.”
About TQL Stadium
TQL Stadium, home of FC Cincinnati, is one of the most ambitious soccer-specific stadiums in not only North America, but the world. Critically-acclaimed firm Populous designed an innovative and forward-thinking stadium that is one of the largest soccer-specific facilities in Major League Soccer. TQL Stadium has been named Best Venue at the 2022 World Football Summit in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France.
The stadium has five team locker rooms, including a comprehensive team suite for FC Cincinnati that features a dressing room, coach’s office, lounge, equipment storage and the Mercy Health Center of Excellence for the team’s medical and game day fitness needs. TQL Stadium has featured both the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams multiple times each, including the USMNT’s FIFA World Cup Qualification match vs. Mexico and the 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals. The stadium also featured a concert by legendary rock band, The Who, and will host Kenny Chesney’s Sun Goes Down Tour in June 2024.
The closest seats are within 15 feet of the pitch at the $250 million, privately funded stadium. The design includes 53 traditional suites and 4,500 premium seats throughout four premium club spaces. FC Cincinnati’s supporters’ section, The Bailey, has grown to be more than 3,100 strong and loom over opponents at a 34-degree angle at the stadium’s north end. A 360-degree canopy roof covers every seat in TQL Stadium, but still allows sufficient sun in to grow a natural grass field.
FC Cincinnati is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.