Manager – Competition and National Team Programs (College)

Job Summary

Background:  USA Ultimate (USAU), based in Colorado Springs, Colo., serves as the national governing body for the sport of ultimate in the U.S. and is a member of the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USPOC). Our mission is to advance the sport of ultimate in the United States by enhancing character, community and competition. USA Ultimate seeks to increase access to and participation in the sport of ultimate with an emphasis on expanding diversity, ensuring inclusion and youth development.

 Working at USA Ultimate: Members of the USA Ultimate headquarters team work largely independently in overseeing their programs, with the oversight of department directors. While managers have a good deal of autonomy, the organization values teamwork and collaboration, and team members seek support, insight and suggestions from one another on a regular basis. Additionally, staff remain willing to pitch in at times when all-hands-on-deck are needed. USA Ultimate values staff and community feedback, so doors are always open for communication. There is a lot of passion amongst the headquarters team, and we are looking for a teammate who can share their own passion and work ethic to help support USA Ultimate’s strategic goals.

Position Summary: USA Ultimate seeks a motivated, thoughtful, and organized team player to manage its College Division programs and Under-24 national team and to assist with other competition programs and events. This role will be responsible for the continued growth and development of USA Ultimate’s largest division, including expansion into new and more diverse communities of college players. This position requires working non-traditional hours including some evenings, weekends and holidays, and involves significant travel, occasionally for more than two weeks.

Key Responsibilities:

Event Direction/Management/Support

●        Manage college season competition and administrative guidelines with staff and key volunteers.

●        Manage college and conference site selection process and assist with event site selection process for college championship events.

●        Coordinate all competition-related aspects of the college series and championship events, including eligibility, team qualification, rankings, seeding, formats, scheduling, and results reporting.

●        Coordinate college event-related content on the event website with the website manager.

●        Work college and other championship events as directed (cannot compete in these events).

Event registration, processing, and communication

●        Manage and assist with registration and roster processing for college regular season and series events.

●        Create and maintain accurate digital records for college series events.

●        Manage response to player/team eligibility issues and provide staff support to the eligibility committee.

●        Communicate professionally with teams, players, schools, tournament directors, and volunteers.

●        Serve as the direct line of communication between HQ and a network of volunteer coordinators.

Program Development

●        Design and implement programs to achieve strategic goals to grow and develop USA Ultimate’s college programs and events.

●        Create and implement strategies to develop a more diverse and inclusive College Division.

●        Collaborate with colleagues to devise strategies for player and team development and member retention.

●        Develop and manage College Season Training and Recruitment (STAR) program.

●        Develop relationships with collegiate school club sports departments to provide support for their ultimate programs. 

 International Competition

●        Serve as staff lead for the USA Ultimate Under-24 National Team. Plan and manage all travel logistics, budgeting, and on-site coordination of teams before, during, and following each event.

●        Collaborate with the coaching program and national team program staff to select high-level coaches and other support staff.

●        Manage team selection process for USA Ultimate’s Under-24 national teams, including player applications and tryout camps.

●        Select sites for and manage logistics of national team tryout and training camps.

●        Support other national team activities as directed.

Personnel and committee support

●        Co-supervise a part-time competition coordinator.

●        Supervise interns and/or seasonal staff.

●        Recruit, train, and evaluate volunteer staff, including leading the College Competition Working Group.

●        Create and maintain volunteer training materials, volunteer accounts, emails, and other information.

●        Manage the college eligibility committee and support other committees as assigned.

Other program-related duties and projects

●        Assist with program-related mailings.

●        Create and analyze reports and surveys.

●        Attend organization and/or program-level meetings as directed.

●        Collaborate on projects to advance USA Ultimate’s Strategic Plan.

●        Be willing to take on additional projects and tasks as needed.

Qualifications:

●        Organizational skills, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask, prioritize and execute competing assignments.

●        Highly effective written and verbal communication skills.

●        Ability to collaborate in a team setting with a diverse group of teammates.

●        Passion for engaging and supporting people of diverse identities.

●        Ability to exercise independent judgment in completing a wide range of projects.

●        Proficient with office-related software including word processing, database, and spreadsheet management.

●        Ability to travel and work non-traditional hours, including some weekends and holidays. (Travel includes events and conferences.)

●        Ability to work outside in varying conditions for long periods of time.

●        Able to occasionally exert up to 50 pounds of force.

●        “No job is too small” attitude.

●        Ability to demonstrate USA Ultimate’s core values: Respect, Integrity, Responsibility, Leadership and Teamwork.

Preferred Experience and Expertise:

●        Knowledge of and experience with ultimate and USA Ultimate’s competitive structures.

●        Education or demonstrated experience in the field of sports administration and/or event management.

●        Experience engaging individuals of diverse backgrounds and identities in sports or other activities.

●        Demonstrated ability to work with people and provide impeccable customer service to volunteers, organizers, and athletes of all ages and experience level.

●        Experience with recruiting and managing a team of volunteers.

●        Experience in oversight role of paid staff (permanent, seasonal, and/or interns).

●        Experience collecting and analyzing data.

Compensation:

●        Full-time, exempt salaried position located at USA Ultimate headquarters in Colorado Springs, CO.

●        Starting Salary Range: $50,000 - $55,000/year, based on qualifications and experience.

●        This position has the ability to work some days remotely within the state of Colorado, subject to company policy and program needs.

●        Excellent medical, dental and vision plan.

●        Eligibility for retirement savings program after receiving at least $5,000 in pay, with new enrollment at
the beginning of each calendar year.

●        Attractive PTO package, including vacation, sick time, and holidays.

●        Limited relocation allowance.

 Projected Start Date: March, 2023

 Application Deadline: Preferred submission by  Monday, February 13. Rolling applications thereafter – open until filled. Review of applications will begin immediately upon receipt of all below application materials, with interviews scheduled as promising candidates are identified.

Application Process: Send a cover letter, résumé and 3 professional references to human resources at [email protected] with the subject line “Application for Manager – College Competition.” Review of applications will begin immediately upon receipt of all below application materials, with interviews scheduled as promising candidates are identified.

 USA Ultimate provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

 USA Ultimate strives to increase its workforce diversity. Applicants of color, women, individuals with disabilities, applicants from low-income backgrounds, and LGBTQIA+ applicants are strongly encouraged to apply.