National Football League (NFL)

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Position: Legends Director

Department: Player Engagement

Reporting Relationship: Reports to the Chief Athlete Experience Officer

Status: Full-Time (Exempt)

Position Summary

The Legends Director is a critical component to the team’s dedication and efforts to support its players throughout the entirety of their career and beyond. This role is actively involved in the off-the-field development of players and their transition away from the game and is primarily tasked with establishing long-lasting, meaningful relationships predicated on trust, creating and executing holistic Legends programs, as well as identifying resources and events aimed at both the personal and professional growth and the wellbeing of former players.

Primary Responsibilities

Legends Relations & Development

• Manage all aspects of the Legends department, including ideation and execution of Legends programming, as well as management and development of a high-performance Legends team.
• Direct all Panthers Legends programs and initiatives with a focus on engaging, establishing and strengthening relationships with former players.
• Manage the transition of players out of the NFL and/or away from the Panthers organization
• Serve as liaison between Panthers Legends and the team, performing consistent outreach and (re)-engagement with the organization.
• Maintain regular communication with Legends via direct contact, email campaigns, events, and social media.
• Ensure the existence of a comprehensive and accurate Legends database, as well as personal information provided by Legends is handled in a professional and confidential manner.
• Establish standard for best practices for all Legends appearances and events.
• Develop personal and professional relationships based on credibility, trust, effective communication, and respect to effectively assess former player needs, establish programming objectives, and maximize participation in and effectiveness of Legends development and engagement initiatives
• Implement comprehensive, strategic, innovative, and individualized plans and programs to better position former players to succeed beyond the field – most commonly through education, mentorship, and encouragement of use of team, league, and players association resources and participation in programs aimed at addressing both the needs and the interests.
• Develop internal benefits and perks program.
• Broaden and strengthen development offerings, resources (NFL, NFLPA, Carolina Panthers, and external), and effective communication thereof 
• Collaborate with the National Football League on “Legends Program” opportunities, programs, and resources.
• Establish career support services that connect Legends with resources including professional development programs, training opportunities, and networking events
• Assist players in exploring second careers through identifying and/or creating internship and job shadow opportunities, arranging professional assessments, and assisting with the development of resumes and interview skills
• Coordinate and lead relevant workshops for former players (and their significant others) on relevant topics and skills.
• Consistently and effectively respond to personal issues with empathy and refer Legends and their families to qualified resources for assistance when appropriate
• Provide proactive mentoring, crisis intervention, encouragement, and creative problem solving for former players and their eco-system
• Oversee events and programs including Legends Weekend, networking opportunities, signings, community, game-day appearances, Legends-rookie dinner, Legends lunches, dinner & discuss, and training camp visits, as well as Legends gifting program (incl. seasonal gifts, game tickets, etc.)
• Establish Panthers Legends gameday ambassadors program (incl. suite visits and other to be determined gameday responsibilities)
• Stay current on all league and players association policies and programs related to former players and their families

Player Wellness

• Work in close partnership with the team clinician(s) on establishing a team’s Legends wellness program, including but not limited to clinician referrals, development and implementation of resources and services, and overall mental health innovation within the transitioning journey.

Community Relations

• Assist community relations department in selecting and recruiting former players for team and league philanthropic programs as needed
• Partner with community relations to support former player driven philanthropy programs

Player Development/Player Relations

• Work closely with Community Relations and Player Engagement Departments to create holistic partnerships and programs that make an impact.
• Collaborate with player engagement to create opportunities for Legends to engage with active players
• Assist players in the transition out of the organization and the NFL (when retiring or considering to transition)
• Collaborate closely with team’s player engagement department during player transition
• Provide players with information regarding the (NFL/NFLPA) Transition Programming and benefits and assist with applications if necessary

Other Internal Stakeholders

• Establish partnerships, collaborations, and strategic alliances that advance the mission of the Panthers organization and Legends Department.
• Institute processes and integrate Legends into team, sponsor, season ticket holder, fan and community events.
• Work with Corporate Partnership, Business Development, Marketing, and Finance to develop and implement programmatic philosophies, resources, and strategies.

Departmental Duties

• Develop goals, metrics, and processes for measuring performance for Legends Department programs; maintain accurate and efficient system of program reporting to reflect investment impact.
• Create annual season-ending report highlighting accomplishments and planning goals for the following season for CXO, team executives, and league representatives as requested and required
• Manage departmental budget, monitor direct spending and allocations from the budget for Legends programs and services.
• Attend league meetings, monthly calls, and other events as required and directed
• All other duties as assigned 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor Degree required
• 6+ years working in professional or collegiate sports
• Servant leader with a desire to form meaningful relationships
• Demonstrated experience in building and executing team/player programs
• Must demonstrate excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Must be flexible to work non-traditional hours including nights, weekends, and/or holidays when needed

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced degree preferred 
• Athlete development experience preferred
• Experience working with current and/or former professional athletes preferred

Essential Functions

• Natural sense of ownership for duties and deadlines, as well as drive for continuous improvement in self and others
• Be a strategic and critical thinker who is dynamic, forward thinking, and well organized
• Handles confidential, sensitive information and records with a high degree of discretion and diligence 
• Must show a high degree of sensitivity toward the unique and diverse issues of current and retired professional athletes while solving problems and facilitating team objectives.

We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital or veteran status, or any other protected class.