# How should this evidence be read?


This is a **qualitative hiring-signal review**, not a vacancy census, salary survey or forecast of club expenditure. Research prioritised evidence from the preceding 12 months, with older official material used only where necessary for context. Searches covered employer recruitment systems, specialist job boards, club announcements, industry reporting, podcasts, YouTube and official bodies.

### What do the status labels mean?

| Label | Meaning in this report |
|---|---|
| **Application page visible** | The employer or employer-hosted page displayed the role and an application route when checked. This is not confirmation that interviews remain available. |
| **Closed campaign** | The originating recruitment page explicitly stated that applications were closed. The appointment outcome may still be unknown. |
| **Archived advertisement** | Responsibilities or pay survive on a third-party page; current vacancy status is not established. |
| **Confirmed appointment** | A club announcement identifies the appointment. This does not disclose its employment cost. |
| **Conflicting status** | Public employer pages provide inconsistent indications; no unfilled vacancy is assumed. |

These distinctions are material. The originating pages for the Columbus scouting-director, Real Salt Lake analytics-director and San Diego first-team scout campaigns were closed when opened, despite discoverable job descriptions or listings elsewhere. ([teamworkonline.com](https://www.teamworkonline.com/multiple-properties/haslam-sports-group-jobs/columbus-nwsl-2028-jobs-careers/director-of-scouting-2195469))

**Methodological safeguards:** repeated listings are not treated as additional hires; a named platform is not treated as a confirmed subscription; a vacancy is not treated as a completed appointment; and an advertised salary is not converted into a supplier budget. Recommendations and commercial interpretations below are explicitly the desk’s analysis.