It has been nearly two decades since Dave Kasper became the first technical director in Major League Soccer history when he was hired by D.C. United in 2001. For most of that time, his job morphed and changed along with the growth of the league.



But over the past five years, those transformations became so substantial that it went beyond a simple changing role. Instead, the league’s rapid growth made Kasper’s former job non-existent — at least as a one-man show.



With teams now managing full academies and USL squads, as well as scouting globally for players that require millions in investment, a full soccer operations staff is needed in order to do the job effectively. Front offices in MLS now necessitate roles for cap management, team administration, analytics, first-team scouting and academy scouting, and even the construction of stadiums and training facilities. The front office staff include titles like chief soccer officer (the general manager...