Academy Director

About Us

Utah Royals FC, Real Salt Lake, Real Monarchs, and the RSL Academy are united by a shared mission of winning together through development. We are committed to building world-class teams by investing in people—developing players, staff, and leaders through collaboration, growth, and a high-performance culture. If you’re passionate about sport and motivated to grow your career in a purpose-driven organization, we invite you to join us.                                                                                           

Summary

The Academy Director for the RSL Academy is the day-to-day leader responsible for the comprehensive development and operations of all developmental teams within the Real Salt Lake ecosystem. This role serves as the bridge between youth potential and professional performance, providing strategic leadership to ensure the academy consistently produces world-class talent aligned with the Club’s philosophy.

 The Director will cultivate an elite environment that maximizes player performance, fosters a culture of excellence, and ensures a seamless pipeline to the first team.

Responsibilities Include:

• Establish and execute short- and long-term strategic visions for developmental teams in collaboration with Front Office leadership.
• Lead and oversee all technical and operational aspects of a world-class youth development program.\
• Measure and report on academy performance annually, evaluating progress against defined goals and implementing corrective actions as needed.
• Lead, manage, and evaluate academy staff on a day-to-day basis, fostering a high-performance culture.
• Coordinate match plans and ensure consistent implementation of the Club’s playing philosophy across all age groups.
• Partner with coaching staff to create and monitor Individualized Development Plans (IDPs) for high-potential players.
• Lead player identification, recruitment, and roster-building in collaboration with the scouting department.
• Oversee player trials, domestic and international development opportunities, and onboarding experiences for players and families.
• Attend and evaluate RSL MLS NEXT and MLS NEXT Pro matches and scouting activities, producing detailed reports.
• Serve as a key liaison between coaching staff, dormitory personnel, education partners, and families.
•   Oversee the residential/dormitory program, ensuring a safe, structured, and development-focused living environment that supports student-athlete success.
• Promote a holistic development model balancing athletic performance, education, and personal growth.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 8–10 years of experience in elite youth development or professional soccer environments
• Proven leadership experience within an Academy or high-performance development system
• U.S. Soccer “A” License (or UEFA A equivalent) required
• Demonstrated success developing players into professional environments
• Strong understanding of game models, player pathways, and long-term athlete development
• Experience managing multidisciplinary high-performance staff
• Excellent communication, leadership, and organizational skills
• Ability to work evenings, weekends, and matchdays
• Ability to travel domestically and internationally

Preferred Qualifications:

• UEFA Pro License (or equivalent)
• MLS NEXT / MLS NEXT Pro experience
• Experience aligning Academy systems with First Team tactical identity
• Background in player recruitment, identification, and roster construction
• Familiarity with sports science and performance integration
• Bilingual (Spanish preferred)

Physical Demands & Work Environment:

This role requires frequent standing, walking, and participation in training and match environments. Work is performed in both office and outdoor settings in varying weather conditions. Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds may be required, along with frequent travel.

Real Salt Lake provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request an accommodation.