ABOUT SAN DIEGO FC
At San Diego FC, we believe football is more than a game — it’s a community, a culture, and a movement. As MLS’ newest club, we’re building not just a team, but a brand that reflects the heart of San Diego.
We value community, diversity, and acting with purpose. We are looking for leaders at all levels to co-create the culture of a new organization that is built on the premise that you can discover, understand, and re-define excellence by nurturing talent and creating opportunity anywhere – specifically though soccer.
Summary:
Reporting to the SVP, Human Resources, the Senior Human Resources Manager serves as the lead HR partner for Football and Academy operations and acts as San Diego FC’s Student-Athlete Safety Lead. This role is responsible for driving people strategies and operational HR excellence across recruiting, onboarding, employee relations, learning & development, compliance, safeguarding, and culture initiatives at the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center in El Cajon, California.
This position plays a critical role in shaping the employee experience within a fast-growing professional sports organization committed to excellence, development, inclusion, and high performance. The ideal candidate is a collaborative and proactive HR leader who thrives in dynamic environments, builds trusted relationships, and balances strategic thinking with hands-on execution.
While this role primarily supports employees and operations at the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center, the position is fully integrated into the broader Human Resources team based at San Diego FC Headquarters in Little Italy.
Key Responsibilities:
Recruiting & Onboarding
- Lead full-cycle recruiting efforts for Football and Academy operations, including workforce planning, sourcing strategy, candidate experience, and hiring manager partnership.
- Partner with leadership to identify staffing needs and develop clear, compelling, and inclusive job descriptions.
- Collaborate with Legal and League partners to ensure compliant recruitment, immigration, relocation, and work authorization processes.
- Oversee and continuously improve onboarding programs to ensure a seamless and engaging new hire experience.
Learning & Development
- Champion a culture of continuous learning and professional development across the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center.
- Facilitate annual compliance, safeguarding, and professional development training programs.
- Evaluate training effectiveness and recommend data-informed improvements to enhance employee growth and organizational impact.
- Support leadership development and performance-focused people practices across Football and Academy teams.
Employee Relations & Culture
- Serve as a trusted HR advisor to employees and leaders on employee relations, performance, workplace concerns, and organizational effectiveness.
- Partner with leadership to cultivate a high-performance, inclusive, and values-driven culture.
- Lead employee engagement, recognition, and team-building initiatives that strengthen connection, development, and retention.
- Reinforce a culture of accountability, collaboration, continuous feedback, and professional growth.
- Support and help execute internal events and culture-building initiatives at the Performance Center.
Compliance & Risk Management
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws, including California labor regulations.
- Maintain oversight of onboarding compliance requirements, including I-9 administration, background checks, work authorization, and required trainings.
- Support the administration and enforcement of HR and safeguarding policies and procedures in alignment with League and governing body standards.
- Monitor regulatory updates and HR best practices and proactively recommend policy or process improvements.
- Manage sensitive and complex employment matters with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment.
Benefits, Health & Safety
- Partner with employees to support benefits education and resolution of benefit-related inquiries.
- Collaborate with Operations leadership to support workplace safety protocols and employee well-being initiatives at the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center.
- Promote a culture of safety, wellness, and employee care across Football and Academy operations.
Safeguarding & Student-Athlete Safety
- Serve as the Club’s Student-Athlete Safety Lead for the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center, and San Diego FC's Right to Dream Academy environment.
- Lead safeguarding education, training, reporting protocols, and risk mitigation efforts in alignment with MLS, U.S. Soccer, FIFA, and Club standards.
- Conduct and oversee safeguarding-related risk assessments, investigations, and policy implementation as needed.
- Partner cross-functionally to maintain a safe, supportive, and compliant environment for all student-athletes, employees, and stakeholders.
QUALIFICATIONS:
Candidates can meet the requirements with a combination of experience in the following areas:
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
- 7+ years of progressive HR experience, preferably within professional sports, athletics, academy, educational, or high-performance environments.
- Experience supporting multi-cultural teams and/or global organizations strongly preferred.
- Knowledge of safeguarding practices, California employment law, and HR compliance requirements.
- Familiarity with MLS, U.S. Soccer, FIFA, and immigration/work authorization processes preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to manage confidential information and navigate complex employee matters with sound judgment and professionalism.
- Strong interpersonal, organizational, communication, and relationship-building skills.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
- Bilingual in Spanish and English preferred.
Work Environment
This role is based onsite at the Sharp HealthCare Performance Center in El Cajon, California, with regular partnership and collaboration with the Human Resources team and broader Club leadership based at Headquarters in Little Italy.
Must be available to support occasional evenings, weekends, and Club events as needed.
APPLICATION PROCESS
We invite all qualified candidates to apply on our Linkedin Posting. The Senior Human Resources Manager role begins at $80,000 annually + bonus. This is an opportunity to be a part of a great team building something meaningful for San Diego. We offer excellent benefits including multiple health plans, lifestyle & wellness plans, over 30 days of paid time off, and a 4% company match on your 401(k).
San Diego FC is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We strongly value student athlete safeguarding and do background screening and training for certifications.
