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- Tasks: Lead and shape the sports card grading category with your expertise.
- Company: Join Ace Grading, the UK's fastest-growing grading company.
- Benefits: Competitive salary and the chance to make a real impact.
- Other info: Dynamic role with opportunities for growth in a passionate team.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of sports card innovation and build trust in the community.
- Qualifications: Deep knowledge of sports cards and strong attention to detail required.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 £ per year.
Location: Banbury (on-site)
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm
Salary: Dependent on experience
Reports to: Directors
Ace Grading is expanding its sports card category and we’re looking for a specialist to take ownership of the department as it scales. This is a senior category role for someone with deep sports card knowledge, strong authentication instincts, and the operational discipline to help build the most trusted sports grading product in the UK.
Role
You’ll own the Sports category across grading consistency, authentication support, card/database accuracy, quality control, and category growth. You’ll work closely with our grading, operations, product, and marketing teams to make sure Ace’s sports output is accurate, consistent, commercially relevant, and trusted by collectors.
Responsibilities
- Lead Ace’s sports card category standards across grading, authentication, and database quality
- Support graders with sport-specific knowledge, references, edge cases, and card identification
- Improve sports card databasing: player names, sets, years, parallels, variants, teams, and metadata
- Build internal reference materials and training processes for sports cards
- Review sports submissions for accuracy, consistency, and category-specific risks
- Help shape quality control processes for sports cards as volume grows
- Advise on sports product positioning, collector expectations, and market trends
- Support sports-focused marketing, content, launches, and education
- Identify opportunities for Ace to grow credibility and market share in sports cards
Requirements
- Strong knowledge of sports cards, ideally across football, basketball, baseball, F1, UFC, and other major categories
- Excellent understanding of sets, parallels, rookies, inserts, autographs, patches, numbering, and common authentication risks
- High attention to detail - you care about accuracy, consistency, and getting the small things right
- Comfortable working with databases, spreadsheets, checklists, and reference systems
- Able to turn collector knowledge into repeatable processes for a team
- Strong communicator who can work across grading, ops, customer support, and marketing
- Commercial awareness of the sports card market and what collectors actually care about
Nice to have
- Experience in grading, authentication, card retail, breaking, auctions, or sports card content
- Knowledge of authentication issues, counterfeit risks, reprints, altered cards, and questionable releases
- Existing network or credibility within the sports card community
Why join Ace?
Ace is the UK’s fastest-growing grading company, with a strong brand, modern product, and serious ambition across both TCG and sports cards. Sports is a major growth area for us. This role is about helping shape that category properly from the inside - setting the standard, improving trust, and building something collectors respect.
How to Apply
If this sounds like the right opportunity for you, please apply via LinkedIn with your CV. We review applications on a rolling basis and encourage early applications.
Head of Sports in Banbury employer: Ace Grading
Contact Detail:
Ace Grading Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Head of Sports in Banbury
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the sports card community. Attend events, join online forums, and engage on social media. The more you know people, the better your chances of landing that Head of Sports role.
✨Tip Number 2
Show off your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers or industry insiders, don’t hold back on sharing your knowledge about sports cards. Discuss trends, authentication issues, and your insights on the market – it’ll make you stand out!
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for interviews by diving deep into Ace Grading’s values and goals. Understand their current position in the market and think about how you can contribute to their growth. Tailor your talking points to show you’re the perfect fit for their vision.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, we love seeing candidates who are proactive and engaged with our brand. So, hit that apply button and let’s get the conversation started!
We think you need these skills to ace Head of Sports in Banbury
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion for Sports Cards: When you're writing your application, let your love for sports cards shine through! Share specific experiences or knowledge that highlight your expertise in the field. We want to see your enthusiasm and how it aligns with our mission at Ace Grading.
Tailor Your CV to the Role: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the Head of Sports position. Highlight relevant experience, especially in grading, authentication, and market trends. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so show us you’ve got what it takes!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. Use bullet points where possible to make it easy for us to read. We appreciate clarity, especially when it comes to your skills and experiences related to sports cards.
Apply Through Our Website: While LinkedIn is great, we encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother process. It helps us keep everything organised and ensures your application gets the attention it deserves. Don’t miss out on this opportunity!
How to prepare for a job interview at Ace Grading
✨Know Your Cards Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your sports card knowledge before the interview. Familiarise yourself with different sets, parallels, and authentication risks. Being able to discuss specific cards and trends confidently will show that you're the right fit for the Head of Sports role.
✨Showcase Your Attention to Detail
Since this role requires a high level of accuracy and consistency, prepare examples from your past experiences where your attention to detail made a difference. Whether it’s about grading or database management, demonstrating this skill will resonate well with the interviewers.
✨Communicate Clearly and Effectively
As a strong communicator, you’ll need to work across various teams. Practice articulating your thoughts clearly, especially when discussing complex topics like grading standards or market trends. This will help you stand out as someone who can bridge gaps between departments.
✨Bring Ideas for Growth
Ace Grading is looking to expand its sports card category, so come prepared with ideas on how to grow credibility and market share. Research current trends in the sports card market and think about how you can contribute to Ace's vision. Showing initiative will impress the directors.