Sporting Kansas City

Background

Sporting Kansas City is a charter member of Major League Soccer and one of the league’s most established organizations. Founded in 1995 by American sports pioneer Lamar Hunt, the club began play in 1996 and has developed a proud record of competitive achievement, including two MLS Cup championships, a Supporters’ Shield and four Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup titles. At Sporting Kansas City, the organization strives to win championships, deliver a world-class product on and off the field, create exceptional fan experiences, build meaningful connections with the community and innovate in all that it does.

The organization operates a broad, integrated soccer and entertainment platform encompassing the first team, Sporting Kansas City II, a nationally recognized academy, high-performance training facilities, matchday and venue operations, commercial partnerships, premium hospitality, fan engagement and community programming. This scale creates a dynamic operating environment in which disciplined execution, cross-functional collaboration and an exceptional supporter experience are central to sustained performance.

As Kansas City’s profile as a leading soccer market continues to rise, Sporting Kansas City is positioned to deepen its impact with supporters, partners and the broader community. The Chief Strategy Officer will join the organization at an important moment, working closely with the Chief Executive Officer and senior leadership team to translate strategy into results, strengthen enterprise-wide operations, align people and resources, and build the organizational capabilities required for long-term growth. The successful executive will help ensure that Sporting Kansas City operates with excellence across every area of the business while preserving the club’s distinctive culture and commitment to its community.

Any interested candidates should contact ZRG directly.
Contacting Sporting Kansas City will only delay consideration of your qualifications.

Position Summary

Sporting Kansas City is seeking an accomplished, strategic and highly collaborative Chief Strategy Officer (the “CSO”) to serve as a key member of the senior leadership team and a trusted partner to the Chief Executive Officer. As the senior executive responsible for day-to-day operational performance, the CSO will support enterprise-wide leadership across the club’s business operations, translating organizational strategy into clear priorities, disciplined execution and measurable results.  The CSO will be directly responsible for the leadership of finance, venue and event operations, sporting properties, technology, and ensures internal operational efficiency and integration across all departments.

In addition to departmental oversight, the CSO will partner closely with the CEO and leadership team to drive the next phase of growth for the organization.  The CSO will guide the strategic planning process and translate, in close partnership with other senior leaders, the strategic vision into operational reality through scalable processes, strengthening cross-functional alignment and enhancing transparent performance tracking and accountability. Working across functions that support the first team, Sporting Kansas City II, the academy, facilities and the broader fan and stakeholder experience, the executive will ensure that major strategic goals and initiatives are delivered with consistency and excellence in full concert with and support of the business.

The successful candidate will be a visible, hands-on and values-driven leader who combines strategic perspective with operational rigor. The CSO will build strong relationships with ownership, senior leaders and colleagues throughout the organization, identify opportunities to improve performance and service, and help position Sporting Kansas City for sustainable growth. It is imperative that the CSO balances the preservation of the company’s entrepreneurial culture with the implementation of new ways of working, processes, technologies and integrations required for continued growth and advancement of its commitment to supporters, partners and the Kansas City community.

Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Operational Execution

• Serve as a key strategic partner to executive leadership, helping shape organizational priorities, business strategy, and long-range planning initiatives; translate strategies into actionable and accountable operational plans and processes.

• Oversee and manage annual capital expenditure and major projects.

• Drive operational excellence across the enterprise by aligning departments around common goals, accountability measures, performance standards, and service expectations.

• Develop and monitor key performance indicators, operational metrics, and business intelligence tools that support informed decision-making and continuous improvement.

• Use data-driven insights to continuously optimize operations, enhance visitor engagement, and align business outcomes with strategic goals.

• Heavily influence annual operating budgets and operating expense controls; manage staffing models, vendor budgets and cost-benefit decisions to ensure season plans can be executed with financial discipline and accountability.

• Will be responsible for ensuring compliance with MLS guidelines and will work closely with League personnel.

Departmental Oversight

• Directly manage high-performing teams across Finance, Sporting Properties, Information Technology, and Operations.

• Continuously evaluate current departmental performance and drive internal efficiency, organizational integration.

• Set forth the strategic plans for capital investments, technology roadmaps and other resourcing to drive strategic goals and support growth, efficiency and accountability.

• Develop and maintain operational playbooks for regular season, postseason and major-event workflows, with clear ownership, escalation paths and service standards.

Qualifications, Skills and Education Requirements

• Ten (10)+ years of progressively responsible senior operations leadership experience within professional sports, entertainment, hospitality, venue operations, media or a similarly complex B2B and B2C organization; extensive executive-level experience is strongly preferred.

• Exceptional business acumen with the ability to evaluate opportunities through operational, financial, legal, and customer lenses.

• Strong fiscal management skills including financial analysis, capital planning, performance measurement, and resource allocation.

• Outstanding communication, presentation, relationship-building, and stakeholder management capabilities; highly empathetic with proven ability to partner closely with peer stakeholders.

• High level of integrity, judgment, emotional intelligence, and discretion.

• Demonstrated success scaling complex, high-visibility operations with multiple stakeholders, including oversight of budgets, vendors and cross-functional teams.

• Bachelor’s degree is preferred; an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience will be considered.

• Skills & Attributes:

• Adaptability and resilience in a fast-paced sports and entertainment environment, with a strategic mindset and hands-on execution style.

• Strong people management and leadership experience, with the ability to inspire, develop, and retain top talent.

• Strategic thinker who can balance long-term vision with operational precision.

• Exceptional negotiation and communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders.

ZRG’S Commitment

At ZRG, we do not just accept differences—we celebrate and support it. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, race, color, religion, national origin, disability, genetic information, marital or partnership status, military or veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. ZRG is an equal opportunity employer and workplace, and we encourage applicants of all backgrounds & communities to apply.