Full-Time - NC Courage Academy Director

NCFC Youth•Raleigh, NC

About The Position

North Carolina FC Youth (NCFC Youth) is a non-profit youth soccer organization home to more than 16,000 players (ages 2.5-19) and their families each year. Through full-service programming, NCFC Youth offers youth soccer for all levels of play – from Recreation and outreach programs up to the highest levels of elite competition. In addition, NCFC Youth hosts tournaments, camps, and other events to ensure the best player development opportunities. NCFC Youth’s on and off field operations are supported by more than 1,700 personnel including full-time staff, seasonal coaches, and volunteer coaches. Since 1974, we have been living our mission of providing positive, high quality soccer opportunities at all levels of play for youth and their families and serving as a valuable community partner. NCFC Youth takes strides to accomplish this through living out our core values of fun, excellence, community, innovation, and passion. The Position: The NC Couarge Academy Director is responsible for administrative oversight and year-round support of all soccer related activities for the NC Couarge Academy Program.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree or Higher Preferred
USSF A License or Equivalent Preferred
3+ Years of Youth Coaching Experience Preferred
Driven, hard-working and takes initiative
Ability to communicate professionally both verbally and written
Excels in conflict management
Ability to maintain professionalism in all manners while remaining flexible, yet dependable.

Responsibilities

Act as the technical leader of the academy, defining, implementing, and protecting the club’s game model, playing philosophy, and development standards across all age groups.
Lead the design, delivery, and ongoing evaluation of the academy curriculum, ensuring clear alignment from U11–U12 through U13–U19 and into pre-professional environments.
Serve as the guardian of academy culture, establishing and enforcing non-negotiable standards for players, staff, and families that reflect the Courage Identity and values.
Oversee and ensure the quality and consistency of the Individual Development Plan (IDP) process, including the use of video, performance data, and reflective practices to support player growth.
Regularly observe training sessions and matches, providing clear, actionable feedback to coaching staff and adjusting the development plan as needed.
Lead, manage, and develop academy staff, including structured evaluation, ongoing professional development, accountability, and role clarity.
Work closely with the Pre-Academy Director to ensure U11–U12 programming, curriculum, and standards are fully aligned with the U13–U19 academy pathway.
Collaborate with St. Mary’s Boarding School to support the identification, recruitment, and integration of top national talent into the academy environment.
Work directly with First Team coaching staff to identify, prepare, and integrate top academy players into the professional training environment.
Manage and oversee all staffing, rostering, scheduling, and planning for the USL W League team, ensuring alignment with academy development goals and professional standards.
Oversee staff, roster construction, and planning for USL Academy League participation, using the competition as a meaningful developmental step within the pathway.
Balance short-term competitive success with long-term player development, making principled decisions that align with the academy’s mission and professional standards.
Serve as a visible, accountable leader capable of making difficult decisions, leading challenging conversations, and modeling professionalism, ownership, and emotional control.
Identify coaches to coach within the Academy and help them develop while they are coaches in the program.
Work with team coaches to secure team managers and ensure that all team managers are trained on expectations for the program.
Work on coordination with CEO and Director of Soccer to create the program budget for the year.
Manage Academy budget once created.
Oversee the travel and game scheduling process for the whole program.
Oversee periodzation of training and game schedule within the framework of the Academy program.
Oversee the technical direction, the curriculum, methodology and style of player for the Academy.
Develop training schedule for the program in conjunction with GK Director.
Create selection process for Academt Program and communicate process to necessary parties.
Oversee the selecton process for all players within the Academy.
Oversee the evaluation process for players within the Academy.
Oversee the process for players outside of the Academy to be evaluated in the Academy environment.
Oversee the identification and recruitment of players from outside of the Academy.
Conduct parent meeting at the start of each season for the parents within the program.
Liaise with US Soccer on all matters related to Academy.
Liaise with USNT staff about potential YNT players we have in our program.
Liaise with college coaches throughout the country.
Liaise with internal staff on player ID process.
Coordinate with Academy team managers the involvement of Academy teams and players completing community service work throughout the the Academy season.
Oversee the college recruiting process for the players within the Academy.
Facilitate college recruiting meeting to educate the families and players on the recruiting process.
Assist with the running of college recognition evening for those players heading off to play college soccer.
Assist staff in dealing with issues related to the Academy program its players or parents.
Oversee social media account for the Academy to ensure there is a presence on social media.
Coach teams as assigned by Director of Soccer.
Performs other incidental and related duties as required and assigned.