Senior Lead - Coaching Qualifications And Standards

The Senior Lead Coaching Qualifications & Standards is responsible for leading the coordination and delivery of all coaching qualifications across the development pathway.
Key to delivering excellence, the role will ensure consistency and connectivity in the alignment and delivery of all coaching qualifications, whilst meeting the required standards set by UEFA.
The role is key in maintaining the quality, integrity, and relevance of coaching qualifications, ensuring alignment with the organisation's coaching philosophy and long-term player development objectives.
As a critical member of the coach development leadership team, and FA Learning Senior Leadership group, the role will collaborate effectively with colleagues across coach development and learning and innovation.
What will you be doing?
Lead the implementation and management of coaching qualifications, ensuring they provide the very best development experience and meet the standards and requirements of the UEFA coaching convention.
Alongside the Senior Lead - Learning Experience, oversee the accreditation process for coaching courses, ensuring that all qualifications delivered are compliant with regulatory and educational standards Own the development and upkeep of the coach development framework as the central point of truth and reference for all coach development activity across the game, and ensure it is embedded across all UEFA qualifications.
Lead a team of course directors that will enable a consistent and connected approach to qualification delivery that ultimately enhances the learning experience for coaches.
Ensure qualifications are fit for purpose for the male and female game.
Collaborate with the Senior Lead: Learning Experience and external partners to ensure the continuous improvement and modernisation of qualification content, ensuring the curriculum remains relevant and focused.
Alongside colleagues in strategic insight and learning evaluation, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of qualification programs, gathering feedback and using data to inform improvements and ensure relevance to modern coaching demands.
Ensure that coaches have a clear qualification pathway, supporting their professional development and progression within the football industry.
Promote best practices in coaching education across the organisation, ensuring coaches are equipped with the skills and knowledge necessary to deliver high-quality player development.
Ensure compliance with safeguarding, equality, and inclusion standards in all qualification programs.
Collaborate with the coach development leads (male and female) to ensure effective and appropriate deployment of coach developers across all qualifications.
Assist with the integration of an effective quality development process across all qualifications.
Manage the budget for qualifications effectively and ensure the optimal utilisation of resources across all coach development activity.
Executes additional tasks as required in order to meet FA Group 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 : Undergraduate / postgraduate degree in sports coaching, sports science or sports administration.
Possession of a relevant coaching qualification or coach developer certification, demonstrating expertise in both coaching and the development of other coaches.
Extensive experience in designing, managing, and delivering football coaching qualifications at various levels, with a deep understanding of adult learning principles and education frameworks in a football context.
Strong knowledge of football governing bodies (e.g., UEFA, FIFA) and their requirements for coaching qualifications, ensuring programs meet regulatory standards and compliance.
Proven experience in leading teams, managing projects, and overseeing the delivery of complex qualification programs.
Ability to inspire and support staff in delivering high-quality outcomes.
Ability to create coaching curriculums that align with the national governing body philosophies, focusing on long-term player development, modern coaching methodologies, and technical standards.
Excellent collaboration skills with the ability to work across different departments (e.g., coach development, performance teams) and external stakeholders (e.g., football federations, educational bodies) to drive coach education initiatives.
Strong strategic skills, with the ability to create long term plans for coach education that align with the organisations goals, ensuring sustainability and excellence in coaching standards.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate complex ideas, present strategies, and influence stakeholders both internally and externally.
Experience in implementing quality assurance mechanisms to assess the effectiveness of qualification programs, gather feedback, and ensure continuous improvement.
Beneficial to have: 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.
Advanced knowledge of learning and pedagogical theories, particularly related to adult education, helping design effective learning experiences for coaches at different stages of their careers.
Ability to drive innovation in coach development, using research, technology, and best practices to continuously enhance qualification programmes and stay ahead of trends.
Demonstrate the ability to lead complex projects and programs effectively.
Experience in using data to analyse the effectiveness of qualifications, measure learning outcomes, and report on program success to stakeholders.
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 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 Our Organisation The Football Association [The FA] is the not-for-profit governing body of football in England.
It is responsible for promoting and developing every level of the game, from grassroots through to the professional game, and generates significant revenue to support investment into English football each year.
The FA oversees England international teams across men's, women's, youth and disability football, as well as running the National League System and FA Competitions including the Emirates FA Cup and Women's Adobe FA Cup, and the world-class facilities of Wembley Stadium and St. George's Park, all with a purpose to Unite the Game and Inspire the Nation.
We currently work within a hybrid working model whereby the expectation is to work from your contractual location for part of the week, and as and when required by the team.
The remaining days can be worked remotely.
We will continue to monitor this model and it may be adjusted in future if deemed necessary.
Your contract with The FA will specify a fixed location of Wembley Stadium or St. George's Park unless the role is advertised as a home-based contract.
The contractual location of this role can be found at the top of this advert on our FA vacancy page.
The FA, For All, For You Our equality, diversity and inclusion strategy forms an integral part of our long-term commitment to using our influence across English football to create a game free from discrimination.
https://www.thefa.com/-/media/thefacom-new/files/about-the-fa/2021/fa_a-game-for-all-strategy.ashx A Game For All outlines three key strategic commitments - Lead the Change, Be the Change, and Inspire the Change - which will ensure tackling discrimination remains a core priority for English football for years to come.
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.
Documents TM0934 FA BENEFITS BOOKLET V1.pdf (188.82 KB)