Safeguarding Manager, Youth Engagement

United States Soccer Federation 1•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Safeguarding Manager, Youth Engagement is U.S. Soccer's subject-matter expert on safeguarding for youth participants of the game. This role leads safeguarding prevention and education across the youth game and provides youth participant expertise across the wider safeguarding team. The Manager sets the frameworks, builds the tools and learning, and equips U.S. Soccer staff, Member Organizations, and partners to create and sustain safe, healthy environments themselves. The role contributes across U.S. Soccer's safeguarding methodology of prevention, reporting, and response. The Manager designs and embeds the policies, learning, and pathways that prevent harm before it occurs. The role reports to the Vice President of Safeguarding - Prevention & Education, and works closely with the National Team Safeguarding Manager, providing minor-participant expertise wherever minors or participants at heightened risk are involved. It also partners with the Director of Safeguarding Operations, the Reporting and Resolution team, and other programming members.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Child Protection, Social Work, Education, Public Health, Sport Management, Criminal Justice, or a related field (or equivalent experience)
Minimum of 5 years in safeguarding, child protection, or minor welfare, including hands-on experience designing and implementing prevention measures and delivering policy and education programs at scale.
Experience with safeguarding in a sporting environment and a strong working knowledge of the U.S. child-protection landscape (U.S. Center for SafeSport and MAAPP requirements; state mandatory-reporting obligations).
Demonstrated track record of building child-centered, youth-voice-led safeguarding culture, not only implementing policy and meeting compliance requirements.
Demonstrated experience designing and delivering effective learning and training frameworks (digital, blended, and in-person) for varied audiences including young people, and leveraging digital learning ecosystems (LMS, content delivery, learning analytics).
Awareness of online-safety and digital-risk trends affecting young people.
Proven ability to lead projects, influence across functions without direct authority, and contribute to strategic decision-making.
Capable of working in fast-paced and demanding environments.
Excellent judgment, the ability to recognize risk and the limits of the role and escalate appropriately, and the highest standards of integrity and confidentiality when handling sensitive matters.
Ability to pass a background check and complete SafeSport / safeguarding training.
Willingness to travel and to work occasional evenings and weekends around camps and events.
English required.
General knowledge of soccer.
Must be able to connect “micro” details to the “macro” vision and mission.
Proficient experience with Microsoft Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Outlook).

Nice To Haves

Experience within an NGB, the Olympic & Paralympic Movement, sport, or education.
Experience with inclusive, accessible safeguarding for disabled participants and adults at risk.
Spanish proficiency.

Responsibilities

Serve as Subject-Matter Expert on youth athletes and youth participant safeguarding spanning regulation, recognized best practice, and the evidence base for U.S. Soccer.
Maintain current expertise in applicable requirements (the U.S. Center for SafeSport Minor Athlete Abuse Prevention Policies (MAAPP), the SafeSport Code, USOPC requirements including evolving background-check and training standards, and applicable state mandatory-reporting law) alongside leading safeguarding frameworks and research.
Provide expert advice and support to the wider Safeguarding Team and U.S. Soccer operations wherever youth or participants at heightened risk are involved.
Stay at the leading edge of youth safeguarding in soccer, building relationships with U.S. Soccer Members, peer NGBs, and child-protection experts, and researching and briefing the organization on emerging best practices and risks to minor participants.
Support the development and maintenance of safeguarding policies, codes of conduct, and operating standards that apply to youth participants.
Ensure safeguarding standards, learning, and reporting routes are inclusive and accessible through addressing the elevated and specific risks faced by disabled participants and other groups at heightened risk across the youth and grassroots game.
Set and advise on safeguarding standards for any activity that involves or depicts youth participants, including photo and video shoots, public appearances, ambassador and talent engagements, and the use of minors' image and likeness in marketing, merchandise, and collectibles.
Provide the safeguarding standards, planning, and risk-assessment support that keep minors safe at U.S. Soccer venues, events, and activations whenever they are present or their interests are engaged.
Lead the development of safeguarding learning content with and for youth participants and the adults who engage with them.
Strengthen the safeguarding capacity and capability of Member Organizations through toolkits, train-the-trainer models, and ongoing support.
Act as a safeguarding partner to Soccer in Schools and recreation initiatives, ensuring program models, screening, supervision standards, and reporting pathways are appropriate for school and community delivery.
Build safeguarding into Soccer Forward and community and social-impact programming through a child-centered, inclusive, “safeguarding-by-design” approach.
Work with the Reporting and Resolution team to ensure reporting and response systems are appropriate, accessible, and trusted for youth participants and the communities they come from.
Partner across the Reporting and Resolution team, Legal, Coaching Education, Commercial, Facilities, and Membership to align policy, education, and delivery, and feed learning back into prevention.