EDI Lead - Female Game

A game for all...

The FA are excited to be searching for an EDI Lead to join our FA Learning Divison.

This role is pivotal to delivering our ambitions in diversifying our workforce in particular across the female game. As the EDI Lead- Female game you will be responsible for leading our positive action interventions to recruit, support, and retain female coaches across the whole game. You will be a key influencer and advocate for Equality, Diversity Inclusion across FA Learning and FA group.

What will you be doing?

Support the Football Associations coach development programmes for historically underrepresented coaches within the women's game:

• Lead on the design and delivery of coach development programmes that aim to enhance the number of coaches from historically underrepresented groups within the game.
• Design and deliver a robust recruitment process for all positive action programmes for the women and girl's game.
• Collaborate with the Women and Girls Coach Development lead to ensure the effective deployment of coach developers to support professional game placement programmes.
• Liaise with the Head of Women's Development Teams to support national team placement programmes.
• Liaise with clubs where necessary to ensure external placement opportunities are available, as applicable.
• Organise the end-of-programme celebration events to ensure achievements are appropriately recognised.
• Ensure effective budget management related to all positive action programmes

Design and Deliver a Robust Bursary Programme to support coaches from historically underrepresented groups:

• Organise/oversee the bursary application and manage the short-listing processes for both Grassroots & Pro Game bursaries.
• Coordinate with Grassroots and Pro Game Delivery Teams to ensure bursary holders are given priority access to courses.
• Provide support and advice to bursary holders, including one face-to-face support per season.

Assist FA Education's Senior EDI Lead with internal and external relations and ambassadorial support:

• Promote the FA's Diversity & Inclusion programmes with key external stakeholders. Including, but not limited to the Premier League, NewCo, Women's National League, Professional Footballer's Association and League Manager's Association.
• Attend internal and external working groups as required, to update on policy, progress and key messages.
• Manage any external consultants/ambassadors, employed by the FA Learning for coach diversity and inclusion work, as applicable.
• Support in driving, creating and implementing inclusive practices, behaviours and training across FA learning and FA group.

• Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group's changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety and well-being can be maintained.
• As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.

What are we looking for?

Essential for the role:

Knowledge:

• Coaching qualification Understanding of the women's game.
• Understanding of football performance principles, including player development, tactical strategies, sports science, and the physical, technical, and psychological demands of elite-level football.
• Understanding of the barriers and challenges historically underrepresented coaches experiencing getting into coaching.

Experience:

• Design, develop and deliver targeted interventions to support underrepresented groups.
• Ability to influence across various stakeholders and matrix working.
• Ability to organise learning experiences, events and project management.
• Effective communication and organisational skills.
• Ability to use data and insight to inform positive interventions.
• Proven experience in designing, implementing, and managing educational programs or curriculums within sports.
• Experience in managing budgets, resources, and timelines for large-scale programs or initiatives, ensuring efficient use of resources.
• Experience in managing organisational or cultural change, particularly in advancing equality within sport.

Technical Skills:

• Ability to use Microsoft applications e.g. word and Excel.
• Ability to create presentations and present to a wide range of key stakeholders.

Beneficial to have:

Knowledge:

• UEFA coaching licence.
• Extensive understanding of latest trends and themes across EDI in sports.
• Knowledge of FA/UEFA/FIFA coaching/learning.

Experience:

• Experience in mentoring and developing future leaders within football, fostering an environment that supports career progression and leadership opportunities.
• Extensive experience working across matrix organisations and influencing multiple stakeholders.
• Extensive capabilities to use, gather data and insight to inform, design and develop programmes.

Technical Skills:

• Knowledge using project management tools e.g. smartsheet.
• Ability to use Excel to a high level with use of formulas, pivot tables and macros.

What's in it for you?

We are committed to ensuring everyone can flourish in their roles, to achieve this we have unique office spaces under the arch of the iconic Wembley National Stadium, which is the home of English Football. We are also delighted to offer a world-class, Elite Performance Centre, St. George's Park in Staffordshire which is an exceptional setting to develop and inspire high-performing England teams and leaders.

We pride ourselves in offering a competitive salary as well as great opportunities to develop and grow in your role. But that is not all; we also have a range of exciting benefits, some of which can be found below:

• Access to event day tickets at Wembley Stadium, alongside a host of regular internal events throughout the season, encouraging you to connect and learn with your colleagues and look after your mental health and wellbeing.
• Free, nutritious lunches, at Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park.
• Free private medical cover.
• A contributory pension scheme.
• An additional Thank You days leave, volunteering days as well as 25 days annual leave.
• A hybrid working model which offers greater flexibility.

For more information on what it is like to work at The FA, please visit our FA Careers page, https://www.thefa.com/about-football-association/careers

We are a diverse workplace, aspiring to represent football across the country. The Football Association actively promotes inclusion and diversity, encouraging you to be the best version of yourself at work.

We welcome applications from everyone and are proud to be an equal opportunities employer. If you have any particular requirements in respect of the recruitment or interview process, please mention this during your application.

As part of The FA's commitment to ensuring a safe environment for everyone in football, every employee will be required to complete a DBS check. The level of the check required will be based on the activity of the specific job role and in line with legislation and government guidance.