Background:  

FC Cincinnati is a Major League Soccer team playing at TQL Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio. Originally founded in 2015 by Carl H. Lindner III and co-CEO Jeff Berding, FCC started play in the United Soccer League (USL) in 2016. FCC entered MLS as the 24th team in 2019. The club’s wide and diverse ownership group is led by controlling owner Lindner III; as well as managing owners Meg Whitman and Dr. Griff Harsh; Scott Farmer; and George Joseph. 

FC Cincinnati opened the club’s privately funded, 26,000-seat soccer-specific TQL Stadium in the West End neighborhood of Cincinnati in 2021, a venue which has won numerous global awards including the World Football Summit Best Venue 2022 in Madrid and the 2022 Prix Versailles World Title in the Sports Category in Paris, France. 

FC Cincinnati won the 2023 Supporters’ Shield – the annual award given to the team with the most points in the regular season – and clinched a spot in the 2023 MLS Playoffs for the second straight year. The club won the 2018 USL Regular-Season Championship in record-setting fashion and earned postseason berths in all three of its USL seasons. In 2017, FC Cincinnati also advanced to the semifinals of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, a run that included victories over two MLS squads. 

Link: https://www.fccincinnati.com/ 

Any interested candidates should contact TurnkeyZRG directly.  

Contacting FC Cincinnati will only delay consideration of your qualifications.  

Position Summary:  
The Vice President of Ticket Sales & Premium Hospitality (the “VP”) will be a key leader within the Ticketing and Premium Departments, working closely with the Chief Revenue Officer. A core part of the FC Cincinnati (“FCC”) senior leadership team, the VP will drive ticketing and premium’s strategic direction and operational efficiency. Additionally, this role will define the club’s world-class customer service standards on gameday and throughout the year, creating touchpoints and experiences that drive customer engagement, retention, and loyalty.

The VP will be instrumental in optimizing team performance, leveraging technology, and developing innovative ticketing products. An influential team member, the VP will collaborate cross-functionally to successfully drive impact in this role, ensuring a cohesive approach to sales and service strategies, customer insights, and technological advancements. 
 

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Act as a primary influencer in service strategy, sales efficiency, team structure, and operational procedures in collaboration with the Chief Revenue Officer.

• Develop and lead high-performing ticket sales & service teams aligned with FCC’s culture of “Develop Champions from Within,” providing coaching and development opportunities.

• Provide leadership to all premium sales and stewardship, ensuring departmental alignment and conformity that supports the FCC's overall business goals.

• Implement a comprehensive service touchpoint campaign for all season ticket members that delivers methodical interactions, communications, and programming opportunities.

• Oversee pricing strategies, product mix, campaign strategy, planning, and single-game ticket initiatives.

• Maximize the retention of suite partners by building critical relationships, executing meaningful touchpoints, and creating value add-opportunities throughout the full calendar year at TQL Stadium.

• Understand current market conditions and create advantageous opportunities to drive incremental improvements through innovative new products, unique package offerings, and continual enhancements to customer experience.

• Lead all group sales & service strategies, product mix, pipelines, and overall execution while further developing new key relationships in the community.

• Define departmental and product revenue goals, budgeting, and structure and labor planning.

• Refine performance evaluation metrics/KPIs and tracking for the salesforce and service lines to motivate members and achieve sales and service results.

• Ensure accurate CRM utilization for effective data management and campaign execution.

• Provide regular updates to the FCC leadership team on sales performance and revenue projections.

• Build and lead strong relationships with both the marketing and business strategy & analytics teams to leverage data-driven insights for marketing programs required to support sales executions.

• Drive departmental influence that furthers organizational innovation and industry leadership across all consumer sales, including MLS Season Pass and merchandise.

• Play a leadership role in the weekly, monthly, and annual planning and strategies with FCC’s primary ticketing partner, SeatGeek, to deliver a top-notch fan facing ticket experience while working towards greater backend efficiencies.

• Collaborate with both the business strategy & analytics and technology departments to utilize technological advancements to further sales strategies and operational efficiency.

• Influence and contribute to the direction of the ticketing and premium Profit & Loss (P&L) statements.

• Contribute to broader executive decisions related to TQL Stadium and other organizational objectives as a member of the senior leadership team.

Required Experience and Qualifications: 

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience managing sales and service functions.

• Management experience in sports preferred, with knowledge of major sports and entertainment venues.

• Inspirational and motivational team management skills with a strong strategic vision.

• Track record of driving customer engagement and loyalty, demonstrating an acute understanding of customer life cycles.

• Proactive approach to creating new sales, service, and premium initiatives based on the understanding of industry market trends.

• Attention to detail across the entire ticketing and premium sales cycle to ensure a world-class fan experience.

• Ability to capitalize on new business opportunities throughout the calendar year with a creative and strategic vision.

• Proficiency in ticketing systems such as AXS, SeatGeek, or Ticketmaster.

• Familiarity with CRM systems such as KORE and Salesforce.

• Skilled in using data analytics to optimize revenue.

• Experience in budget management for revenue and expenses.

• Demonstrated ability to bring a process-oriented, results-driven approach to team leadership.

• Exceptional oral and written interpersonal skills.

• Self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit and hands-on business approach.

• Capacity to lead and thrive in a fast-growing, dynamic environment.

• Ability to relate to a diverse customer and employee base, and manage staff, budgets, and resources responsibly.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required, MBA or other related advanced degree preferred.

Benefits: 

• Generous paid time off and holiday time.

• Option for one work from home day per week (by department and schedule).

• Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401k plan with company match.

• Short-Term & Long-Term Disability Insurance.

• Maternity & Paternity Leave and Family Building Benefit.

• Employee Assistance Program and free subscription to the Calm App.

• Discount off merchandise in the FCC team store.

• Community volunteer opportunities.

• Professional development and frequent team building opportunities.

• Employee recognition programs and referral programs.

• Opportunity for complimentary staff tickets to home FCC matches.