Senior Lead - Workforce Development (Coaching)

Football is all about investing in people

The Senior Lead Workforce Development (Coaching) is responsible for advancing the skills, effectiveness, and impact of coach developers within football who in turn, shape the quality of coaching across all levels. The role will drive professional standards of coach development practice, through effective intervention, frameworks, and continuous development processes. As a critical member of the coach development leadership team, and FA Learning Senior Leadership group, the role will ensure a culture of ongoing personal development is embedded within day to day coach developer practice.

Please note that interviews will be held in the New Year.

What will you be doing?

• Develop and implement a comprehensive workforce development strategy for the FA coach developer workforce
• Ensure all coach development work complies with relevant UEFA coaching convention regulations, safety standards, and ethical guidelines
• Design, develop and integrate a licensing system that meets the needs of modern coach development
• Design and deliver a system that identifies and supports coach developer development needs across the learning and development pathway to ensure practice remains optimal and relevant
• Identify and analyse the support and development needs of the full-time coach developer team to ensure they are accessing appropriate and impactful development support
• Establish an innovative and collaborative system to measure coach development effectiveness and associated individual development plans (IDPs) that support effective utilisation, deployment and improvement
• Support the recruitment and onboarding process of new full time coach developers through a robust induction programme
• Collaborate with external experts, institutions, and governing bodies to incorporate the latest evidence-based research and insight
• Collaborate with other senior leaders to ensure the effective deployment of coach developers based on knowledge and expertise
• Manage the budget for workforce development and ensure optimal utilisation of resources across coach development teams
• Engage with professional game partners through the integrated coaching strategy (ICS) to promote collaborative people development opportunities
• 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:

• Undergraduate / postgraduate degree in sports coaching, sports science or sports administration
• In-depth knowledge of coach development methodologies and adult learning principles, particularly in designing and delivering development programs aimed at coach developers in a football environment
• Proven ability to mentor, guide, and support coach developers, helping them refine their mentoring, teaching, and leadership practices to better develop other coaches
• Strong understanding of contemporary coaching trends, tactics, and methodologies, including the integration of sports science, performance analysis, and player development theories into coaching programs
• Strong leadership abilities with experience managing and developing teams, particularly in a coaching or educational environment, to drive improvements in coach development practices
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to engage and inspire coach developers, facilitate workshops, and present ideas clearly to various stakeholders
• Experience in developing and implementing CPD frameworks, ensuring coach developers have access to ongoing education, research, and innovation in the field of football coaching
• Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively across departments
• Strong organisational and project management skills, with the ability to create, implement, and manage long term strategies for coach developer improvement that align with the club's overall coaching philosophy

Beneficial to have:

• Possession of a relevant coaching qualification or coach developer certification is highly desirable, demonstrating expertise in both coaching and the development of other coaches
• Previous experience working within football environments, particularly in the development of coaches and coach developers, with an understanding of the unique pressures and challenges in these settings
• Understanding of educational theories and pedagogical approaches to adult education, specifically in relation to how coach developers learn and teach best practices
• Strong public speaking and group facilitation skills, with experience leading workshops, seminars, or conferences on coach development practices
• Engagement with the latest research in coaching, education, and talent development, with the ability to incorporate cutting edge findings into coach developer training programs
• Knowledge of football governing bodies' standards and regulations (e.g., FIFA, UEFA), particularly in relation to coach education and development pathways
• Ability to build relationships with external stakeholders, such as football federations, universities, and industry experts, to foster collaboration and bring new insights into coach developer practice

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