Director, Strategy and Special Projects

Chicago Fire•Chicago, IL

About The Position

The Director of Special Projects serves as a strategic partner and execution lead for the Club’s executive leadership team, driving high-impact initiatives across every aspect of the business, including operations, stadium development, finance, commercial strategy, ticketing, marketing, corporate partnerships, and organizational planning. Rather than advising from the outside, this role is responsible for turning ideas into action, leading cross-functional initiatives, and ensuring the organization's most important priorities move forward. The successful candidate will have significant exposure to senior leadership and take ownership of projects that directly influence the future of Chicago Fire FC and McDonald’s Park. The Club operates in a very fast-paced environment where priorities evolve quickly and new opportunities emerge regularly. The Director must be highly adaptable, comfortable moving between strategic thinking and detailed execution, and willing to take ownership of work well beyond a traditional job description. This candidate is also highly analytical, exercises sound business judgment, has exceptional communication skills and executive presence, and has a relentless bias for execution. Additionally, it is critical that the individual respects and maintains strict confidentiality standards, as they will be getting access to the Club’s most sensitive information. This is a rare opportunity for someone looking to transition from consulting or another analytical environment into an operating role with broad impact and future leadership potential.

Requirements

2-5 years of experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, business operations, investment banking, project management, or another highly analytical environment.
Experience at a top-tier management consulting firm, such as McKinsey, Bain, or BCG, is strongly preferred.
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-functional projects involving multiple stakeholders.
Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities.
Expert-level proficiency in Microsoft PowerPoint and Excel, with the ability to build executive-level presentations, financial models, dashboards, and analytical tools with minimal direction.
Exceptional written, verbal, and executive communication skills.
Exceptional project management and organizational skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
Ability to distill complex analyses into concise, compelling recommendations for executive leadership and ownership.
Strong executive presence with the ability to quickly build credibility and trust with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders.
Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment with frequently changing priorities.
High degree of adaptability and comfort taking on unfamiliar or loosely defined assignments.
Intellectual curiosity, sound judgment, and a willingness to take ownership well beyond a traditional job description.
Ability to exercise sound judgment and maintain strict confidentiality while working on sensitive business matters.
Ability to work flexible hours, including but not limited to evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Nice To Haves

Thrives in a very fast-paced environment where priorities evolve quickly and no two days look the same.
Enjoys solving ambiguous business problems that do not have obvious answers and comfortable operating without complete information.
Demonstrates maturity, humility, and sound judgment when working with senior leaders on confidential or high-profile initiatives.
Is equally comfortable developing strategy and rolling up their sleeves to execute.
Can influence stakeholders without relying on formal authority.
Operates with urgency while maintaining exceptional attention to detail.
Is intellectually curious and eager to quickly learn unfamiliar businesses, industries, and functions.
Takes initiative rather than waiting for direction and proactively identifies opportunities to improve the organization.
Passion for professional sports and interest in building an operating career within the industry.

Responsibilities

Lead high-impact, cross-functional initiatives from concept through execution.
Translate executive priorities into actionable project plans, milestones, deliverables, and accountability structures.
Drive accountability across departments to ensure initiatives remain on schedule.
Identify risks, dependencies, and key decision points while proactively removing obstacles.
Develop key performance indicators and reporting mechanisms to measure progress against organizational priorities.
Evaluate strategic, operational, and financial risks associated with key business decisions and provide recommendations to leadership.
Identify root causes of organizational challenges and develop practical, data-driven solutions that improve business performance.
Step into emerging priorities requiring immediate analysis, leadership, or execution.
Build financial models, business cases, operating plans, and executive analyses.
Develop strategic recommendations that support executive decision-making.
Create executive-level presentations, briefing materials, dashboards, and analytical tools.
Distill complex or incomplete information into concise, actionable recommendations.
Conduct research on industry trends, competitive benchmarks, and emerging opportunities.
Partner directly with senior executives on many of the Club's highest priority initiatives.
Increase the capacity of the executive leadership team by independently leading complex projects and coordinating cross-functional execution.
Prepare executive presentations and briefing materials for leadership meetings, ownership updates, Board of Governors meetings, and other high-profile internal and external engagements.
Build alignment across departments with differing priorities while maintaining momentum toward organizational objectives.
Translate executive decisions into actionable next steps and ensure consistent follow-through.
Serve as a trusted thought partner by bringing well-reasoned perspectives, thoughtful recommendations, and sound judgment to strategic discussions.
Exercise discretion and professionalism while working on confidential or highly sensitive initiatives.
Lead initiatives supporting the development, opening, and long-term operation of McDonald's Park.
Assist with organizational planning, operating models, vendor evaluations, business planning, and new strategic initiatives.
Support enterprise-wide initiatives that improve how the organization operates and scales.
Take ownership of additional special projects as organizational priorities evolve.