Men's Elite Coach Developer

Develop and inspire elite performance...

The FA are excited to be recruiting for a Men's Elite Coach Developer to join our FA Learning division. The Elite Coach Developer will play a central role in nurturing and supporting homegrown coaching talent at the top end of the men's game. This hands-on role focuses on directly engaging with elite coaches to co-design and deliver impactful development experiences that go beyond qualifications.

The role blends a deep understanding of elite football environments with practical coach development expertise, ensuring a direct impact on the quality of coaching within the professional game. With a focus on elite coaching, the role will also support the strategic intent of England winning teams by providing a personalised development programme for our age-group national coaches. In a key role in professional football, it will collaborate closely with the FA Technical Director and external professional game stakeholders.

What will you be doing?

• Work closely with coaches operating at the highest levels of the game to deliver bespoke development support, including ongoing mentorship and feedback that extends beyond formal qualifications and addresses the complex demands of elite football.
• Facilitate communities of practice and peer learning groups that allow elite coaches to share knowledge and reflect on challenges in high-performance football.
• Design individual development plans for coaches working within national teams and elite clubs, aligning with long-term performance and development goals.
• Collaborate with national team staff to support the development of England age group coaches, focusing on their in-situ development and leadership impact.
• Integrate sports psychology, leadership development, and emotional intelligence into coach development programmes, supporting the whole coach.
• Support and guide elite coaches through critical transitions (e.g., moving from academy to first team, or from national age group to senior environments).
• Facilitate experiential development through international study visits, shadowing opportunities, and cross-sport learning.
• Implement tools and methodologies for identifying, tracking and measuring elite coaches across the professional game to support succession planning.
• Support the Qualifications Lead to ensure qualifications are fit for purpose for coaches working in the elite game.
• Champion equality, diversity, and inclusion by ensuring fair access and support for underrepresented coaches.
• Track and evaluate the effectiveness of all activities and regularly report on progress, identifying key outcomes and areas for further development to ensure the continuous enhancement of elite coach development.
• Manage the budget for elite coach development programmes, ensuring resources are effectively allocated to support key initiatives.
• Executes additional tasks as required to meet the FA's changing priorities.
• Comply with all company policies and procedures to ensure the highest standards of health, safety, and wellbeing 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:

• UEFA A or Pro License.
• First-hand experience working within elite football environments (senior first team or national team level).
• Proven ability to develop coaches through observation, feedback, mentorship, and co-delivery.
• Strong understanding of high-performance coaching practice and its day-to-day realities.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to connect meaningfully with coaches and build trust quickly.
• Skilled in video and data analysis, with the ability to use performance insights to inform coach development.
• Deep understanding of adult learning and coach education principles, especially in high-stakes environments.
• Ability to translate strategy into practical, impactful interventions with real coaching value.

Beneficial to have:

• Undergraduate/postgraduate degree in sports science or a related area.
• Hands-on experience coaching at the elite level or with high-performance teams/players.
• Expertise in sports psychology, especially in working with elite coaches to help them manage the psychological demands of their role and improve their leadership and player management skills.
• Strong project management skills to design, deliver, and oversee long-term coach development programmes.
• Ability to drive innovation by integrating new research, technology, and methods into coaching development programs.
• Ability to deliver presentations, workshops, and seminars at conferences or within the organisation, sharing insights on elite coaching practices and trends.
• Ability to work effectively with coaches and players from diverse cultural backgrounds, understanding the nuances and challenges of coaching in international or multicultural environments.
• Strong ability to analyse data and produce reports on coaching development programs, outcomes, and areas for improvement.

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 well-being.
• 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 (based on a full-time, permanent contract.)
• A hybrid working model offering 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.