Can’t get enough football? Many people who are huge fans of the game find it meaningful to pursue jobs in football operations. You could find any of the below football jobs suit your skillset and that you have the drive to obtain one of these coveted positions.
7 Top Football Operations Jobs
1. Stadium Groundskeeper
It can be rewarding to work as a groundskeeper for college or NFL football if you have sufficient expertise and attention to detail. Sometimes sports jobs in this category have particularly long hours. It’s typical, for instance, to work fifteen hours on game days.
The stadium groundskeeper is always vigilant about safety issues while maintaining the playing surfaces. On a grass field, they mow, manage a watering and pesticide schedule, aerate, fertilize, and follow league specifications in adding lines to the field. On a synthetic field, they reinforce seams and fix compactions so the surface stays in impeccable condition while maintaining its visual appeal.
A smart path for these jobs in football operations is a college degree in horticulture. Get an internship and initial experience while attending school, if possible. To become more credible and land these jobs in sports, get certification with the International Society of Arboriculture and the Professional Landcare Network.
2. Equipment Manager
If you like working with gear and love sports, you could enjoy work providing equipment to the team and packing gear for road games. It is critical to be organizationally minded if you want to excel in one of these football operations jobs. Gordon Batty, veteran equipment manager of the Green Bay Packers, said that you need to go beyond the organization and be forward-thinking. You must learn to anticipate their needs.
Networking is critical for these jobs in football – and you can make inroads through online sports networks. Apply for an internship in college or pro football in any department, build trust with the organization, prove your capacities, and aim for an assistant equipment manager position. (Football operations assistant jobs are likely how you will get your first experience before you get many of the jobs described in this piece.)
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3. Athletic Director
Not all interesting and exciting NCAA or NFL football operations jobs are out in the field; some are behind desks. One of the great football operations desk jobs is that of an athletic director. Those well-suited for AD positions love sports and are highly organized natural leaders. The spectrum of your concerns as an athletic director extend from facility management to budget preparation, compliance to scheduling, hiring coaches to promotions — and your daunting task is to manage and direct all these components.
If you want these jobs in football operations, get a bachelor’s degree in physical education, education, or a similar area. Often athletic directors get their start in middle school or high school systems. Particularly at high schools, the AD position is often full-time. However, sometimes it is combined with a teaching or coaching role. For that reason, you will need a teaching certificate or a coaching background to land some positions. Generally, 3-5 years of coaching experience and a master’s degree are necessary to get college AD jobs.
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4. Director of Football Operations
In the director of football operations job, you are in charge of recruiting staff, letting people go as necessary, and managing daily operations of the venue. These pro or college football operations jobs require you to solve operational issues on game days, coordinate with other departments, and communicate about operational policies. The director of operations is also concerned with innovative ways to entertain guests through music, lights, and other home game event presentation means.
5. Director of Marketing
Game operations extend beyond game day throughout the week in sports marketing and other connections with fans. If you have a passion for football and interaction, combined with a background in advertising or sales, you are well-prepared for a marketing director position.
As with any job in football operations, you will want to establish a network. You want to get an internship with a football organization for the initial experience, and you can build your resume working at a sports company or marketing for other institutions.
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6. Ticket Sales Account Executive
Ticket sales account executives for NCAA, and NFL teams spend a lot of their days on the phone. They prospect for people to buy suites, add people to waiting lists when tickets sell out, and reply to many voicemails and emails.
Get connected with people who work in football (through our network). Get a college degree in sports management or sales. Land an internship during college.
7. Camera Operator
Success as a football videographer requires excellent communication, strong hand-eye coordination, a steady hand, and superb focus. Since games are usually shown live, you need to be able to respond quickly when anything problematic might be occurring nearby. You also need extensive video training.
Earn a college degree in communications, film studies, or broadcasting. Then you can get a production assistant role, through which you can develop more comfort working with sound equipment and lights.
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Scoring A Job In Football Operations
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