General Manager - Carolina Core Youth Soccer

Position Summary

The General Manager (GM) leads all business, operational, commercial, and administrative functions of Carolina Core Youth Soccer (CCYS), serving as a co-leader of the club alongside the Technical Director.

Where the Technical Director owns the soccer side of the organization, the GM owns the business side: finance, facilities, marketing, parent and community experience, partnerships, full back-office functions (HR, legal, compliance), and the strategic growth of CCYS through mergers, acquisitions, and ecosystem positioning.

This is an operating role, not an oversight role. The GM is responsible for running the business of the club with discipline and rigor, building scalable systems that support the technical mission, and executing a disciplined M&A strategy to expand CCYS's footprint and protect its long-term position in an increasingly consolidated youth soccer ecosystem.

The GM partners with the Technical Director to ensure tight alignment between business strategy and soccer strategy and serves as the senior business voice of the club to ownership, partners, and the broader community.

Key Responsibilities

Business Operations & Financial Management

• Own full P&L for CCYS across all revenue lines, including registration/tuition, camps, clinics, facility rentals, sponsorships, and acquired entities.
• Build and manage the annual budget, cash flow, forecasting, and monthly financial reporting to the Board.
• Establish KPIs, dashboards, and operating cadence across all business functions.
• Ensure financial discipline, capital efficiency, and accurate, timely reporting.
• Implement and maintain operating systems that scale as CCYS grows organically and through acquisition.

Facilities & Operational Excellence

• Oversee facilities management, scheduling, capacity planning, capital improvements, and field/space utilization.
• Manage vendor relationships, contracts, procurement, and supplier performance.
• Build standardized operating procedures across registration, scheduling, communications, and event execution.
• Ensure consistent, professional delivery of every member-facing operational touchpoint.

Commercial Strategy & Partnerships

• Lead sponsorship strategy, sales, activation, and partnership development.
• Drive non-tuition revenue streams including camps, clinics, facility rentals, and corporate partnerships.
• Build CCYS's commercial brand alongside the technical brand, in coordination with the Technical Director.
• Develop and own the commercial calendar, event strategy, and community engagement programming.

Marketing & Member Experience

• Own marketing strategy, brand voice, digital presence, and content execution.
• Design and continuously improve the parent and player experience from inquiry through retention.
• Build community engagement and reputation throughout the Triad and the broader region.
• Use data and feedback loops to measure, improve, and protect the family experience.

HR, Legal, and Compliance

• Lead recruiting, onboarding, performance management, and compensation across the business organization.
• Oversee HR policies, employee handbook, training, and workplace culture for the business side.
• Manage legal, contracts, risk, insurance, and compliance with state, federal, league, and federation requirements.
• Partner with the Technical Director on coaching staff HR matters, ensuring consistent standards across the club.

Mergers, Acquisitions, and Ecosystem Strategy

• Lead end-to-end M&A strategy: target identification, sourcing, evaluation, valuation, structuring, negotiation, due diligence, and integration.
• Build and manage a disciplined acquisition pipeline of regional youth clubs, programs, and complementary assets.
• Assess ecosystem threats and competitive consolidation risks; recommend defensive and offensive moves to protect and expand CCYS's market position.
• Manage post-acquisition integration with rigor: financial, operational, cultural, and technical, capturing value while protecting the standards of the club.
• Partner with ownership and external advisors on capital structure, deal financing, and acquisition sequencing.
• Build CCYS's reputation as the consolidator of choice in the region.

Cross-Functional Leadership & Co-Leadership Model

• Co-lead the organization with the Technical Director, ensuring decisions reflect both business reality and technical priorities.
• Translate financial and operational realities into decisions the technical staff can execute against.
• Hold the bar for accountability, transparency, and execution speed across the business team.
• Represent CCYS in commercial, regulatory, civic, and community settings.

Qualifications

Required

• Ten or more years in senior operating roles with full P&L responsibility, ideally in multi-unit, services-based, or recurring-revenue businesses.
• Demonstrated end-to-end M&A experience including sourcing, evaluating, structuring, executing, and integrating acquisitions. This is non-negotiable.
• Track record building and running scalable operating systems, dashboards, and accountability structures.
• Direct experience managing finance, facilities, HR, legal, and commercial functions in an integrated way.
• Strong commercial instincts: sponsorships, partnerships, brand-building, and customer/parent experience.
• Willingness and ability to work fully on-site at CCYS facilities in High Point, North Carolina.

Preferred

• Background in sports, club operations, youth athletics, or member-based organizations.
• Prior experience operating in a co-leadership model alongside a technical or creative counterpart.
• Familiarity with MLS NEXT, Girls Academy, U.S. Soccer Federation structures, or comparable youth sports ecosystems.
• Experience operating in fragmented industries with active consolidation dynamics.
• Demonstrated capital allocation and capital structure experience.

Key Competencies

• Operating excellence and disciplined daily execution
• M&A strategy, deal execution, and integration leadership
• P&L ownership and financial rigor
• Cross-functional partnership and co-leadership maturity
• Commercial creativity and revenue generation
• Systems thinking, scalability, and process discipline
• Cultural stewardship and people leadership
• Direct, transparent, high-frequency communication

Reporting Structure

Reports to: CCYS Board / Ownership

Partners with: Technical Director (co-leader, soccer side)

Supervises: All business, operational, financial, marketing, and administrative staff

Work Environment

• Fully on-site at CCYS facilities in High Point, North Carolina.
• Active mix of business leadership, operational presence, and commercial/community engagement.
• Regular evening and weekend presence aligned with training, match, and event schedules.
• Travel as required for M&A activities, league business, partnerships, and conferences.

Compensation & Benefits

Competitive salary based on experience. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, and retirement.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Carolina Core Youth Soccer is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Job Questions:

1. What compensation range would you be looking for in this role?
2. This is a full-time position in High Point, NC. If offered the position, when are you available to begin work?
3. Relocation assistance may be available for highly qualified candidates. Where do you currently reside?