As an integral part of our dynamic team, you will play a crucial role in upholding our organisation's commitment to sustainability. Regardless of your specific role in Finance marketing, HR, procurement, or any other department, we expect all employees to actively embrace and adhere to our sustainability policies. Your dedication to environmentally conscious practices, resource efficiency, and ethical considerations will contribute to our collective efforts in fostering a responsible and sustainable workplace. We believe that each team member, regardless of their functional area, plays a vital role in promoting and implementing sustainable practices that align with our organizational values
Exeter City Football Club seeks to ensure the safety, safeguarding and wellbeing of all children, young people and adults at risk who engage in its activities.
We are seeking an experienced and passionate Lead Designated Safeguarding Officer (DSO) to manage all safeguarding activity across the Club. This is a pivotal role responsible for ensuring the welfare of children, young people, and adults at risk remains at the heart of everything we do.
Working closely with staff, volunteers, players, parents, governing bodies, and statutory agencies, the successful candidate will drive a positive safeguarding culture, provide expert guidance and ensure the Club meets all safeguarding and safer recruitment requirements in line with FA, EFL and statutory standards.
Who are we?
Exeter City Football Club is a special club with over 20 years of Supporters’ Trust ownership something we are very proud of. Our ownership model places our supporters and community engagement at the forefront of everything we do and we are proud to have a special place in the heart of the community. Trust ownership is reflected in our commitment to balancing on-field success with long-term sustainability and we have a remarkable track record of nurturing talent through our Academy, promoting players to the first team, and maximising their performance. In addition to the success of our Academy and men’s team Exeter City Women successfully transitioned into being fully managed by the Club in 2024 and were promoted to the third tier of women’s football in the FA Women’s National League Southern Premier Division in 2024.
Culture
We recognise the advantages of having a diverse workforce with a broad range of skills, diversity of experiences and perspectives and we embrace the creativity and innovation this brings. We pride ourselves on having an inclusive culture and a workplace that brings opportunity, development and growth. We embrace a culture of accountability where we set clear expectations and goals, open lines of communication and strong leadership.
Role
As the Lead DSO the successful candidate will support the delivery of the Club's safeguarding strategy, ensuring compliance with FA, EFL and statutory safeguarding standards. Working with the Safeguarding Lead you will be responsible for developing and maintaining safeguarding policies, procedures, risk assessments and accurate safeguarding records.
As part of this role you will act as a key safeguarding contact, managing concerns, disclosures, referrals, and welfare matters, escalating where appropriate. Building effective relationships with the FA, EFL, statutory agencies, staff, volunteers, players, and families to promote a positive safeguarding culture is critical.
You will support in organising the safeguarding training, inductions, awareness programmes and stakeholder meetings across the Club and serve as the primary contact for host families, overseeing visits, compliance checks. Other daily tasks will include coordinating safer recruitment processes, including DBS checks, safeguarding compliance and maintenance of the Single Central Record.
As part of this role the successful candidate will provide welfare support to the Women's First Team and contribute to safeguarding initiatives across Academy, First Team, and operational departments. Maintaining up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding legislation and EFL safeguarding standards is critical to ensuring best practice is embedded throughout the Club.
This is a part-time role, 20 hours a week.
A job description and person specification can be found on our website.
If you wish to apply for this position please follow the link and apply via our HR platform, People HR. Only completed applications that are submitted via People HR will be accepted. Any applications after the closing date will not be accepted. The closing date is 13th July 2026.
All candidates will require a DBS Check and must be able to prove their eligibility to work within the UK.
ECFC is an equal opportunities employer and committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff and employees to share this commitment.
