Manager, Operational Readiness

POSITION OVERVIEW
New York City Football Club (NYCFC) is seeking a highly organized, proactive Manager to support the execution and delivery of the Club’s Operational Readiness Program for Etihad Park, NYCFC’s future home.
This role sits within the Office of the Chief Operating Officer and reports to the Senior Director, Capital Projects Delivery & Operations. The Manager will work directly with senior leadership on one of the most significant venue projects in sports, helping translate a major capital project into a live venue that is ready to open and operate successfully from day one.
The Manager will take day-to-day ownership of core program management activities, including integrated schedule tracking, milestone and dependency management, cross-functional coordination, follow-up tracking, and executive reporting. Working closely with workstream owners across the organization, the Manager will help ensure commitments are delivered, emerging risks are identified early, and outstanding actions and decisions are consistently followed through to resolution.
This is a 12-month fixed-term role. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, analytically strong, proactive, and comfortable working independently in a fast-paced, evolving environment. They will need the confidence to engage with senior stakeholders, the judgment to identify and escalate issues, and a hands-on approach to driving execution.

WHAT YOU’LL DO
Operational Readiness Program Management & Schedule Control
Own and maintain the integrated Operational Readiness Program schedule, consolidating key milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and target dates across workstreams
Track progress against program milestones and readiness gates, proactively identifying delays, schedule conflicts, critical dependencies, and risks to delivery
Work closely with workstream owners to validate progress updates, maintain accurate schedules, and identify required recovery actions where commitments are at risk
Maintain a forward-looking view of readiness priorities, including 30-, 60- and 90-day milestones, major gates, and required actions
Maintain core program management tools, trackers, dashboards, and reporting processes, ensuring leadership has a reliable and up-to-date view of program status
Cross-Functional Coordination, Follow-Ups & Accountability
Coordinate with workstream owners and stakeholders across multiple departments to maintain momentum and accountability for operational readiness deliverables
Own and maintain a consolidated tracker of actions, commitments, and follow-ups arising from working groups, Steering Committees, stakeholder meetings, and other program discussions, ensuring clear ownership, deadlines, and status visibility
Proactively follow up with responsible stakeholders, track actions through to completion, and escalate overdue commitments, unresolved issues, or decisions requiring leadership intervention
Support the preparation and coordination of program governance meetings, ensuring key discussions translate into clearly documented decisions, actions, and next steps
Help identify and address cross-functional dependencies and coordination gaps, working collaboratively with stakeholders to keep delivery on track
Reporting, Analysis & Decision Support
Prepare clear, accurate, executive-ready program updates, presentations, and reporting materials for senior leadership and governance forums
Analyze program progress, highlight emerging risks and bottlenecks, and translate complex information into practical recommendations, recovery actions, and decisions required
Support structured problem-solving across operational readiness priorities, helping clarify issues, evaluate options, and drive implementation of agreed actions
Contribute to other critical operational readiness initiatives as needed, maintaining a flexible and hands-on approach to successful program delivery
Help solve ambiguous problems by structuring issues clearly, conducting research, and translating findings into practical recommendations and action plans
Take on a broad range of strategic and operational tasks beyond traditional PMO responsibilities, stepping into whatever is needed to support delivery

WHO YOU ARE
At New York City FC, we are committed to upholding our core club values and our values guide how we show up and work together every day. If you share our values listed below, please consider NYCFC as a great place for you to work:
Acts Honorably – listens and communicates respectfully, without judgement
Engages Collaboratively – provides and seeks constructive feedback to and from peers, proactively sharing appreciation for quality contributions of others
Champions Inclusion – celebrates the value of differences recognizing the value in the unique backgrounds and lived experiences of every team member
Drives Forward – embraces new opportunities with curiosity and a focus on improvement and innovation
Shows Heart – demonstrates passion for the Club and sport, operating as an NYCFC ambassador in encouraging and inspiring that passion in others

WHAT YOU’LL BRING
2 to 4 years of full-time professional experience, ideally in program/project management, strategy consulting, or another rigorous, multi-stakeholder, project-based environment
Demonstrated experience managing project plans, milestones, dependencies, action trackers, and cross-functional delivery commitments
Strong practical fluency with AI tools and a proactive approach to leveraging them to improve productivity, automate repetitive tasks, enhance analysis and reporting, and streamline program management workflows, while exercising sound judgment around accuracy and confidentiality
Strong Excel and PowerPoint skills, with the ability to build and maintain detailed tracking tools and create clear, polished, executive-ready materials
Familiarity with project management and scheduling tools (eg. Asana, Microsoft Project, or equivalent), with the ability to learn new systems quickly
Exceptional organization and attention to detail, with a high bar for accuracy, ownership, and consistent follow-through
Strong initiative and ability to work independently with limited direction, including sound judgment on when to escalate issues
Ability to build effective working relationships, constructively challenge stakeholders, and drive progress without formal authority
Strong written and verbal communication, structured problem-solving, and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear insights and actions.
Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a fast-paced, evolving environment
High ownership, and willingness to roll-up your sleeves and support whatever the project requires
Interest in sports is a plus; prior experience in construction, capital projects, or venue operations is also helpful but not required
Graduate degree helpful but not required

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Candidate must be able to comply with MLS Next Safety and Well-Being policy and any other applicable child safety policies provided to applicants by NYCFC