Product Manager

Overview

Major League Soccer (MLS) is in a generational growth opportunity, with a new 10-year broadcast deal with Apple, Lionel Messi in Miami and energy building towards World Cup 2026 in North America. To harness this momentum, we are re-imagining our digital products from the ground up with the goal of growing soccer fans’ connection with MLS and our clubs.

We are looking for an experienced Product Manager to be responsible for 1) leading key product initiatives to deliver a successful MLS season and 2) driving the growth of our fan base. Reporting to the Director of Product, this individual will collaborate closely with internal and third-party teams to ensure the successful delivery of features that drive measurable business growth and scale our fan base.

This individual will have a proven ability to effectively prioritize, create and maintain consensus with cross-functional partners, proactively problem solve in evolving landscapes and use clear, adaptive communication to plan and deliver product updates that drive business impact.

Responsibilities

• Proactively lead definition, execution, and management of roadmap projects, with minimal oversight
• Own intake, discovery and prioritization of roadmap project requests from stakeholders
• Perform responsibilities across all areas of the product development lifecycle (i.e. gather requirements, conduct user research, write specs, build mockups & prototypes, lead UAT, etc.)
• Lead agile product development ceremonies in partnership with a Technical Project Manager
• Identify and resolve risks, dependencies and potential timeline or resourcing constraints in partnership with Technical Project Manager; create solutions to ensure timely project delivery
• Build and manage relationships with a diverse set of team members (i.e. marketing, content, operations, partnerships, legal, vendors, etc.)
• Leverage qualitative and quantitative data to run analyses and identify product opportunities to drive fan growth
• Own day-to-day management and performance evaluation of third-party technology vendors
• Onboard future MLS NEXT Pro expansion Clubs to the MLS NEXT Pro website network
• Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent
• 8 years of experience with 4 years of product management (or equivalent) experience.

Required Skills

• Strong strategic thinking, problem solving and logical structuring abilities
• Excellent communication skills; able to be clear, concise and adaptive
• Demonstrated ability to define, lead and deliver on projects using industry standard product management fundamentals, without much guidance
• Passion for fostering a data-driven product culture that emphasizes continuous testing, experimentation, iterative design and development using lean/agile methodology
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to independently interpret data, identify trends, and make data-driven strategic decisions
• Experience developing, managing and analyzing A/B tests, multivariate tests or other experiments
• Experience monitoring and analyzing funnel performance and making product recommendations to improve metrics
• Ability to advocate for user needs and exhibit user empathy when shaping product direction
• Comfort with ambiguity; able to independently lay out and test clear hypotheses, and solve problems in a fast-moving and evolving business environment
• Intermediary knowledge of product design fundamentals; effectively able to lead design work across platforms to ensure a strong user experience and adherence to requirements
• Intermediary knowledge of technology fundamentals; effectively able to scope and phase work, communicate and collaborate with engineering
• Passion for creating a collaborative and supportive cross-functional working environment
• Experience resiliently driving or participating in organization-wide process change
• Capable of communicating the value of product development and technology to less technical colleagues
• High-level of commitment to a quality work product and organizational ethics, integrity and compliance
• Ability to work effectively in a fast paced, team environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing
• Demonstrated decision making and problem-solving skills
• High attention to detail with the ability to multi-task and meet deadlines with minimal supervision
• Proficiency in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Desired Skills

• Experience building products across multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web)
• Experience with using CMS technology for cross-channel marketing content distribution
• Experience with vendor sourcing, contract negotiation and budgeting
• Passion for soccer and a commitment to growing the sport in North America
• Spanish-language fluency a plus
• Ability to travel and to work non-traditional hours, including evenings, weekends, and holidays

Total Rewards

Starting Base Salary: $100,000 – $130,000. MLS/SUM base salaries are contingent upon several factors including individual qualifications, market financials, and operational business needs.

We are committed to providing a Total Rewards package that attracts, supports, engages, and retains talent through the following:

• Benefits – comprehensive and competitive medical, dental, and vision benefits, as well as a suite of programs to promote well-being including a $500 Wellness Reimbursement. A generous PTO offering, and hybrid Office/Remote Work Schedule are also offered to promote Work-Life balance.
• Career & Professional Development – on the job training, feedback, and on-going educational opportunities to continue your personal and professional development.
• Employee Engagement – office perks, discounts and employee events that go “beyond the traditional paycheck” to make you feel a part of our team and inspire you to elevate the Game!

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

We are committed to providing equal opportunity and reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. MLS/SUM complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act and all other applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding disability discrimination and accommodation.