Chief Executive Officer

Chief Executive Officer, European Football Alliance (EFA)

About the European Football Alliance (EFA):

The European Football Alliance (EFA) is a newly established professional American football league in Europe, launching its inaugural season in 2026. Formed by leading European franchises, the EFA was created to build a team‑owned, transparent, and commercially sustainable league model designed for long‑term growth.

The league brings together experienced clubs across multiple European markets, with teams based in Austria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, and Germany, and planned expansion into Italy and the United Kingdom. The EFA was founded to address governance, transparency, and commercial challenges within the European game and to establish a stronger, more stable platform for professional American football in Europe.

With its first season commencing in May 2026, the EFA represents a pivotal moment for the sport, combining experienced franchises, international ambition, and a modern league structure built to scale.

Role Overview:

The European Football Alliance is seeking a permanent Chief Executive Officer to lead the league into its next phase of international growth.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will serve as the league’s senior executive leader and primary external ambassador, responsible for shaping strategy, driving commercial growth, aligning franchise stakeholders, and establishing the EFA as a credible, investable, and internationally respected sports league.

This is a long‑term leadership appointment, focused on building the league’s profile, commercial performance, and organisational foundations while guiding the EFA through a critical period of launch and scale.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic & League Leadership

• Define and deliver the league’s long‑term vision, strategy, and operating model in partnership with the Board and franchise owners.
• Translate strategic objectives into executable annual business plans with clear performance metrics and accountability.
• Balance near‑term execution priorities with the establishment of a scalable, professional league infrastructure.

Commercial Growth & External Positioning

• Act as the league’s primary external representative, building confidence with broadcasters, sponsors, investors, and international partners.
• Drive sustainable revenue growth across media rights, partnerships, sponsorship, licensing, and new commercial initiatives.
• Position the EFA as a credible, investable, international sports property.

Stakeholder & Franchise Management

• Serve as the senior executive interface with franchise owners, ensuring alignment, transparency, and trust.
• Manage a complex, multi‑owner environment while balancing central league governance with franchise autonomy.
• Build consensus across owners while maintaining decisive executive leadership.

Organisational Leadership & Governance

• Build, lead, and develop a high‑performing executive leadership team.
• Establish appropriate governance, decision‑making frameworks, and reporting structures.
• Work closely with the Board to support effective governance and informed decision‑making.

Candidate Profile:

Experience

• Proven CEO, President, Commissioner, Managing Director or executive leadership experience within: Professional sports leagues, federations, clubs, or high‑growth sports / entertainment properties.
• Demonstrated experience operating in international environments, with exposure to US and/or global commercial markets, media rights, or investor‑led sports models.
• Track record of scaling organisations, launching or transforming leagues, or leading complex stakeholder ecosystems.

Leadership Stage

• Growth‑oriented leader with the energy, ambition, and credibility to build over the long term.

Skills & Attributes

• High‑energy, engaging leader with a strong presence and credibility to serve as the league’s outward “face”.
• Excellent communication skills; able to communicate in a timely fashion and across stakeholder groups (Board, owners, partners, media, and team leadership).
• Preferably multilingual (more than English) ideally with experience working in the DACH region and comfort operating across European markets.
• Genuine salesperson with demonstrated success in commercial growth; understands—and is passionate about—American football.
• Ability to prioritize, set realistic goals, and manage workflows to deliver outcomes in a lean, fast‑moving environment.
• Strong conflict management skills, with the ability to spot and manage divergent agendas across a multi‑owner stakeholder group.
• Personally ready for the role’s travel/relocation demands, with the flexibility to transition quickly and without avoidable constraints.

Location: This role can be based remotely in a major European city with regular travel to the franchises within the league.

How to Apply:

If the role if of interest and you have the required skills and experience, then please press apply and include a copy of your CV.

The Executives in Sport Group are retained on behalf of the European Football Alliance to appoint a Chief Executive Officer. All direct applications and CV's will be forwarded to The Executives in Sport Group.