Major League Soccer
Overview
Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking a strategic and hands-on General Manager, Fire Pitch, the Club’s premier indoor/outdoor community soccer facility and home to the 2nd Star Tavern restaurant on the north side of Chicago. This facility hosts over 300,000 annual visitors across youth and adult programming. The General Manager will lead the long-term strategy and day-to-day execution of all operations and maintenance efforts at the Fire Pitch and 2nd Star Tavern, ensuring an elite-level guest experience and high standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. This role oversees all maintenance, vendor relationships, capital planning, budget tracking, and event support and plays a key leadership role in setting the tone for the facility and restaurant’s culture and service standards. This role reports to the Chief Financial Officer, SVP of Programming Revenue. Job Responsibilities
Facility Operations
Develop and execute long-term operational strategies, including seasonal planning, capital projects, and maintenance schedules. Lead all facility staff: hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management. Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements (janitorial, HVAC, turf, maintenance, etc.). Oversee budgeting, cost control, purchasing, and resource planning. Direct seasonal dome conversion projects in partnership with contractors and facility teams. Ensure compliance with safety standards, building codes, and regulations. Support programming and event operations in collaboration with internal and external partners. Act as liaison between Fire Pitch and other relevant CFFC departments ensuring interdepartmental collaboration and efficiency. Serve as primary contact for emergency and incident response. Maintain inventories, facility calendars, SOPs, and vendor records. Champion a culture of excellence, inclusion, customer service, and collaboration.
Revenue Generation
Develop and execute strategies to maximize rental revenue and position Fire Pitch as a premier soccer and community destination. Partner with programming teams to optimize field usage and scheduling for revenue growth and guest satisfaction. Identify and pursue new participation and revenue opportunities through the Fire Pitch marketplace and community offerings. Collaborate with restaurant management to increase traffic, events, and sales at 2nd Star Tavern, appealing to both soccer and non-soccer audiences. Significantly increase the number of larger scale events, such as corporate outings, that generate field rental revenue as well as F&B revenue. Act as Fire Pitch ambassador, representing the Club’s brand, vision, and values in the community.
Required Qualifications
Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in facility operations. Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth through facility rentals, programming optimization, or hospitality/event partnerships. Strong working knowledge of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), turf management, and vendor coordination. Budget management and capital planning skills, with the ability to balance cost control and revenue generation. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Proven success working in a fast paced environment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and facility management systems. Must display a strong work ethic and desire to build a career in professional sports. Ability to work non-traditional hours, including nights, weekends and holidays. Preferred Qualifications
Previous work experience in sports, recreation, hospitality or events. Bachelor’s degree in Facility Management, Sports Administration, Business, or related field. Prior experience working with artificial turf and indoor dome structures. Background in sales, event management, or community programming with measurable revenue results. Spanish language fluency a plus. Compensation
This role offers a salary range of $100,000-$110,000. Final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt. This role is bonus eligible based on club-wide goals.
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Chicago Fire Football Club is seeking a strategic and hands-on General Manager, Fire Pitch, the Club’s premier indoor/outdoor community soccer facility and home to the 2nd Star Tavern restaurant on the north side of Chicago. This facility hosts over 300,000 annual visitors across youth and adult programming. The General Manager will lead the long-term strategy and day-to-day execution of all operations and maintenance efforts at the Fire Pitch and 2nd Star Tavern, ensuring an elite-level guest experience and high standards of cleanliness, safety, and operational excellence. This role oversees all maintenance, vendor relationships, capital planning, budget tracking, and event support and plays a key leadership role in setting the tone for the facility and restaurant’s culture and service standards. This role reports to the Chief Financial Officer, SVP of Programming Revenue. Job Responsibilities
Facility Operations
Develop and execute long-term operational strategies, including seasonal planning, capital projects, and maintenance schedules. Lead all facility staff: hiring, training, scheduling, and performance management. Manage vendor relationships, contracts, and service agreements (janitorial, HVAC, turf, maintenance, etc.). Oversee budgeting, cost control, purchasing, and resource planning. Direct seasonal dome conversion projects in partnership with contractors and facility teams. Ensure compliance with safety standards, building codes, and regulations. Support programming and event operations in collaboration with internal and external partners. Act as liaison between Fire Pitch and other relevant CFFC departments ensuring interdepartmental collaboration and efficiency. Serve as primary contact for emergency and incident response. Maintain inventories, facility calendars, SOPs, and vendor records. Champion a culture of excellence, inclusion, customer service, and collaboration.
Revenue Generation
Develop and execute strategies to maximize rental revenue and position Fire Pitch as a premier soccer and community destination. Partner with programming teams to optimize field usage and scheduling for revenue growth and guest satisfaction. Identify and pursue new participation and revenue opportunities through the Fire Pitch marketplace and community offerings. Collaborate with restaurant management to increase traffic, events, and sales at 2nd Star Tavern, appealing to both soccer and non-soccer audiences. Significantly increase the number of larger scale events, such as corporate outings, that generate field rental revenue as well as F&B revenue. Act as Fire Pitch ambassador, representing the Club’s brand, vision, and values in the community.
Required Qualifications
Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in facility operations. Demonstrated success in driving revenue growth through facility rentals, programming optimization, or hospitality/event partnerships. Strong working knowledge of building systems (HVAC, electrical, plumbing), turf management, and vendor coordination. Budget management and capital planning skills, with the ability to balance cost control and revenue generation. Strong leadership, communication, and problem-solving abilities. Proven success working in a fast paced environment. Proficiency with Microsoft Office and facility management systems. Must display a strong work ethic and desire to build a career in professional sports. Ability to work non-traditional hours, including nights, weekends and holidays. Preferred Qualifications
Previous work experience in sports, recreation, hospitality or events. Bachelor’s degree in Facility Management, Sports Administration, Business, or related field. Prior experience working with artificial turf and indoor dome structures. Background in sales, event management, or community programming with measurable revenue results. Spanish language fluency a plus. Compensation
This role offers a salary range of $100,000-$110,000. Final salary is determined by carefully considering the applicant's background, experience, and qualifications. Base pay may vary significantly based on geographic location, job-specific knowledge, skills, and overall experience. This role is classified as Full-time, exempt. This role is bonus eligible based on club-wide goals.
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