ABOUT US
The North Carolina Courage, a member of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), is seeking a Fan Experience Manager to join our team. We hire people who help us work smarter, sharper, and more Courageous and this position will bring matchday themes to life to deliver a cohesive, high-quality fan experience.
This role reports to the Director of Grassroots Marketing and Fan Engagement in the Marketing Department.
SUMMARY
The North Carolina Courage (NWSL), is seeking a Fan Experience Manager to create an exceptional matchday experience for fans at First Horizon Stadium.
This role will lead the fan experience outside of the bowl, with a primary focus on Fan Fest, March to the Match, STM Lounge, Kids Zones, concourse activations, promotions, performers, giveaways, and partner activations. The Manager will bring matchday themes to life across these experiences and work closely with teams across the Club to deliver a cohesive, high-quality fan experience.
The role will also support the Director of Grassroots and Fan Engagement in bringing Club pillars and fan engagement platforms to life on matchday and provide a fan-first perspective on select Club events and initiatives.
The ideal candidate is creative, highly organized, detail-oriented, and an exceptional project manager who can think holistically about the brand while executing at a high level.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
MATCHDAY FAN EXPERIENCE
- Lead the planning and execution of Fan Fest and the outside-the-bowl fan experience for North Carolina Courage matchdays.
- Bring matchday themes to life across Fan Fest, March to the Match, STM Lounge, Kids Zones, concourses, and other fan-facing spaces.
- Develop and enhance the March to the Match, STM Lounge, and Kids Zone experiences throughout the season.
- Manage outside-the-bowl promotions, performers, giveaways, activations, and special fan experiences.
- Coordinate with Partnership clients to execute engaging, on-brand activations that enhance the fan experience.
- Collaborate closely with Production, Operations, Marketing, Sponsorship, Creative, Ticketing, Events, Community, and other departments to deliver a cohesive matchday experience.
- Serve as a matchday leader, proactively solving issues and ensuring a high standard of execution.
- Identify and incorporate relevant trends and new ideas from sports, entertainment, and experiential marketing.
- Lead and manage matchday fan experience staff, including part-time staff and mascot support.
CLUB PILLARS & FAN ENGAGEMENT
- Support the Director of Grassroots and Fan Engagement in translating Club pillars and fan engagement platforms into matchday experiences.
- Maintain a strong understanding of the Club's broader brand, platforms, audiences, and priorities.
- Provide input and ideas based on fan behavior, industry trends, and experiential best practices. Use fan feedback and insights to continually improve the experience.
- Support grassroots initiatives and other fan engagement efforts as needed.
EVENTS & PROJECT MANAGEMENT
- Own project plans, timelines, staffing, vendors, assets, and day-of execution for Fan Fest and associated activations.
- Support larger Club events as needed, bringing a fan-first perspective to fan-facing elements. Keep the fan at the center of every decision.
- Manage multiple projects, timelines, stakeholders, and deliverables while maintaining a high standard of execution.
- Help establish processes and best practices that improve the consistency and quality of execution.
- Build strong cross-functional relationships across the Club and effectively coordinate multiple teams and stakeholders.
BRAND
- Bring the Club brand to life through experiences that are bold, fearless, and exceptional. Create connected, memorable moments across the fan journey.
- Think beyond individual activations to understand how each touchpoint contributes to the overall fan experience and brand.
- Balance creative ideas with thoughtful planning and flawless execution.
QUALIFICATIONS
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Communications, Sports Management, Event Management, Business, or a related field, or equivalent applicable experience.
- 3–5+ years of experience in event management, experiential marketing, sports marketing, live entertainment, brand activation, fan experience, or a related field.
- Experience managing events, activations, campaigns, or projects from concept through execution.
- Strong understanding of both marketing and event execution.
- Exceptional project management, organizational, and time-management skills.
- Highly detail-oriented with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
- Creative thinker who can develop ideas and turn them into actionable plans.
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across departments and with external partners.
- Ability to think holistically about the brand while maintaining an exceptional level of attention to detail.
- Proactive problem solver who takes ownership and anticipates needs.
- Comfortable working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and project management tools; experience with Asana preferred.
- Sports, soccer, live entertainment, hospitality, or experiential marketing experience preferred.
- Must be willing to work non-traditional hours, including nights, weekends, holidays, and home matches.
- Must be able to work at the North Carolina Football Club headquarters in Raleigh, NC.
OUR VALUES
We hire through the lens of our Club Values:
Integrity – Transparent, trustworthy relationships with our fans and ourselves.
Community – Creating a sense of belonging in a diverse, inclusive environment
Accountability – Responsible for our words, our actions, and our results.
Respect – Regard for treating others with dignity and acceptance.
Excellence - Strive towards greatness in ourselves, club, and community and culture.
WHY IT’S BETTER AT THE COURAGE
- Comprehensive Health Benefits. Choose between PPO or HSA options because your health matters on and off the pitch.
- Flexible PTO - We trust you to take the time you need to recharge, reset, and perform at your best. It’s simple: do great work, take great breaks.
- Work-From-Anywhere (2x per year) - Whether it’s visiting family or a change of scenery, enjoy the flexibility to work remotely outside the Raleigh area twice a year.
- Hybrid Work – In office work environment with flexibility to work from home for the 2026 season. The perfect balance for productivity and connection.
- 401(k) - Build your future with our 401(k) plan. Enrollment eligibility starts at 3 months.
- Courage Swag - Rep the badge with pride. Staff receive exclusive team apparel and gear throughout the season plus 4 season tickets to share with friends & family.
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.