Safeguarding Manager, Youth Engagement

U.S. Soccer Federation•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 core of this role is about culture and the young people at the heart of the game. Success is measured by whether young people feel safe, heard, and genuinely valued in soccer, and whether the adults around them build environments where that is the norm. Youth voice and youth agency are central to this work. This is a standards-and-enablement role where 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. Priorities will be delivered in phases, starting with foundational standards and education, then moving to deeper assurance and member capability. The Manager brings deep expertise in safeguarding and child protection, a strong command of the regulatory landscape governing minor athletes within the Olympic and Paralympic Movement, and a proven ability to translate standards into practical policy, education, and culture. The role contributes to U.S. Soccer's safeguarding methodology of prevention, reporting, and response by designing and embedding policies, learning, and pathways that prevent harm. The Manager supports the Reporting and Resolution team as an expert but does not perform case management. The role reports to the Vice President of Safeguarding - Prevention & Education and collaborates with various teams and individuals across the organization.

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.
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.
Demonstrated experience designing and delivering effective learning and training frameworks (digital, blended, and in-person) for varied audiences including young people.
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, ability to recognize risk and the limits of the role, and escalate appropriately.
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, including regulation, best practice, and the evidence base.
Maintain current expertise in applicable requirements (U.S. Center for SafeSport MAAPP, SafeSport Code, USOPC requirements, state mandatory-reporting law) and leading safeguarding frameworks.
Support the translation of regulatory change and emerging evidence into clear, actionable internal and external guidance.
Provide expert advice and support to the wider Safeguarding Team and U.S. Soccer operations involving youth or participants at heightened risk.
Contribute thought leadership in youth safeguarding in soccer, building relationships with stakeholders and researching emerging best practices and risks.
Maintain a focus on the digital environment, including online grooming and AI-enabled threats, translating insight into prevention controls.
Support the development and maintenance of safeguarding policies, codes of conduct, and operating standards for youth participants.
Ensure safeguarding standards, learning, and reporting routes are inclusive and accessible, addressing risks for disabled participants and other groups at heightened risk.
Set and advise on safeguarding standards for any activity involving or depicting youth participants, including photo/video shoots and marketing.
Provide safeguarding standards, planning, and risk-assessment support for minors at U.S. Soccer venues, events, and activations.
Lead the development of safeguarding learning content for youth participants and adults.
Strengthen the safeguarding capacity and capability of Member Organizations through toolkits and train-the-trainer models.
Support the Safe Soccer Clearance program from a youth participant perspective.
Act as a safeguarding partner to Soccer in Schools and recreation initiatives.
Build safeguarding into Soccer Forward and community/social-impact programming.
Work with the Reporting and Resolution team to ensure reporting and response systems are appropriate, accessible, and trusted for youth participants and communities.
Partner across various teams (Reporting and Resolution, Legal, Coaching Education, etc.) to align policy, education, and delivery, and feed learning back into prevention.